Having very little idea of what to expect and how to prepare for an artsy festival in the middle of the desert, I spent quite a bit of time looking for videos and images of previous Afrika Burns festivals. But nothing could prepare me for what I experienced this past weekend.
(From Cape Town) After 3 hours on the road we finally reached a gravel road. It is here that we lost reception on our cell phones for the duration of our stay. From there it took us a further 2 hours along that dusty, stony road to reach the festival. We came across many unlucky motorists who were changing tyres - getting a flat along this stretch is definitely something you must be prepared for.
You must remember that you are in the desert and at least 120km from anything. You need to bring everything with you - including lots of water. We probably brought too much water - but then rather too much than too little, when you''re in the desert!
Nothing at AfrikaBurn is for sale (except if you are lucky enough to buy ice at some point during your stay). We shared everything: food, drinks, gifts, games, bicycles...
Everyone arrived with plenty of everything so the sense of community and willingness to give and receive is just the way it is there.
Let me just say right now that looking at other peoples images, reading blog posts, watching YouTube videos may give you an inkling of what to expect, but it cannot begin describe the atmosphere: the sheer space and freedom of the desert, the sense that everyone is there for the same reason: to have fun, to give, to laugh, to appreciate and enjoy the creativity of others.
Having said that, here are few snaps I took over the course of the weekend
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The official Burning Man, which was burnt at around mid-night on Saturday. The wind was pretty strong that night so most people (including me, unfortunately) didn''t get to see it burn to the ground. This structure is about 3 stories tall! |
A delightful English couple set up a tennis court for everyone to play on. Not only did they set this up, but a lovely cool glass of Pimms was served to spectators along with a: "Jolly Good Show ''Ol Chap" thrown in for good measure. |
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| In the distance we came across this gigantic Lego structure, |
On closer inspection, it was called "Letgo" The kids loved playing on this one! |
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You can see from this picture just how dry some of the ground in the desert is. This silver cross had some lovely messages written on it and it was only by chance that we found it while wandering around. |
Snakes and Ladders One of my favourite structures - this one was burnt down on Saturday night. It went up in flames very well actually and drew quite a crowd in the cool night. |
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| While on the sundowners tour of the camp we came across this flower. It must have been about 2 stories high as well. |
This silver / bug / car / thing is one of the first things we saw when we arrived
The effort that people went to is just unbelievable and so inspiring. |
Not included in the photos, are the delicious pots of food cooked and shared. Showers set up in the desert for others to cool off in. Luminous jewellery handed out at night. A life-size sunken pirate ship. A Post Office. Parties. Smiles and laughter.
It is a truly spectacular experience and I would highly recommend this festival to anyone who is open-minded, willing to share, willing to enjoy the creativity and able to absorb the sheer energy of the desert and all those in it.
At the end of the festival, (we stayed for 3 days / 2 nights) we packed up everything - there is a strict "leave no trace" policy. We removed all evidence of our being there, except perhaps a few tyre tracks in the sand which the wind took care of on our way out.
I''ve been home for less than 48 hours and already I can''t wait to go back. My mind racing with the endless possibilities and, creatively, I am so inspired.
(Rumour has it) AfrikaBurn will be in May next year so I don''t even have to wait that long till I can head back out to Tankwa Town in the Northern Cape. Keep an eye on their website for details and hopefully I''ll see you there!
