First Impressions

First Impressions, arriving at the event !

First Impressions of What the Hack: I would like to say 'after a hard day travelling I finally arrived at what the hack' but it wasn't difficult at all.

Hop on the plane 7pm, leave the UK, arrive Amsterdam School, hop on the train again, paying with my credit card for a ticket, miss stop on train (Schactel Bosch is apparently the same as Den Bosch!), buy apple strudel and drink of water, hop back on train and I’m there, final destination on my journey, Boxtel station. This place is quintessentially Dutch, it's also 12.15 in the morning (dam me for being to lazy to get up in the morning).

Shit, what next ? only a small sign saying 'for whatthehack go to the back of the station - sounds ominous, might as well say 'beware of the leopard' Having been in these situations before I know not to panic, if the worst comes to the worst I can sleep in someone’s back garden!

Only fate can knows my future. Of course I simply ask a passer by who appears like Mr.Ben as if by magic to mount his bicycle, smart but causally dressed with steel rimmed glasses 'excuse me can you tell me how to get to the er.. computer conference?' 'oh you mean the hacker festival he replies' 'of course - first you must buy a taxi train ticket and then call a taxi via the handily placed taxi train info point, they take you anywhere within a 5 mile radius for only 4 euros.

That simple ! the taxi arrives and im there. First impressions - shit this place is big very big, they must be expecting a hacker army, space for what looks like at least 7000 people and their tents. More like a rock festival than a geek meet, this is style. Huge tents, multicoloured lights, technicians working away, tents everywhere this could be very good.

- The Saint