and then there was arcosanti. / notes from a bus #2.

april 10th.

today. the strongest emotions so far. we turned off the main road through cordes junction,
onto a dusty desert road that made the bus driver swear. we got off and approached a
village we knew by the name arcosanti. wrapped concrete structures clung on to a rocky
edge of a valley. bells of bronze were ringing in the wind. a dramatic view intensified by
the red sun. where were we supposed to go? - to the dorms, said someone.






paths, stairs, terraces, levels. domes, arcs, circles. spaces in the earth. concrete,
concrete, concrete. and the desert views. new unfamiliar spaces, almost sacred, still human.
it felt used. it felt abandoned. small sounds from a piano. why was i so touched?
intoxicated by architecture? by that evening sun? by the desert? students in perplexity,
cameras in our hands.






we walked into a lit up dining hall. a concrete structure in golden glory when hit by that
red sunlight. a tall squared room with large circular openings that allowed our gaze to drift
out. allowed the desert to come inside. there we sat around lit up tables. had organic food
among the indwellers. i was amazed and delighted. dusk was falling fast. went exploring in
the dark. a flashlight and whiskey in my pocket. climbed some stairs up onto the huge
concrete arcs. there were the others. an euphoric moment up there. a sanctuary of concrete
in the middle of the desert. freedom. vastness. laying on our backs on the top of an arc in
the night. whiskey, cigarettes, beef jerky and the neverending milky way. i told emil a
native american story about seven little sisters that eventually became stars. life is
beautiful.

eventually it was colder and we returned to the dining hall. had raspberry tea, mint tea and
beer. quite a stir when a black widow was found behind a trash bin. the indwellers insisted
in not killing it, since it doesn't go hunting but stays in the web... help. we sat in a
corner, singing and playing guitar for hours. awaited evas birthday. guo, anders, aleksander,
eva, marco and me. when the clock struck twelve we went up on the highest roof, with wine
and cigarettes, whispering a birthday song, howling to the moon. the coyote answered!