Black Rock City: Public Transport Facilities

[devi]

It's mid-afternoon on I think the Friday of Burning Man and the four of us are walking towards the big empty space at the centre of town, where the Man and all the crazy art live and where the Critical Tits Bike Ride is about to happen. Blazing sunshine and our boots kicking up clouds of white dust. Somewhere near the corner of 8.30 and Chance a long yellow convertible with Black Rock City Cabs stencilled on the side rolls up alongside us. "You can't walk in this heat," the driver shouts, "are you crazy? Get in!" There are already people perched all over the car, which is upholstered inside with thick curly wool, its windscreen garlanded with fake roses covered in dust, but they see me looking dubious and urge me to squeeze in. The driver is in some sort of all-over black bodysuit and looks like a cross between a gimp and a ninja, except for his straw hat. The guy in the passenger seat – sharp but dishevelled suit, tie askew – could be a Reservoir Dog. Neal and Alex stay on foot, but Richard and I climb in. I perch on one of the doors and the car rolls on at 5mph, the speed limit within the city; it's not much faster than walking but it's a lot more fun.

"Grab the car and hang on," the Reservoir Dog is telling passers-by on bikes. At one point there are eighteen of us in and on and clinging to the car, all jumbled up among the fun-fur and fake flowers, and every single person I can see could be the star of their own comic book series. The Dog opens a briefcase with reinforced corners and I half expect a light to shine out of it like the case in Pulp Fiction but instead he starts handing out cold beer. One of the cyclists lets go for a moment to take a swig from his hip flask, then offers it to me. "It's Scotch," he says, "have some," and I do and it's like a miniature sun of my own glowing in my stomach. The music on the car stereo changes to Today by the Smashing Pumpkins as we reach the centre and the street gives way to open space. People career by on customised bikes and hoot and cheer to see the car we're in so groaning with people. It looks like the bike ride we came to see is already pretty much over – the last few topless women are going by, to more cheering – but the destination didn't really matter anyway. The gimp-ninja dances on the bonnet and inside the car we all sing along with the stereo: today is the greatest, today is the greatest…

**

That was just one little moment in a solid week of random, weird, cool things. Certainly nowhere near the most important one. But I have a notebook and a half stuffed with travel journal, thousands and thousands of words of "and then... and then," and I have to start somewhere. I've been back for nearly two weeks, two weeks of pretty constant thinking it over, and it's only starting to sort itself out into postable form now. So. Much. Awesomeness.

The rest of the pictures are here.

Comments

[mr_magicfingers]

Thank you for making me cry.

Seriously, I've looked at lots of other people's pictures of this year, but yours are so similar to mine. I can't believe you were camped so close to me, literally one block down the street, you'd have walked past our camp, I'm sure.

I want to go home, afterburn is being something of a bitch but not quite as bad as last year. I'm still feeling the effects from last years trip to the desert. I look forward to reading more of your impressions.

J.

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

Whoops. Sorry :/

Yes, annoyingly, I probably did walk past your camp. I was at a party in the AEZ as well, at a camp with two silver domes called The Cult of Levitating Plywood.

It weirds me out to think that the whole place is gone now, that out there there's nothing but desert and sky.

[caescarna.livejournal.com]

Those pictures are great - looking forwards to hearing more about your experiences.

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

Cheers. Sorry the Cheltenham thing hasn't happened yet - the people in Gloucester are being kind of erratic and I don't know when I'll be out at their house again - but I'll let you know next time I'm going there, shall I? (It won't necessarily be a Tuesday)

[caescarna.livejournal.com]

Yeah - no worries. With enough warning I can make most nights free :)

[ultraruby.livejournal.com]

Oh. My. God.

Those pictures are amazing - it's almost too much to take in, that it existed and you were there and everything. You are SO cool for going.

The wood structure looks amazing, the cathedral too. And that steam engine! However did it get all the way there?

Plus also you look fab in those pics. I love your hair.

[ultraruby.livejournal.com]

Ooh, also, are you part of the Euroburners? It was their decompression I went to a couple of years ago - they have them to get people together again and to help them to feel better about coming back to earth.

[mr_magicfingers]

Decom will be in December, Santi is working on the date and venue at the moment. I'll chime in when it's set. I'm looking forward to it already.

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

Yeah, please do - I remember ultraruby's post about last year's and was going to ask!

[queenortart.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. I am rendered pretty much speechless.

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

Thank you. So was I :)

[verlaine.livejournal.com]

Like the hair!

[bluedevi.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Sadly, it's brown again - though there's still not very much of it.

Certainly nowhere near the most important one

[mr-snips.livejournal.com]

I, too, am still processing. But I think the most important thing for me was the way people seemed to be experimenting with alternative forms of their personalities... including some of us.

[jackfirecat.livejournal.com]

Great write-up! On Sunday's evidence I can vouch for mr_snips still 'processing', or 'being a bit spacey' as it is more colloquially known.