Your post brought a recollection to me, many many years ago I was lucky enough to be on a safari in South Africa, in the Kruger. Crystal clear and freezing cold night, not a single hint of light pollution. The milky way was so utterly overwhelming in the night sky, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It is something every man should see at least once in their life, it is surreal and you get an appreciation for how religions came to be.