Burning Man. What's there?

I really hope I'm posting in the right place. I've been reading all about Black Rock City and I can say I'm a virgin burner. I can't think about burning man without getting all antsy in my pantsy. I want to go!!

But I have a few questions.
What exactly is the Temple of Transition? I read something about a Temple of Juno and a Temple of Tears, what's with that? What are some of the activities offered? I saw a video about a chanting tent, what else is there? What is the general mood towards people with nudist tendencies? Would I be met with hostility should I trip while among these people? What's the best camp to go with when you're an old-school styled hippie? And what's the overall mood of the event? Is it more like "I'll do me, don't mess with me." Or is it the free love hippie style people make jokes about? Please answer all the questions. They actually make a bif difference in how I approach the event.

Peace and love!

 

I came so close one year. Had a pair of tickets for me and the SO. We both got new jobs in the late spring and weren't able to get the time off, so we had to sell them. Le sigh...
It's been years since that happened and I still can't look at burning man stuff online without getting depressed.

For the people, you get everything from hippie nudists to the OONZE folk to folk who like to fake seizures as practical jokes. With 40k people, you get every kind. And a fuck ton of pyros.

Vids and blogs. There's a lot out there. I know I watched and read and asked veteran burners everything I could in the year leading up. Keep poking around and I'm sure you'll find the right camp for you. Some of the people I know are Camp Bunnyside.

I'm gonna go cry now.

 

I had heard about burning man , but I thought some people did this in secret . I had heard that police did not like people to build and set fire to stuff out in the middle of no where . It disturbed the pece or some thing like that . The links I found look more main stream , selling tickets and stuff . http://www.burningman.com/ http://www.************/BurningMan http://www.burningmanproject.org/ desert rat

 

what's a tickett cost? forgot too what state is it in?

 

I promise you allot of people will be tripping, and once people find out you are a virgin burner they will be happy to show you the ropes. Just make sure you can be self sufficient for the whole time. Water, food etc, you really are a long way from civilization. If you can take care of yourself and be respectful of others you are all set to have an awesome time.

 

although somehow, i do think this is , well, not real i guess.

you gotta pay to be a hippy person? c'mon isnt that against what its all about?

 

It's amazing and I'd say try to go if only once. This last year was my first and I'll try to pass on a bit of my experience and answer your questions from my perspective.

First, If you're not aquainted with the e-playa it's a good place for info for everything bm.
http://eplaya.burningman.com/
I didn't come across those temples so I can't say. I'm sure you could find out but don't assume those are there every year. Those miight have been one off things.

When my ticket was sent they included a directory of events. It was an actual book. One can't begin to list everything going on, it filled a small book. Everything you can imagine and many you can't imagine. It's beyond the scope of a short post to even begin to cover it. But rest assured, if you're into it there's a place or many places for you. Guaranteed!

Let me change your paradigm a bit... try not to look at it as "what activities are offered". It's not an amusement park that you pay admission and they entertain you. Think of it as a place like no other, where you get to go and participate.
What can you bring to be part of the magic? Not, what are they going to do to entertain me.

People generally don't give a damn. Nudity is no big deal there. Some go nude, some don't. Don't be a juvenile american, go with a european attitude that everybody has a body and it's no big deal and you'll be fine.
Public sex is not cool, the authorities will cite you. Treat others how you wish to be treated. Common sense.

No. I tripped twice while there. Be a good person. Treat others with love and respect and no one will care one bit. There is alot of law enforcement there and Nevada has strict drug laws. Be discreet and be an adult. Be an example of responsible tripping and you will have no problem whatsoever. You will not stand out as the only one tripping, trust me.
But... don't be walking down the street smoking weed. Cops smell weed and look. Or they see you doing it. And you will be fined for it.

That said there are relatively few encounters with police. They are there to protect public safety, they have their job. Be a good human and you will not have a problem. I never felt the least bit concerned around the cops, and there were times I was HIIIIGGGGHHHHH !!!

Dont know. There are alot of camps but it's generally not like just go there and find a camp and say "i like the grateful dead too can i crash here?".
Generally people get connected with a group beforehand, in some manner. Through the eplaya or through already established friends.
Camps are a group effort, a community within the community. Camps work by everyone chipping in. Look around online. Read. There are plenty of "old school hippy" camps, bdsm, steampunk, any-kind-of-art-imaginable theme camps, a family friendly rated G camp... name it, you'll find it.

