Lithuanians in the Dust

 A Short Story: Part I

August 11, 2023. The flight to America was pleasant. A bus to Reno was full of strangers. I was lying in a motel in Reno and starting my diary. Motel was like in the movies with a parking lot and a building with balconies and ice machines in the corners of each floor.
Reno is the smaller brother of Las Vegas, but the point is the same: wide streets, a million lights; on one side of the street there is a casino; on the other a pawn shop.
The bar was impressive, with slot machines installed on the bar table, so you do not have to walk far.

When we arrived in Black Rock City, the outside world seemed somewhere far away and long ago. Burning Man veteran Odin, all tattooed and pierced, wearing a burning outfit, picked us up. We recognized his car easily from the layer of dust on it.
Anyway, we packed our six suitcases, stopped last time to shop, took a 5-liter Fireball Whiskey Fire Keg, and turned towards the desert. The landscape became more and more beautiful—all around the prairies, mountains can be seen in the distance. Then we arrived at the emerging city of Black Rock. I still do not know how to describe it: utopia, Mars, Mad Max, WTF, crazy, hardcore, dust, etc.

Arriving to the emerging city of Black Rock, 2023. Getting to know the desert and its people.

There was not a cloud in the sky. Friends (people were very friendly; that’s what I called them after 5 minutes of getting to know each other) from our DPW team helped us set up the tents and protect them from the dust.
HEAT (the team that manages the heavy transport) organized a party. So, I could describe our evening like this: desert, stars, huge loaders around, cranes, bobcats with drills, a DJ, a bar, and a bunch of crazy people.

 

The next morning, our first day of work began. It was definitely intense. We were assigned to work with the shade building team—hardcore people—and when we came, nobody explained too much; we just did what they did, and they said good or bad.
Everyone was doing everything; we got infected with their excitement. Dubstep played in the background at full volume. We set up the shade, fell on the ground, did 25 push-ups, drank water for 5 minutes, jumped into a specially adapted/cut school bus, and drove to the next spot, and so on all day.
“This is not a vacation; this is f*cking DPW.” It was 35 degrees outside, but the wind was blowing constantly. Oh my, it was a day.
But then, in the evening, after dinner and a shower, we were sitting in chairs with a fireball floating in the ice, enjoying the cool evening, chatting with the “gang”, and, well, life is good.

Burning Man 2023. Picture from the tent in the afternoon. Although there is a shade above it.

Monday started at 7:30 with the morning meeting of all departments. Everyone enjoys what they do here; as Odin said, he works here not because it is well paid, but because of this community. You can come to work dressed as a clown if you wish. Many people—characters, eccentrics, and crazy people—are united by respect and gratitude for each other. If that suits you, welcome home.

 

In the afternoon, we experienced the first sandstorm. It just started to be seen at one end of the desert, and that thing was approaching us. After a moment, there is only sand, or rather, dust, around; the visibility varies between 1 and 5 meters. Well, just put on glasses and a respirator and live on.
Throughout the evening, the storm calmed down, then rose again, and there was a bit of rain, but the temperature did not drop; it was hot. Oh, well, little by little, I realized that I walk around dusty all the time with dusty clothes, which, they say, never get completely washed. Seriously, after getting out of the shower, the storm came up again, and I was back to normal. These were the conditions; you get used to them.

  

 

We also worked with a team of fence builders—country music lovers—and forging metal rods in the middle of the desert at +35C is a serious job; sweat flows in streams, but fuck yeah, that’s why we came here—strong, unusual experiences. But again, we cared for each other; water was everywhere and always cold. The team leader was always asking everybody if they drank enough. There were fluffers (a team of volunteers who makes sure the ones in the field are ok) who always had electrolytes, mate lemonade, power bars, chips, and ice cream.
It seemed like another day in paradise.

