Oktoberfest - need I say more??

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FRIDAY 2 OCTOBER 2009 - MUNICH

My overnight bus arrived into Munich just after 5am. I knew that I probably wouldn’t be able to check into my camping ground until about 7 or 8am so I took my time at the station before jumping on the u-bahn and getting to my station. Very glad I hung around as when I got off at the right station I discovered that the first bus to run out to Thalkirchen Camping was about 10 minutes later at 7:15am or so. Myself and two other Aussies travelling with Top Deck were on the bus. Got into the camping ground and found the Top Deck area relatively easily. They were just setting up for breakfast and we were able to check in straight away and be shown to our tents. They also were happy to keep our passports for safekeeping! Just to make sure we knew where we were staying, what tent we were in and for them to identify us at breakfast we were given wristbands with Top Deck Thalkichen Camping and our tent number on them. Just in case you get too drunk at the beer halls to remember I guess!!

Anyway my first stop was a hot shower, then I had planned a nap but instead grabbed a hot breakfast while it was still on offer. From there I headed back onto the U-bahn to meet Soma near her hotel. It was only about five stops away on the same line so very convenient!!

Dropped off some valuables (my laptop and some cards and cash) in her room as there were no lockers or anything at the camping ground. Then we went for a bit of a wander into the main square. When we arrived in front of the new town hall we saw a guy standing with a free walking tour sign so figured we might as well join it. Turned out to be a very good decision!! He was an American guy but obviously quite passionate about Munich and had been living there for a few years. He talked quite a bit about the history of the place, and showed us the old town hall, the new town hall, the markets, the ‘rich’ shopping street, the theatre and so on. The tour even took us past a beer hall and he talked a bit about the history of Oktoberfest (quite fitting given it is that time of year and that is what most of us were in Munich for!). The tour ended at a bar where we got a cheap drink and also booked a tour for the Sunday morning.

After the tour we headed out to the Victorian gardens for a bit of a wander. Saw some guys surfing in the river which looked quite dangerous - fast flowing water being pushed out by a pump. Ended up in the middle and found the Chinese Gardens where there was a brass banding playing. We ended up having our first beer and first bratwurst of the weekend there. It was such a lovely day - sunny and pleasant so we spent a good hour or so there before deciding to wander back into town (and promptly got lost trying to find our way out of the park I might add!). On the way back we walked down the rich street and took some photos of the shops that we didn’t even think about going in!! After a bit more of a wander around town it was quite dark so we figured we might as well walk out to the Oktoberfest grounds and have a look. Went via Soma’s hotel on the way though.

The place was packed and had a real friendly carnival type atmosphere. Neither of us were drinking so we wandered around looking at all the rides and souvenir shops and attractions, etc. Soma ended up going on the ‘Star Flyer’ which was where you sat in a seat and got spun quite fast higher and higher - but also got a good view of the city as well. I stayed at the bottom and took photographs.

Then we went on a haunted house ride which wasn’t that scary - although you wouldn’t have known it from Soma’s screaming and jumping and grabbing onto my arm with a vice grip!!

As we were wandering around taking photos random (drunk) people kept coming up and getting into them as well which was quite funny. At one stage we did walk into a beer hall and things were in full swing. All the tables were full though and there were so many people and crowds that after a wander around we promptly walked back out again!

From there we figured we would hit up a bar for a drink or two and so wandered back to the U-bahn. We had had a quick look online that afternoon that said that there was an industrial-type area that had lots of bars and clubs together so we headed there. We didn’t know which way to go once we came out of the station so we followed the crowds and ended up where we wanted to be. Went to a bar which was incredibly crowded. I still didn’t have much of a voice so didn’t really end up drinking. I grabbed a cab home at about 2:30am after discovering that the u-bahn had stopped running by then!

When I got back to the camping ground I also managed to wake up my tent-mate who promptly introduced herself and then went back to sleep!!

SATURDAY 3 OCTOBER 2009 - OKTOBERFEST

We had decided that today would be our day dedicated solely to enjoying the Oktoberfest festivities so after breakfast and showering, etc, I headed into town on one of the shuttle buses and met Soma at the ‘Star Flyer’ at about 11am.

It was such a lovely day again that we felt like it would be a shame to just sit in a tent so decided to go for a bit of a walk and see if we could see any space in a beer garden or anything. Ended up grabbing a drink nearby at a carousel. Yep - you read right. The bar was in the middle, and to order drinks you stood on a platform which rotated slightly. There were a few tables scattered around and we ended up spending most of the day there enjoying the sunshine. A friend of Soma’s joined us about 3pm or so and ended up staying the rest of the day. As the day wore on everyone was quite friendly - tourists and locals alike. Ended up spending a while chatting to a German couple and a man from America and all sorts of people. The carousel made it interesting as well as as it kept going around people with cheers you with their beers. They only served pints of quite a nice and mellow beer and you also had to pay three euro deposit for the glass - which you got back if you returned it along with the coupon.