It's the most amazing you'll ever experience. It blew my mind, I went this year with the approach of "I want to do this at least once" and now I'm "I want to go home every year".

Go. You WILL NOT regret the experience, the love, the people you will meet.

Yes. No. EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.

I hope I did, but I know I didn't. No amount of reading I did, people I knew that had gone, videos online, bla bla bla... could have prepared me for what I experienced.
There is nothing else like it that I have heard of.

I hope that helps a bit.

Regionals are a good way to connect, especially if you're far away from Nevada. Those are the people that can help, advise, that you could get involved in a project for BM, and join in to pool resources.
But regionals aren't anything close to being on the playa.
The regional afterburn here was about .00000001% of what the playa is like, and I'm in a big city.

None of this is true or relevant whatsoever.

This is ALL true and completely relevant

No. You don't have to pay shit to be a hippy person.

You have to kick in your share to support what is done out there. To pay the million plus bucks to the BLM for the permit. For the 24-7 EMTs and ambulances to save your ass when you do something stupid.
For the amazing amount of infrastucture that is built in the middle of a dry lake bed in the middle of nowhere that is the closest thing to a free and loving and mostly self policing society that you'll ever witness and be a part of.

Don't wanna chip in? Do your own hippy thing. Expecting a free handout isn't hip nor is it what burning man is all about.

 

Thank you all so much! I'm making preparations now. Just so I can get an idea, what camp or vilage did you stay with if you did at all.

 

I think this real , I saw a burring man on t.v. , but as I remember the t.v. reporter stated " the location can not be reveled because this kind of thing is ilegal " , or some thing close to that . That was a few years ago. I guess the money they make on tickets covers what they need to make the burring man . desert rat

 

Hope it helped. Glad you're going to try to go.
The closer to the Esplanade you camp, the louder it is, 24/7. I camped at the airport which is about as far away from the center as you can get, but still a short bicycle ride into "town". It was peaceful and quiet out there for when I wanted to rest. I'm an older dude, I like my quiet time
You can get connected with a camp and pool resources or do independent. Your call. There is plenty of room for just you and your stuff, or a group of people not affiliated with a camp. The streets closest to the center are reserved for the larger camps.
I took a cargo van, packed the neccesities and had room for a ride share burner I met on the rideshare page of the BM site. Lot's of different ways to go.
Hope you can go and have the time of your life Novexus.

This is drivel. Burning Man is not illegal, nor can you keep a secret when nearly 60,000 people make their way there.
There are sheriffs from 2 counties patrolling. The NHP on the roads. The BLM overseeing the event. It's not a secret.

 

I've picked out the Sacred Spaces Camp. I haven't contacted them yet but I plan to camp with them if they'll have me. I hope to see you guys there! My tent will probably be covered in psychedelic paintings and a big novelty sign that says "All hail Novexus Prime! Providing free hugs since 1994."

 

I know what you mean, but it's not a Rainbow Family Gathering (although there is a "Welcome Home" with hugs and such). There's infrastructure to pay for- portapotties, road signs, etc. And, of course, there's artwork subsidized, like The Man, Temple, etc.

 

Awesome! I hope you get in with a camp, I think it's a great way to go- especially for Virgins. Sacred Spaces rocks, too.
Even if you end up camping alone, you can just explore and volunteer for stuff. You'll be knee-deep in new pals in no time, and may be adopted by a camp somewhat.
It's really easy to just say fuck it and let the days unfold as they will, but a little guidebook consulting and planning will enhance the experience a lot.
If you make yourself a framework of a schedule you can hit things like a pancake breakfast, TED Talk, ice cones, and conferences given by psychedelic luminaries.
It's amazing how many brilliant minds gather there!
If anyone's familiar with PiHKAL and TiHKAL- you can see some footage of Sasha Shulgin conducting workshops at Burning Man in the documentary "Dirty Pictures."

 

You never know what you will find at burning man. I remember riding a train in the desert. Finding a pyramid in a dust storm. We smoked a j while staring up at the dust storm through stars and moons. There were amazing people, bars, night clubs, casinos, the night lights are like vegas suddenly came to life in the desert. Burning Man is like going down the rabbit hole...anything can happen. It is a wonderful freedom from societies rules.