Ja, Deutschland! Oktoberfest 2005

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Samantha, Billy, Ryan and I left for Munich Thursday night. Luckily we decided to get to the train station plenty early because there was a huge wait to get our rail passes validated.

In line we met two Canadians who are traveling all over Europe and one will be spending the semester in Frankfurt.

Then we waited some more- the train was delayed. But once we finally got on the couchettes were quite comfortable. Each bunk comes with fresh sheets and a pillow. With the help of the two kind Italian women rooming with me I got up into my loft and had my stuff situated.

In the middle of the night I had to go to the restroom and the light went out. I thought the train had lost power and I was looked in the bathroom, but once I moved my arm the lights came on and it turns out there is a motion detector. They don't like to waste energy over here - escalators in Germany were often motion activated also.

I slept pretty well and in the morning the Italians offered me some of their coffee and biscuits. We got off the train in Munich and bought a bunch of donuts from a street stand. They were good and reminded me of funnel cake. I also ate an appel and bread I brought with me on the train.

We wandered by the train station briefly and then headed over to Oktoberfest. It's a big fair ground, smaller in area probably than the Tulsa Fair, but they pack the people into the tents and it lasts a month.

The first tent we went into only had standing room for those without reservations and the next place didn't seem to have any so Ryan decided to go into the Hippodrom which is decorated in red and green with horses like a big Christmas package.

Once inside an Austrian waiter named Hannes showed us where the area for no reservations was and sat us down with a group of Germans who all new eachother from school in Hanover. Hannes told us what the menu said and we ordered beers to try. German beer isn't awful like American beer, but it's not something I'd ever pay for outside of Oktoberfest. Sam's maybe - she got this weird lemonade beer.

We visited with the Germans which was a lot of fun. They spoke pretty good English and we used a napkin to draw maps of where we were from and words they didn't understand or wanted to know.

Sam and I left a while to walk around and we did a free fall ride that takes you up in the air and drops you and then brings you back up several times. That was great fun and had an awesome view. Then we went back to the tent and I split a sausage and potato salad with Billy. The potato salad was just how I like it - potatoes, sauce, no onion sor anything messing it up.

At noon the band started. First they come out and chug a liter of beer together (chug was one word we taught the Germans) and then play. At one point they played Take Me Home, Country Road and an entire tent full of Germans sang along- it was absolutely hysterical.

Then I ordered a coke fanta mix which was really good. I thought that was something the tent just put together but you can actually buy it in bottles - it's called Mezzo Mix.

They played this one song constantly and I don't know what it said entirely but everyone stood up and sang and then at the end the toast and take a drink. The last line is something like "now drink your beer". They played it just as I finished my coke/fanta and since my mug was empty for it Jeurgen and Romy both reached over and poured some of their drinks into mine.

They were really fascinated by the hurricane, since they don't have anything like that in Germany. It was also funny to really realize how big American entertainment industry is. Romy "What's your name?" Sam "Samantha." Romy "Oh, like on Sex and the City!" and then someone else when I introduced myself to them was like "Really?? Like on Friends?"

After visiting for about 6 hours the tent was feeling pretty hot and smoky and Billy needed some fresh air so we left and went outside. I tried to tip Hannes as we left since all the Germans were but he kept refusing and saying no, I didn't need to tip because I'm a student like him. Then he told me about the region in Austria he is from - the same as Arnold Schwarzenegger.

We sat down on a hill by a giant statue for a while and then walked around looking at souveniers. We decided to venture out into Munich and we climbed to the top of St. Paul's church which had a great view of the city and Oktoberfest. On the way there I passed the two ladys from the train and they waved and said "Ciao!". Then we went out by the train station again to find somewhere to eat but we were really tired so instead of walking much we just stopped at a sidewalk place called Weinerwald where I had chicken shredded with a sauce and french fries. The waitress was very nice and only spoke a little English.

