Burning Life Day 2: Airships, Graffiti, Dinosaurs and the Temple

It’s a bit more relaxed on the playa the day after the gates open. The adrenalin has abated from the opening rush. Burners are hanging around and talking more, spending longer on the builds and the pace is more serene.

You also find out who on your friends list are burners. Yellow dots stand out like beacons on the mini map. I was using the Emerald viewer’s “mouse over the dot and get a name” abilities to see who was around.

So it was that once again I ended up hanging with Harper Beresford and CeeJay Writer, dancing at the Eridu Society Airship Outpost, by TriloByte Zansibar and blakopal Galicia. This is a terrific steam punk build with a tall spire and airship dock. This shot looks east across the playa and In the background of the shot, you can see the Burner’s Garden.

I didn’t stay long, but when I returned, Isle Lunasea was busily painting the sides of railway cars with graffiti at AM Radio’s Among Other Things. This deceptively simple build allows burners to create their own graffiti art which is then posted on the side of the railway cars.

I decided to explore the area just north of my own build. Walking along the road, I found Koncept – Freedom From Fear, by Midori Rotaru, a skeletal build topped by a sculpture of people ascending, even as they are plagued by thorns. (The Green Tower in the distance is The Playa Tower, by Dakhla Juran)

I was busily shooting Burning Sands, Burning Lizards by Neeks Karu, when she appeared. Our conversation began with art and ranged into discussion of other Burning Life builds. She asked me what my favorite build was, which was impossible to answer.

It was, however, easy to identify the most meaningful. I had often visited the Temple of Forgiveness, by Damanios Thetan, prior to the opening of Burning Life. I had resolved to return and write my musings to be burnt and released when the temple burns at the close of the festival. Now seemed a good time.

So together we visited the temple and each of us left our notes and departed as new friends.

For further insight into the significance of the Temple of Forgiveness at Burning Man, I recommend this short video.

Raven Haalan is Prim Perfect’s native Burning Life correspondent and enthusiast. He will be issuing regular reports on the festival.