Anyway when it got dark and started to get cold we decided to go into one of the beer tents. Some were quite busy and in the end we found one where a waitress promptly directed us to a table and gave us beers. Soma tipped and so she continued to come back - although we didn’t really drink any more than one each there. Everyone at the table and the surrounding tables was also quite chatty and in true Oktoberfest style there was also dancing on the tables!!

Anyway when the place closed we headed to a bar with another person we had kind of ‘adopted’ on the way after wandering around the grounds for a while watching everything close down and everyone leave. It was relatively close so we walked there. The bar was completely packed, mostly with people that had decided to kick on after Oktoberfest. Anyway we danced and sang and then I got a cab back to the camping ground and promptly woke up my tent-mate again. There is just no way that you can open tent zips without making noise!!

SUNDAY 4 OCTOBER 2009 - MUNICH

Despite the very late night I was up by 7:30am to shower and have breakfast before meeting Soma at the central station at 9am which was where our tour of Dachau (the first concentration camp started). After a bit of trouble finding the exact meeting spot for the Radius office we made it there only minutes before the tour started.

We had to get a train out there and then a bus out to the camp itself and then we had about three hours out at the camp. Dachau was the first concentration camp, but wasn’t an extermination camp; although it did have a gas chamber (which apparently was never used). It was also what many of the other camps were modelled on. Initially it was only used for political prisoners but this also changed over the years of operation.

Most of the bunkers were pulled down after liberation but they had two replica ones set up showing what the accommodation was originally supposed to be, and then how much it changed. Initially rooms were supposed to hold something like 50 people, but at liberation they were holding something like 2000 people in each. According to records something like 30,000 people died at this camp - when the camp was liberated they found bodies stacked up that they just hadn’t had a chance to burn or bury. A nearby burial site (they couldn’t cremate a lot of them because of a shortage of fuel) was found with something like 7000 bodies - and only 250 or so could be identified. There is quite an impressive memorial in the middle with a display in memory of the people who committed suicide - usually by running on the grass areas just inside the fence trying to get shock - or if not, electrocuted by the fences. As usual - it was quite a sobering experience. While out there we also watched a short video about the camp and had a chance to wander through the museum - which is huge and we only had about 30 minutes to have a look, which was barely enough to cover a third briefly!

We got the bus and train back to central station where we arrived at about 2pm. After a quick stop at Soma’s hotel for a change of shoes we headed back towards the Oktoberfest grounds where the first thing we did was get food. Since it was such a nice day again we wandered around before eventually finding ourselves back at the carousel for some beers. Grabbed some more food for dinner until eventually deciding to pick up some souvenirs and head into a beer tent. Made it into a tent just before closing - in time to see all of the bar wenches up on stage singing and dancing.

From there we were trying to work out what to do and ended up following the crowds into a nearby bar. The place was soooo random. They played a mixture of English-speaking music and german music. They also played a LOT of AC/DC which was quite amusing. At first it was only one song - but I think they ended up doing about five or six of them. They also had a bit of a theme going - so when the bay watch theme song started up - the singer came out in red board shorts with a life preserver thing and started singing. That sort of ended up happening all night - very very random!! Again I got a taxi home - where there were still people partying. When I went to bed though I didn’t wake my tent-mate as for once she was out!!

MONDAY 5 OTOBER 2009 - MUNICH TO VIENNA, AUSTRIA

I had to check out of the camping ground by 8:30am this morning so it was another early start so that I could get my final hot breakfast and then get the bus to the u-bahn. I went straight to central station so that I could put all of my stuff in a locker for storage for the day and then headed out to Soma’s hotel where I did a quick email check before we headed back to central station so I could also store my laptop and so that Soma could put all her things in a locker too as her flight wasn’t until that evening.

By the time we had done all of this it was about 11:30am so we found a café in the station and had a bite to eat and a bit of a relax since the previous few days had been so busy. After we had finished our potato soup we went for a wander through Marienplatz and into the old town square. We considered going up St Peters’ Cathedral stairs for a view over the city but it was slightly overcast so we just ended up wandering around for a bit instead. Ended up going to a café that one of the tour guides had recommended for one of the nicest chocolate milkshakes I have had in a long time, and then I headed back to central station to get a train to Vienna. I had been planning on getting one at about 4pm but on arrival discovered it was cancelled, but it worked out for the best anyway as I got a high speed one an hour later which got me in at much the same time as the other one would have. Managed a short nap on the train too.

Got into Vienna just before 10pm where it was a quick walk to check into my hostel, then basically straight to bed as I was planning on getting an early train to Linz the next morning.

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