We finally headed out for the camp grounds and with the sun down you could feel the temperature dropping. We got off the train where they told us and found a sign pointing to the campsite which was supposed to be a 5 minute walk but it appeared to be a dead end into the woods. Luckily about 12 other people were with us and had better night vision and found the path.

Once there we waited at least half an hour to be able to check in. But since we had reservations our check in itself was speedy and we got tent 130 at almost the end of the Wies n' Camp stadium. I ran down there, dropped my bags and ran back to the portajohns and must have got very lucky because the one I went in had no vomit. There was quite a bit of vomit between Oktoberfest and the metro and a lot of people who had passed their limit.

I put on every layer of clothes I had and bundled up in my 10 euro fleece blanket from Standa, the clothing/books/grocery store in Rome. I huddled next to Sam who had a compact mummy bag and made it through the night ok with the exception of a steady drip on my face from the ceiling.

The next morning we checked out and couldn't find the train station at first. Funny that it would be more difficult in the day light but the signs are positioned to be seen from the other direction. A nice local helped and we were again on our way.

We got off at the Marienplatz and walked around looking at shops and old buildings. We ate at the Augustineer Bierhalle which was delicious. I had turkey in a mushroom sauce with eggnoodles. Then we walked around in a beautiful Gothic cathedral and went by the Old Town Hall and went through the Toy Museum which was hosting a Teddy Bear exhibit.

Then we took the subway out to the English Gardens where we walked around in the beautiful weather and played frisbee. We ate at a Haagen Das store before heading back out to the Marienplatz to find the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner.

I'd never eaten in one before and it was a nice change to order a burger and fries. The music was fun - they played two U2 videos: Where the Streets Have No Name and Vertigo. I also ordered a pineapple drink so I could get the souvenier guitar shaped shacker which is cute and luckily survived the train ride back in one piece.

We went back to the train station early to try to find chocolate and Harry Potter for Ryan, but lots of stores had closed. We finally found chocolate and at the last minute I found Harry Potter in German tucked in a little book store in a back corner.

When I first got on the train I was with a young German couple and an Italian guy. We didn't say much except when another guy came by rambling in German and I asked what he said - something about looking for a seat.

The couple left at Innsbruck and an Asian-Italian lady got on. Not long after so did 3 guys who spoke no Italian and little English. They were buying tickets and didn't understand they guy and I actually new the number amount and was able to tell them that. I was disappointed they got in our cabin because it cut down on space, but I fell asleep a minute and after the next stop they disappeared so the 3 of us left all pulled the seats out to make beds.

I shared my blanket with the Asian lady because I heard her say "freddo" which is cold and she was very grateful. They came by about 4 or 5 times to punch our tickets and only once asked for my Eurail pass and even then he only glanced at the cover. If I hadn't been to afraid of a fine I could have not filled in today as a travel day and saved it. Oh well. Stealing is bad, right? Actually, I didn't know we would go to Switzerland instead of Austria so I was already cheating a little bit slipping through a country not on my pass.

I actually slept ok and in the morning saw some beautiful views of morning light with fog settleing between the hills. The Asian lady thought I new Italian and tried to say something to me but I had to explain I didn't understand. She was very nice and helped roll the blanket back up.

We got back into Rome not long after 8 and after my first experience paying for a bathroom we caught the bus back home.

Now I'm anxious to get back to studying Italian and German so that for future trips I can talk to the locals even more.

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Photos

Ryan and Hannes
Hannes was our waiter at the Hippodrom tent.

Jeurgen and Me
At the Hippodrom

Chug and play
The band downs a liter before beginning.

Ahh..
Ryan follows suit.

Enjoying the view
Sam and Billy on the top of St. Paul's bell tower looking out over Munich and Oktoberfest.

Outside the Hippodrom
Me and the lion outside our beer tent.

Weis n' Camp
Where we slept... in 20 degree weather. Not Celcius my friends.

Hard Rock Cafe
Billy and Ryan at Hard Rock Munich.