Which Way is East? I mean West?

[kirby]

How do you figure out where the sunrises? It was suggested that I park my van perpendicular to the sunrise, so I could sleep outside in the shade of my van during the day. I don't have the talent of squinting around and then saying, "The sun sets over here, so it rises over there."
Actually, I could SAY it, but it wouldn't be true.
How to tell, Burners, how to tell?

[Trishntek]

From 7:30, you look directly East to The Man.
4:30 runs North toward The Man

[Savannah]

The Burning Man homepage has the map up on it right now. Click to zoom in. Check out the lower right side near the 4:30 spoke. The arrow points North up the 4:30 spoke. The Sun comes up on the 2 o'clock side (perhaps approximately where about 1 o'clock would be--if it were marked) and sets opposite somewhere.

http://www.burningman.com/preparation/maps/11_maps/

Another reason to be interested in the directions: the wind (typically) comes from the SW according to the main site, and moves out towards the 'Man and the upper parts of the clock. For this reason, you will see people point doorways North, West or East more than South.

[FIGJAM]

Cracker Jack prize compass.

[Irreverent Moniker]

This reminds me of when I was travelling with a friend of mine a few years back. We had just arrived in Edinburgh and needed to head east from the train station. She asked which way to go, and I said "well the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the sun is setting over there, so let's go this way". She looked at me and with complete seriousness said "it's not like that all over the world, just in america"

[Trishntek]

She looked at me and with complete seriousness said "it's not like that all over the world, just in america"

Thanks for my first laugh of the day!

[Token]

A small compass sure does come in handy out there.

BTW, if you get it totally wrong the first time, what's the downside? The sun wakes you up at dawn, a bunch of hippies cheer and start drumming, "That Guy" with the megaphone announces some bullshit rant about the sunrise three feet from your head ... You wake up, move your van a bit and do it right.

Then the remaining days you get to experience the whole fiasco all over again but you will be in the shade!

Bring earplugs and use them.

[kirby]

I didn't know I was allowed to move my van once I parked. I also imagined vehicles all around me and being unable to move my van. I've never been to BM, so I'm trying to trade pure imagination for your real information. Thank you!

[capjbadger]

She looked at me and with complete seriousness said "it's not like that all over the world, just in america"

Thanks for my first laugh of the day!

And thanks for my first (of many) facepalms for the day.

-Badger

[capjbadger]

I didn't know I was allowed to move my van once I parked. I also imagined vehicles all around me and being unable to move my van. I've never been to BM, so I'm trying to trade pure imagination for your real information. Thank you!

Well you can't be doing loops around the block and going for ice runs in it, but no one is going to give you any shit for repositioning it.

-Badger

[Just_Joe]

I didn't know I was allowed to move my van once I parked. I also imagined vehicles all around me and being unable to move my van. I've never been to BM, so I'm trying to trade pure imagination for your real information. Thank you!

You should be able to move around. At first. I'm looking forward to the wide open spaces.
Here's a shot looking down from the top of my RV at a "campout" earlier this month.

[portaplaya]

I didn't know I was allowed to move my van once I parked. I also imagined vehicles all around me and being unable to move my van. I've never been to BM, so I'm trying to trade pure imagination for your real information. Thank you!

There is almost always enough room to move your van/car/anything-smaller-than-an-RV. Just negotiate with campmates so you are not surrounded by tents. People that are not campmates don't normally set up so close to one another that vehicles are blocked in.

[andromeda23]

This reminds me of when I was travelling with a friend of mine a few years back. We had just arrived in Edinburgh and needed to head east from the train station. She asked which way to go, and I said "well the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, the sun is setting over there, so let's go this way". She looked at me and with complete seriousness said "it's not like that all over the world, just in america"

when i was in Edinburgh about 10 years ago, some local friends were still laughing about an american girl who had recently come through and asked how high above sea level the town was. being the only american around at the time, i got shit for being from a country of ignoramuses.