Oktoberfest had arrived!! Pulling into Munich HBF station it was more than obvious; with drunken half dressed girls and guys, young & old in their dirndl and lauderhousens outfits as far as the eye could see!! It seemed so festive and exciting, We bought our outfits straight away at a stall by the station cringed at the price but handed over the €300 and pretended it never happened.. We were now ready for the biggest beer celebration in the world! Aww yeaaa!!
We had one night in the city before transferring to our camping grounds in the morning.. The grounds were about 10-15 minutes out of the city where the temperature seemed to drop about 5 degrees. We were welcomed at 11am for check in with a beer & in Oktoberfest spirits we got stuck right into it! Our tent was a teeny little 2 man tent with 2 yoga mats and 2 sleeping bags... Oh yay :/ - our bags alone were like another person! This was going to be interesting.. Deciding not to think about it we zipped up our tent and left for the fest.
If I had to, I would liken the Oktoberfest somewhat to the Perth Royal Show except 90% of people are wearing costumes (so its much more fun) and there's huge beer tents everywhere (so once again its much more fun) and then you've got all the traditional show rides and side show ally games and food.. But german food once again is much more fun! Giant pretzels, gingerbreads, roast slab rolls, pizzas, warm apple donuts & of course bratwurts! Its drunken munchie food heaven & just as well as we were about to drink some seriously huge steins!!! When you first enter a beer tent it's a pretty damn cool sight, theirs live music and a sea of people dressed up; singing, dancing, drinking & probably eating! The atmosphere is heaving... Finding somewhere to sit is the hardest part, usually next to people you don't know but after 2 or 3 steins we're all best friends! Some people literally come to Oktoberfest walk into a tent take a seat & don't move all day & stumble out at the end.. After analyzing these behaviors for a minute, I realize they just get 2 weeks a year where they can be drunk because it's 'traditional' not a bad culture I say! Why hasn't Australia thought of something like this!!?
We had 3 days of this madness... Drinking, drinking, drinking, eating & show rides! Throw your wallet on the ground & say goodbye!
We got a tip from some girls at our campsite to steel as many yoga mats as you could from around the camp grounds to make your beds more comfy - sweet, I'll have 5! Mind you it didn't make much difference. With a clump of clothes as a pillow a stinky sleeping bag to sleep in, in the freezing cold it does dawn on you that your killing it at life or maybe I just didnt have enough steins!??
We took a day off from the festivities to visit Dachau concentration camp & it was something I don't think I'll ever forget. To be right there where so many people suffered was bone chilling, there was such an eire feel to the air. Enough to give you goosebumps and make all your hairs stand on end, you just can't shake the thought of how much blood shed & suffering there was in that camp alone, let alone the entire war. I bought Anne Franks dairy from the book shop before we left which was just another insight into the war & what life was like for innocent Jews condemned by their religion, hardly fair for anyone let alone a child.. So it is fair to say Dachau defiantly opened our eyes and brought us back down to earth from cloud 9 and a sea of steins, it's hard to know how to react in those places I find it very emotional as I can be a little too compassionate but I don't think that's a bad thing.
Going back to Oktoberfest after Dachau almost seemed wrong, we paid our respects though & decided the next day we'd get back on the horse, so to speak...
Beer tent heaven we have found you! We found the Hofbräuhaus tent Aussie, NZ & American dominated tent, the rowdy tent, settled in and got stuck into some serious steins surrounded by a couple of Bristoliens (I must attract them!) and some guys from Texas US of A .. Made for a rather interesting afternoon I think, my favorite part is the 'Cheers' or 'Prost' song you can here hundreds of steins clinking together, beer sloshing around the place and everyone singing 'Prost'!! It's the simple things after a few beers that make it for you ;)
After a big day drinking there was the after party at our camp grounds with FREE sangria & beer to look forward too .. Very dangerous. After pretending we were really young and chatting to a bunch of crazy funnel drinking 18yr olds that just seem stoked they can legally drink beers you begin to feel old or wise, as I feel more comfortable saying.. Yes I'm getting very wise.... And you just want to go to bed so your not tired in the morning for a big day of travel.. See I'm wise.
We hit the sack or the yoga mats I should say in anticipation for Italy in the morning! The home of pizza, pasta, mozzarella & tomatoes! Belissimo!!!
See you for now Germany!