Eve in Search of a Wolf by Ilka Cohen (online e book reader .txt) 📖

with Aaron and me watching an amazing firework ending in huge propane gas explosion fireballs, then found each other again gathered around the Trojan Horse, which was to be burned that night. It was huge – one could go inside, climb around on ladders. Now it had been dragged out onto the playa and people dressed as Greek gods and goddesses started shooting fiery arrows at it. The horse had been filled with fireworks and in no time we had this grandiose spectacle of fire and fireworks, going on for a long time.
I moved from tent to VW camper that night and got a solid citizen’s night rest, from about 1:30 a.m. to 7: 30 a.m.


5th Day (September 3)

The day started with an actual shower. Aaron had brought enough water in the bus water tank, and the neighbors to the left had offered use of their shower tent. It felt great, but my feet had deteriorated from the previous day. Deep cracks, a bleeding chafed spot at the heel, blisters on top of two toes from wearing the closed shoes the day before, and another toe turning blue from where a guy jumping from the top of an art car had landed on it. From that time on, I wore socks with the feet inside almost squishing around in lotion. Which enabled me to participate in the planned long desert walk with Oliver and his friend Chris, a BM ranger. There was also Larry, but we lost him right at the beginning to the bar car. I also used the opportunity to put lotion on the heavily peeling shoulders of hyperactive funny guy Eddie. Somehow this man brings out my maternal feelings.
We walked all the way to the perimeter fence. Even out there a guy still had installed his projects – a collage of license plates and the respective state’s symbols attached to 50 of the fence posts. There is even a complete functioning movie theater out there at the edge of nowhere, showing classic films at midnight, 2 and 4 a.m. And more remotely located artwork I had not seen previously. Samantha and I also danced on an art car way out there – Samantha especially itching to get some dancing in.






After lunch and some more foot pampering, I was ready to go exploring again but nobody else. So I did one more tour in my favorite mode of operation, going to a destination by way of 5 different unscheduled stops. The destination was a champagne tasting way out at 3:00 and Graduation. First there was this cheerful woman who chased me with a stuffed shark and offered me a wooden handmade magnet. Then I stopped at the Couch Burners who had great music but were all lazing around in their hammocks. Next into the DPW saloon one more time to find out whether they wanted our food and drink donations there. Sissy Bitch said yes, then went on break. The replacement bartender said no, just take it to the donation collection station when exiting. O well, at least I got a nice mojito out of it. Then I came across a boutique giving away clothes and found a top matching my flame skirt and much more fitting than my current one. That is, tighter, skimpier and more see-through. And now there was a forest of direction signs and these people from Ontario who wanted me to take their picture under the Toronto sign. Finally the champagne. Classy affair – champagne flutes to drink from and the vintages coming from Napa Valley and France. The people running this are from Napa and from Placerville, practically neighbors. I enjoyed three glasses while talking to a New Yorker who encouraged me to go all the way to the walk-in campground part to see the beautiful jigsaw pyramid there. And to a very gay guy in glittering purple who knows our Los Angeles cousin’s in-laws and their furniture business on Maui. And an older couple from the VW camp that Aaron had planned to visit. Ah, those connections again.



I saw the recommended pyramid from the distance and skipped back along the Esplanade on a champagne buzz. Even without watch, I was back pretty much exactly at 7 p.m. as promised. After dinner we all headed out to the playa for the big burn – the burning of the Man. A walk interrupted by running into two Swiss guys with a Swiss cheese mutant vehicle. Interesting: The one I talked to most had moved to the Bay Area as a child but still identified himself as Swiss from Zurich and had the Swiss German accent to prove it.
We found a decent viewing spot in the circle around the Man, and then the fun began. A long and elaborate fire dance show and then fireworks, fireworks, fireworks shooting from all over the scaffolding until the Man finally burst into flame. To help the inferno along, there were some giant gas explosions. We sat on the wind side and had to watch out for all the burning pieces and sparks raining down on us. Big sand twisters could be seen in the fire. And when it had deemed to have burned down enough, the perimeter was opened and people rushed to the remaining enormous fire. I with them, wanting photos and to throw in the wish token somebody had given me. I got crushed and thrown around and lost the entire skin of yet another toe but succeeded. People were running around the fire widdershins, many naked. Some remained frozen in place, prostrate or arms raised, praying to the Man or perhaps the fire. It all had a spirit of primitive, tribal fire worship and sacrifice. Some of that a bit too cult-like for me, but for most people it was just revelry and the prelude to a night-long party. Of course, I lost Aaron and Samantha in the crowd. Then they spent the next two hours looking for me and I the next two hours looking for them. Apparently at the same places, just not at the same time. In the end I left a message at camp and went to Reverbia stage where a band from the Bay Area called Antioquia played, and they were quite good and ranged from trippy rock to Latin-inspired rock to tribal drums to quieter ballads. Ten minutes later, Aaron and Samantha arrived there. No, they had not read my message, they just had felt attracted to the same music. So Samantha and I got our dance night in after all, even though my foot was bleeding. Samantha won the last beer of the night as best dancer.

6th Day (September 4)

I needed to borrow more from the neighbor’s first aid kit today to bandage up my feet. I need tougher feet for this. On this hot Sunday morning, Samantha and the girls were packing. They wanted to leave late at night, right after the temple burn. So did Aaron. I had no intention to drive at night, rather thought to sleep as long as possible on Monday, pack up and leave. There would be a huge exodus line no matter what, why stress about it.
The feeling of things coming to an end hung over all of the city. There was little going on in terms of announced activities, and what there was contained a lot of spiritual stuff – worship services, meditations and the like.



Aaron and I went to Arctica to buy ice. The ice truck is supposed to come at noon, we were told. That left 40 minutes, so I went to retrieve my lotion from the mobility camp while Aaron headed back to our camp. Of course, I ended up chatting a bit, decided to fill in the census form, got a cider from the homebrew place. I also received two nails from the Burning Man as mementos. Funny, I was asked whether I wanted a nail and said, why would I, I have enough nails at home. But it was from the Man. Well, then… Like some holy relic. Perhaps I find somebody to twist mine into a pendant.



The ice line was getting longer, time to get my money. When I arrived at camp, Aaron was gone. For good. The others told me he decided to leave because he felt bored. Apparently he had some sort of conversation about it with the girls. None I overheard, though. And not even a goodbye? I was between mystified and angry. Then decidedly angry after I realized – in the middle of Samantha giving me a face painting at the Body Paint tent – that my car keys were still in the bus. I had moved them there for safekeeping after Samantha moved into my tent. Fortunately, we had Burner friends now. I managed to get a text message and a voice mail out via Gary’s IPhone before service went away. Aaron was either outside the service zone or had his phone turned off. Since I did not know when he might get the message, I activated Plan B – go to Playa Info and call for the locksmith. He was supposed to show up in 2-3 hours and make me a new Subaru key. Also a free gift. Cool, only we were supposed to hang out near the car because his schedule was uncertain. Samantha and I grabbed a beer first, then waited and talked. Leading to the decision that Dom and Virginia could very well drive Samantha’s Prius home on their own and she could come with me on Monday. Next a young woman in search of a ride to the Bay Area came by. So the new plan turned out to be, Dom and Victoria driving with Daria to SF right after the temple burn, spending half a day in SF with her, then returning to Camino where Samantha and I would arrive and Samantha could then pick up her car and continue home. Complex but doable.
In the end, Aaron arrived back before the locksmith. We had a talk and parted in peace. After which Samantha and I walked the entire length of Black Rock City, taking