Pyrkon is over, time to go back to normal life.
I haven't gone there in the past few years and therefore I was a bit like a child in a candy store. I think the break was refreshing and also my perspective changed.
But one thing did not change. The atmosphere. I despise crowds, it gets too loud too soon, too many people drink or smoke on most of the public events, or there is simply too stuffy for me.
Not there. It doesn't matter that this was not my tiny Tolkien convent with a hundred people I know, but a huge event with thousands of people. The atmosphere was exactly the same. The level of general friendliness and openness is mind blowing. No risk of some half drunk guys shouting after a girl in half-naked costume or after a guy dressed up as an anime girl character (no idea how they are called, manga and anime are not my areas). I guess I could leave my bag in the queue and jump off to toilet and no one would take anything while I was gone. I usually clutch my bag quite paranoidly in any crowded place. I guess I still did that subconsciously, but without constant thinking about it.
Safe about sums it up. Yeah, there was some bag checking by the entrance, but I think they only looked for smuggled beer or other alcohol. I could have had anything in my bag or in my water bottle (I did have a Victorinox knife I always carry with me). I also had a sword on my back and a dagger by my belt. I expected someone would check if they weren't sharp. No one did. There is a level of trust in this kind of group of people, perhaps also along with the fact that it's Poland and we are not used to having some kind of terrorist threat. I deeply hope it stays that way.
I came back home on Saturday in a crowded night bus that was singing shanties. Much nicer experience than returning home with drunk people from clubs.
Another thing was the organisation. I don't know how this event looked in the last few years. Last time I went,, there were about 20k people participating and I felt it was growing too big for me. Last year, from what I checked, it was 55k. Not sure how many people came this year, but I feel like the organisators figured out how to make it all work. They did wonderful job.
I had great time, I spent three days as Yennefer and Ciri and gosh, it was worth every single detail I made, every hour I spent doing things I don't need in everyday life. Can't wait for the next one.
