On both occasions I’ve been to Budapest I’ve had the most amazing of exploration experiences. The city is brimming with thrillingly unpredictable nooks and crannies to be discovered by any intrepid explorer. In Budapest I learnt the tangible excitement gleanable from disconnecting oneself from the digital world. Instead of using GPS technology, for a large portion of the trips I wandered completely randomnly. Deep end exploration, with no plan or safety net, is a genuine boost to our soul. In moments of this liberty, our souls can lead us to the most amazing things. In a world where wifi is omnipresent and our smart phones are our best friends there is a lot to be gained from engaging Airplane Mode and plugging into the wonder that surround us.

In Budapest I became a giant..

Dined like royalty..

Watched the sun wash over the city with a golden sheen..

Pretended to read a book…

And drank enough for 3.

Having excluded planned excursions, all of these experiences were uncovered spontaneously and born from random exploration. Feeling like a travel pirate on a quest for memories, these treasures are all the more valuable when totally switched off to the digital world. That way there is time to properly engage with the atmosphere, the sites, the sounds and the people. Real travel.

Hypocritically, every single one of these photos was taken on my portable cellular travel pal which is regularly, almost smugly, ensconced in the palm of my hand.

Is there any hope for us?

All of my friends who’ve ditched their smart phones have two things in common, they are genuinely harder to contact… And they are generally happier than the rest of us.

Now where’s my charger?

(Photos – Eli Woodbine – Budapest 2015)