Part II

The story continues…
It has been almost a week in Black Rock City, but it still did not turn into a routine, and apparently it never will, because everything is different in the desert. I liked to admire the bright stars of August. One morning, I saw the sunrise from behind the mountains. Magnificent views.
On Wednesday, August 16, I was assigned to work with the heavy machinery department, where everyone gets a walkie-talkie. There was some free time in the afternoon. I was chilling on the sofas and listening, amazed at how smoothly the operators work and communicate respectfully, helpfully, and with humor.

 

 

We spent the evening looking at the sky. Nature changed the shapes of the clouds and painted them in all shades of red. A piece of a rainbow was hanging on the side. Apocalyptic spectacle.

 

The next day, we were getting ready to go back to work, but the cloud was getting closer and bigger. This time, it was black. And it burst. The rain lasted for half an hour, and the desert turned into a lake several centimeters deep. The desert is not with sand but rather with dust, and the dust turned into something similar to clay after the rain. The entire city was canceled for the rest of the day.
People got some unplanned free time, and everyone went to the bars barefoot, with socks, or just with shoes stuck with clay. We went to the shade team camp, where someone pulled the rope, and the two camps decided to have a tug of war, with 8 people on each side. They were about to start, but the leader came running and tried to stop all of it, saying, But the showers don’t work! Who could stop so much fun for such unimportant things? After a few minutes, everyone was more or less covered in mud. Immediacy!

 

On Friday, August 18, me and Aistis went to work at the Artery. This is the place where all artists and sculptors register upon arrival. Since we like to get busy, we started screwing some plywood, gave a good impulse to the team, and the work progressed much better. Later, while enjoying a beer, we received thanks from the lead.
In the evening, we had our camp’s housewarming. The neighbors brought fishing chairs. We pulled beer cans floating among the ice cubes from the thermos boxes. We also invited our team leader, Leeway, who was participating for the 20th time in Burning Man! He had so many interesting stories to tell. A great person.

 

We received new maps of the city with full descriptions: 326 sculptures, ~1800 camps. This city is designed like a clock. In the very center there is a human sculpture (The Man); streets run from it in all directions that correspond to the hours, and they are crossed by semicircles, going from the center alphabetically. It is quite good to find your way around. Our camp address was 5:45 E.

On August 20, we had a day off, and what did we do during it? Everyone needs bicycles in Burning Man. Due to dust and short usage times, most people buy the cheap ones and often leave them. What remains is then packed into containers, and the next year they are taken out, repaired, and put to use. We had some time to find the bikes that we liked, changed the steering wheel, adjusted the seats, lubricated the chains, inflated the tires, and voila, it was running perfectly. What a pleasure it was to ride in the dessert.
Also, a PreBurn took place when most departments built sculptures, lined them all up, and… that’s it, set them on fire. About 20 sculptures were lit at the same time, nevertheless, with fireworks.

However, the whole town was in a mood of anticipation. It had to start raining again, and there had to be a lot of rain. The work was canceled for the next day.
And it did rain all night. The tents were okay, at least. Traffic was prohibited, or, better to say, impossible, in our black rock swamp. We were isolated with enough food, water, a functioning kitchen, and a full tank of fireball, so chill out. But I was thinking that once it stops raining, there will be more newcomers, and we will have to finish everything on time, and work really hardcore.
Friday arrived again, and four days had passed since the big rain. Then two days were wet and sticky; everything around turned into one big mud bath; walking was a challenge-a whole hike to the canteen. There was nothing to do. We slept, ate, and played chess in our dirt living room. No one could work for those two days; no one could enter; 326 sculpture builders could not; and ~1800 camp builders could not either.

 

The morning of the third day after the rain, the ground finally dried up. Cars could drive, and the gates opened, and the movement started. We started working again. Everything has changed beyond recognition. The desert was filled with new settlers: campers, tents, artcars, everyone was putting up shades. When the night came, there were more and more lights.
Lithuanian campers were also arriving: Lituanica Birds, Raccoons, and Amber Dust. It was great in the evenings, after work, to ride around the city on bicycles, visit everyone, and look at the emerging city. Massive.

