In our last post, our intrepid heroes explored spirituality and truth, culminating in a ‘re-birthing’ experience at the Temple.

After leaving the Temple, somewhat wrung out by the emotional experience, they came across an installation that (for them) was more true to type :

Continuing on their journey, our heroes encountered a somber procession:

Reading what the procession was about, there was a moment of silence, and poignant thoughts[1] as they continued:

Moving on, they decided to swing by The Man on our way back to the installation and then to camp. On the way, they encountered this guy, but decided not to disturb him. (The Burn had just opened, and he was probably exhausted from a week of setting up, followed by celebrations last night.):

Crossing one of the axis roads, they saw The Man in the distance. They decided to turn up the road for a close look (and perhaps a chance at the iconic shot):

For many people, the following picture epitomizes and iconifies Burning Man. The Man in the distance, bicycles in to foreground, dust swirling everywhere, with random ridiculous heavy machinery off to the side:

Zooming in, they saw the friendly elephants at the gate, directing them to the carnival around The Man:

Moving on, like Voyager after a gravity assist, they caught a more candid glimpse of The Man, at rest:

Next time, our intrepid heroes find a new friend, contemplate the impact of money on the Burn, and visit the installation for the first time since opening night the previous night.

[1]There is nothing quite like thinking about extinctions while walking through a place where almost nothing can live.