"True Nature" - Zamalek 11211

Article and photographs by Karina Al Piaro, Fondation Monde Perdu.

Published September 2014 in Zamalek 11211 Magazine.

https://www.facebook.com/z11211

www.fondationmondeperdu.com

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Festival Geodesics at The Sinai

Tricky Trees was glad to make an appearance at the Cloud 9 and Earthdance festivals which took place in Sinai in Spetmeber 2014.

to start with, the cloud 9 team joined me at the workshop and together we made lighting towers, designed projection screens, made a 3-D logo, and a ziptie 3v geodesic dome.

digital projection in preparation for the plywood logo

Le Brothers Refaat working on the lighting towers

The Cloud 9 Festival was a 3 day musical celebration/presentation/initiation featuring Cairo's underground musicians, acoustic, electronic, and many shades in between.

Gamoly, Mans, and Mr. Zen walking the labyrinth of stage setup

the stage was tricky to set up at first, especially after a long over night drive, and having to unload it piece by piece from the jumbo pickup.

Majik showing victory

 ...with time, and some may say too many laughs, we put it together successfully and had ourselves a solid sturdy wooden stage.

next, it was time to setup the dome, and with this many people working on it, I wasn't sure whether it was gonna come up or gently dissipate into nothingness, passing by each of our individual consciences. 

work was completed diligently, with camraderie and humility. 

by nightfall, or just before, we had ourselves a 5 metre diameter geodesic dome.

Next we added the lights...

and tested it before the crowds arrive.




we received positive feedback and many comments expressing general approval and support about it, but people be as people are, we also got many "but you could've added this or that or the other thing". some of those got smiles in return, others experienced internalized anger as they were completely ignored. After all, only we know how much work and time we put into it, which is not to say improvements and expansions are not on the agenda...

after the festival was "officially over", that is to say after big awesome JBL sound system hit the road again, gone back to its store or wherever it was hired next, we took the dome to sea. exactly why or how is difficult (indeed impossible to me at this moment) to tell. . . but here are a few pictures to show the results and parts of the process.

 first we carried it into the water

                                                                 and held it, taking turns on the inside.

                                               

then we set it afloat by tying plastic bottles and 

pieces of polystyrene "foam" to its perimeter.

Now we could frolic about together on the inside.

Haleluya! 

.woman in dome.

last 7 pictures courtesy of Karina Al Piaro
www.fondationmondeperdu.com/

Next, after the Cloud 9 was over, and no rain sighted, reassuring us all of the mystical nature of the world, we rested in Maagana for a few days. snorkelling, kayaking, eating, drinking, resting, socializing, smoking, and dreaming were the highlights. and then, one day, after having discussed the countless options and destinations open to us we, for some yet unknown reason, decided to walk to the Blue Lagoon some 60 kilometres away. yes, walk... like good mr. Johnnie the infamous Walker. 

and so, a couple of days later, we put ourselves and our things together, packed the geodesic dome into three backpacks, and got a ride to the outskirts of Nuweiba city, past the port where we started our walk after midnight. Partly motivated by being welcome at Earthdance, a festival held in Dahab, we pressed on and on with supplies and i repeat, a geodesic dome on our backs.

five of us, four gentlemen and a lady... and one sleeping bag.

leaving the abandoned Abu Galum protectorate/national park visitor centre

Mans

Moi

Aicha

Rrrrefat

 Sherif


our favorite non-human companion

waking up wasn't always our favorite part of the day


the walk was arduous but we had plenty of time to rejuvenate and relax

During this hike, which I finally calculated to have been 40 km long, approximately, we got to see places that we had not seen before. it was my first time the cracks... a place difficult to describe....

walking on, we reached the blue lagoon past 2 in the morning on the third night. there we rested and rested and ate and ate... then on to the Abu Galum (I think it is pronounced Abu Gaa...loooom) main reef, only 4 km away, but we got a ride for this one.

Soon it was time go again, and, backpacks on backs, we head to the Earthdance festival at The Caves, a renowned diving site, where we setup the dome, helped with other volunteer jobs and enjoyed 2 days of live sets. I had the privilege to perform with Procession Towards the Unknown, pictures of which I will be sure to post once I have access to them. Here the Geodesic dome was turned into a chill-out space, covered with fluorescent lycra triangles, the organisers generously provided. we wished we brought our black lights along... next time. daily in the dome and throughout the night festival goers and volunteers came by to hang out, eat with us, socialize, and jam with guitars and percussions. My phone was well off by then so not many pictures at hand now... more to be posted later

for now, enjoy this short clip from a GoPro...