 

The last day of work was Saturday, August 26, and I spent it building shades. Usually, the people for whom we build a shade wanted to thank us with cold drinks, but this time we received some silly plastic thingies, like a duck’s beak, and when you blew it, it made a similar sound as ducks. Obviously, everyone “talked” only this way during the construction. Nonsense? Yes, of course, but it’s fun. There’s a lot of nonsense, everyone makes jokes about everything, especially themselves.
After finishing that last job, I took a picture of all ~45 people hammering the last nail. We returned to shade’s base in the “ghetto” district and held the last meeting. As always, a fridge with beer was prepared after work. This time there were many thanks and much admiration for each other, and there were also tears.

 

The city was already full of people, bicycles, lights, and more lights-music coming from corners, bars, artcars. For the first evening, after weeks of work, the action of those lights and people was overstimulating, so we decided to go to sleep and fly the next morning. Literally.
There is an airport in BRC, and if you come early enough—before many people have gathered—they just fly you with a plane. Flying over Black Rock City just after sunrise is magical. A great start of the day, and for others, maybe a great end to the day.
Anyway, a lot of things have happened these days. I would get up in the morning (conditionally, in the morning), sit on my bike, and people would invite me to come to their camps on the streets, and I would go through all kinds of adventures during the day.

 

For example, there was the opening of the thunder dome—a huge metal dome with a rope system inside so two people would be able to fight. This event is organized by the Death Guild camp, and the action is as follows:
Two people are attached to ropes.
They are given a semi-hard or soft rope.
The death guilders pick them up, pull them to the edges of the dome, and launch them into each other.
They collide, try to grab an opponent, and hit them with that stick.
This continues until the fight ends or someone gets hurt. Things happen in reality; if we fight, we fight! And especially when all those people around are shouting kill! Adrenaline kicks in, I think.
The lady from the Death Guild supervised everything perfectly. It felt like a dystopian movie. People told stories about fractures of the ribs, arms, and legs…
It is important that everyone understands where they are going. Nobody is forcing anybody to do anything. This is Burning Man!
To be continued.

Part III

On Thursday morning while it was still not too hot, I went to the Temple.
The building itself was really impressive, with carved panels with various ornaments. During the day, the light penetrated and fell through the panels in an unrealistically beautiful way.
It was a quiet place where most cried or sat quietly, mourning. Once I tried to read the writings on the walls, it was difficult to stop the tears. It is a very sensual, humanly, and necessary place.

 

I came to the Temple just before the concert of an orchestra of about 40 people (referring to Playa Pops Symphony concert): someone dressed as a fox, someone with crocs, someone with a kind of gas mask, a conductor with a cowboy hat…
The whole background and music were so utopian and wonderful. The orchestra played several classical pieces asnd versions of Pink Floyd and the Beatles. The whole audience sang along “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “Imagine”. Those magic moments.
All art objects scattered across the desert, which we call Playa. There is so much art. Among the most impressive ones, there was a mechanical Pegasus. After pressing the buttons, it started to fly, and the movements of the legs, head, tail, and wings looked very realistic. And when those wings were with fire at night, wow!

 

In the afternoon, about 120 Lithuanians met for a photo next to the Man. It felt like a sandstorm blew up on purpose; hundreds of “rabbits” were circling around because the “billion bunnies march against humanity” was taking place. Iconic.
In the evening, we saw two effigies burn: a burning robot (‘1000 & 1’) and a burning heart, after which a metal butterfly remained (‘Breaking Open’).
Later, we went to Deep Playa. It was a good night—I would say even the best—in the middle of the desert, under the stars, with people having a blast without disturbing anyone.

