A Social Adventure…

After a long year and having a severe case of itchy feet I decided to hang up my handbag, don the flip flops, pack the rucksack and get a one way flight to Europe. I made the decision to leave my trusty iPhone at home – firstly to avoid data roaming charges that are 1000 times higher in Europe and secondly to obviously totally switch off.  First stop, Dubrovnik in Croatia – a beautiful historical town on the Adriatic coast and after several days I felt recharged. The next day we booked our 7 hour boat trip to Hvar Island.  It was a novelty to book the next part of our trip face to face via a travel agent instead of online. It may have been the lack of air conditioning but unfortunately the service was not given with a smile. Later we were able to book the accommodation online as the campsite we were staying in had free wifi which meant we could browse online (only to learn that everywhere was fully booked).

The boat trip was long. After finishing my book, and being burnt to a crisp I started missing my iPhone: the only thing that I had left behind on purpose. Replaced with a Nokia 3310 (yes it still works!), all I could do was text or play snake. All I wanted to do was read the latest Brand Republic bulletin, know who was saying what on Twitter, check if any of my 462 Facebook friends from around the world had made contact with me. It got worse when the secluded island we were headed for had free wifi in every shop bar and club. I wish I had read Mashable’s ‘How to disconnect from social media’ before leaving as I was suffering from social withdrawal.

It was by chance we happen to hitch a ride into town by a friendly man who offered us a room (sigh of relief) and we jumped into a mini bus that was already full off travellers – 18 of us in all…. The 30 minute ride in such close contact meant we made friends – well enough to be Facebook friends – and by the time we got to the Hostel, (with free wifi) I had already received 2 friend requests. I know this because I managed to commandeer an iPhone from my sensible friend. Later that night I Skyped my loved ones at home and downloaded the Hostelworld and Tripadvisor apps to plan the next part of the trip.

Social media is definitely spreading through eastern Europe.  Every beach party I went to, there were ‘FB’ links; every DJ gave announcements to follow them on Twitter, Facebook or visit their website.  Without my smartphone I was using a pen and paper to take note or giving my email address in return for the promise of links to their music, art production or DJ mix they had just played. (I recommend Collage.)

After Hvar came a 38-hour round trip to the Festival in Budapest (Boat, Bus, Train, Tram…hell.) Bearing in mind you can follow the DJs, add your new friends, check in online to clubs and hostels and make a call over the web without it costing a penny you can’t book a train from Croatia to Budapest. We found a phone at an internet cafe en route but failed to get through to the booking line. Frustrating and confusing for a country that seems so ‘socially’ advanced with online communication.

Until this trip I hadn’t realised how dependable on apps we are becoming. We had our Sziget App to keep us informed of the festival movements, which included the lineup dates, timetables, information all at your fingertips. We compared hostels on Trip advisor app got the best rates on the Hostelworld.com app and I was able to let my friends at home know where I was (also known as brag tagging) by ‘checking in’ on the Facebook app.

On 9th August rumours started coming in about the riots (now known and understood as the Loots. Spreadingjam produced a cool infographic.) Texts started coming in about shootings, and out of control riots. London was burning, and then Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester – all too close to home. Mass hysteria spread through the camp at Sziget, the texts coming through were not clear. Luckily this festival had wifi spots and free internet for 100 people in an air conditioned building. I couldn’t believe it either! Michael Eavis take note: flushing toilets, hot showers, no cash only swipe cards that you could top up securely and FREE internet. It was very handy, we were able to touch base at home, check our houses were not burning and get a real understanding of what was going on back in Blighty.

The digital dream continued, everywhere in the festival, as well as Budapest had posters with QR codes, Facebook ‘like’ links flashing branded posters. A marketers heaven. As well as onsite lead generation, you could sign up to hear from brands you liked (as long as it was a sponsor – we had our Redbull taken at the gates because they were not an official sponsor). In Hungary they’ve got it right.  You may not be able to buy a train ticket on site, tube tickets may still be a paper slip with a square punched out of it but with the rise of social media becoming more and more popular this will undoubtedly continue to evolve. With online behaviour evolving and people becoming more tech savvy, everyone from Alaska to Timbuktu will be able to use the same social tools.

Now 482 FB friends better off, the tagging, uploading, tweeting, following begins. How I coped in Thailand in 2005 is beyond me! Perhaps free wifi is easier to find in Europe than in the UK but do not fear as Time Out have given their top free wifi spots here. I’m sure online accessibility will soon be made easier and faster as network providers lay on free hotspots, O2, Virgin Media, Cloud, and BTopenzone. One thing is for certain… I will never leave home without my smartphone!

Lastly the first person to find me in the collage somewhere in the crowd above will be sent a box of chocolates! (Simply leave a comment to enter.)

Don’t forget to tweet me @lexi_clarke