The Monaco, Land Frigate at Burning Man 2023, She is approximately 45 feet long, holds more than 40 passengers

On Friday, it rained again. We felt nostalgia to the times when it was sunny and hot.
The next morning, not a few hundred city builders woke up, but ~70 thousand people woke up in the swamp. There were no more thousands of cyclists on the streets, no artcars. For the first time in the 30 years of the event, Saturday’s Man’s burning was cancelled.
In the evening, it was a bit easier to walk, so we visited other Lithuanian camps. They survived, and the mood was either very good or on the border of crazy.
Sunday started promisingly: the sun was shining through the clouds, and the pavement was getting drier and harder. We were informed that the Man would be burned in the evening! The mood was getting better. And then… That’s it; it started raining again.
The 3-days long rain happened for the first time in the history of Burning Man. Muddy Man, Black Rock Swamp, rain apocalypse – that’s how people talked about the 2023 event.
The last time it really rained in BRC was in 2014, and it wasn’t that bad back then.
Well, our canteen was working according to schedule, the tent was dry. We will be there for almost a week; it is going to be sunny again, so chill. There will be something to tell the grandchildren, as they say.

 

Monday evening, there was excitement in all the camps; everyone was preparing for burning the Man, finally! People gathered and sat around. There were cyclists buzzing, burners in various costumes, and a million twinkling lights, all the artcars around playing different music at the same time.
It seemed different from Amber Burn’s cozy burnings; it seemed a lot, loud, and everything at the same time.
After a long wait, the man finally started to raise his hands, and fireworks started shooting. They were truly unique and made me gasp more than once. Then an impressive so-called diesel bomb explosion engulfed and ignited the man. It was a big bonfire. And the crazy party continued.

Also, we watched another impressive art—the Chapel of Babel—burning. It’s incredible how much work people put in and after a week, burn it.
The morning after the Man burn, we were sitting in worn-out fishermen’s chairs in our camp. Our crew had to go back to work. But somehow, nothing really pushed in. We continued to sit in our shade; a light breeze was blowing, and music played quietly. It felt like the end was coming.
I went to see what was left of the man—on embers, people traditionally roasted ribs, bacon, and made coffee.

 

A similar crowd of people gathered for the burning of the Temple on Tuesday evening. Only this time, there was no sound. No fireworks. People didn’t talk to each other; the crowd of several thousand watched as the temple burned in absolute silence. Giant tongues of flame danced in the darkness, illuminated silhouettes. We could hear only the wood crackling. In less than an hour, the temple disappeared. It was the last burn. The only thing left to deal with was leaving no trace.

 

Few days after the Temple burn, we got back to the rhythm of the pre-event: 7:30 meeting, work, tear down fences, remove lamps, help load things into vans, and handle hundreds of abandoned bicycles. It was okay to have some regimen after no regimen.
Saturday was the moving-out day. I put everything in suitcases, and after all the rain, mud, and dust storms, I got my tent off the ground. It served well in extreme conditions. It was a good farewell. On the last ride in an improvised artcar, we were driving towards civilization, several remaining containers could be seen around, and the view of the surrounding mountains was in the distance.
It was a ride! A month of experiences. Burning Man, it was strong.

 

After resting in Reno, we went south towards Lake Tahoe, there was lot of forest camping, giant sequoias, Yosemite mountains, some of the oldest trees in the world, the ocean, and wild beaches.

‘ -Are you coming back?’ – people were asking.’ -Is it worth it?’

Burning Man is unique. If you want a sense of unlimited freedom, if you want to breathe, if you want to test yourself for radical conditions, if you like to communicate and want to meet interesting people from all over the world; if you believe in magic or want to believe in it; if you like heat; if you want to fall into the best parties in the world; if you like to decorate without limiting your imagination and to be surrounded by fantastic decor; if you want to get away from the outside world for at least a week; if you like art or want to bring art; if you want to experience chaos or complete peace; if you like to ride a bike; if you want to be surrounded by smiling and kind people and feel like a part of such a community; if you want to live without money; only on the principle of giving; after all, if you like fire – come to Burning Man. And if it’s too far, come to Amber Burn, or to the forest, or to the sea, or to the village, or go see the wind, the waves, the stars, the birds, and the clock, or whatever keeps you alive.

The end.

A round of applause and big thanks to Jupiteris for sharing!

P.S. The story was shortened for a newsletter. You can find the original in Lithuanian at the link below.

Mėnesis Juodojo Akmens Mieste by Rokas