Oktoberfest

---

Well what can I say. It started off dazed and confused and it did not get much better, but god it was good.

We arrived into Munich at 6.45am. We took our time getting off the train, as did Sarah and Eliza. During the night Laura (also Granada and Iso) got onto the train in the middle of Slovenia, somewhere with her new found friend Hayley. These two were even slower getting off the train and told by the conductor to hurry up before it left. This panic led to the fatal error on Laura’s behalf, not looking over your Cabin before you leave, but she would not find this out for another few hours. So I asked Sarah and Laura who had booked the campsites (Wies’n Camp) for us, where we had to go to get there? Blank looks were exchanged and neither of them had the paper work of the booking. So first stop of the day was to a smokey small casino that had internet. After tracking down the location and a few numbers of some girls getting in that evening, we jumped on the train to our site. It was about 20 or so minutes from the main station, so my main concern that it would be over an hour away was not met. It is here when we were checking in that the shit hit the fan. Laura now realised what was missing from her handbag, Australian passport and Eurail pass, both presumably on the seat next to her awaiting the next ticket or passport inspection. So it was not a great start to the day for her and everyone involved. After this we headed to our tents where we dumped our stuff and freshened up before heading back into the main train station in hope of Laura’s gear turning up and to see what every one has raved about for years.
Oktoberfest.
Well the station was packed with people making their way to the beer halls, but unlike us group of Aussies, all the Germans were dressed to the nines in the Lederhosen and Beer Wench outfits. So day one began with not the most amazing weather, but we were fortunate enough to get into one of the major tents (HB????). Here our luck also improved as we located a table straight away, never heard off, unless you’re there at 8am. Unfortunately we could only have the table for 45mins as the tables became reserved at 3pm. But we did not care, the tent was starting to get a little rowdy and it was toasty warm. The first round hit the table and it was game on. The team at this point in time consisted of Brett, Laura, Sarah, Hayley, Eliza and myself, but we were soon strengthen by Moo West and Nic Brookes (two of Matt Torney’s mates, the former of whom Sarah, Laura and myself had partied with in Iso). By 3 o’clock the reservation had not arrived and we were starting to feel confident that we might get it for the rest of the day. By 3.36 we were told to find somewhere else to drink. No real problems there. Soon found an area to stand and a new beer wench to serve us, but it would have been nice to keep the table. So the games were beginning now with stein holding and me testing my strength with 70 euros (140 bucks worth) of full steins in my hands. Thankfully for my hip pocket and the crowds enjoyment I did show how easy the beer wench’s have it (30,000 euros in 3 weeks they pull in). Well I did plan to take day one a bit easy after a long 24 hours of travel, but it did not pan out that way, but god it was a cracking night.
We headed back to the campsite for a few more as we waited to Sarah Timms & Mim Taylor, two of the girls friends who where heading down from Frankfurt. They had been stuck in an hour traffic jam and were not able to contact me of their where abouts as my battery died. Sarah put in on the charger, tried to figure out my phone pin. After two tries see asked me and I gave her the wrong one, so the phone would now not work till I called Telstra the following day. Well it was a cracking night apart from the phone and the fact that we had to sleep in our tents with no mattress or sleeping bags, so it was at 3am that Mim and Sarah arrived and piled into the tents with the rest of us. 4 in each, things where a little crowded and slightly uncomfortable with me spooning my backpack and Girvo spooning me (sharing body warmth’s caring isn’t it?) and Mim and Hayley, two strangers not only to me, but to each other spooning on the other half of the tent. I awoke serval times to the onset of hyperthermia and a line from another tent “it’s too cold to have sex”, but I was thinking that may reduce the chances of hyperthermia. In the morning our tent was full of beans, unlike the 2 Sarah’s, Eliza and Laura. It took us quite a while to re-group. Hayley had the luxury of leaving us for some better digs with some German friends of hers.

We did get to the beer halls quite late and being a public holiday and freezing cold, it was not the smartest move. We spent some time wandering the halls looking for a way in, before we toughed the cold and sat in the beer gardens for a few hours at the Lowenbrau tent. There was no sign of us getting into there. Well until there was a massive group of people surge one door. My initiative rested in all of us running to get in, unfortunately only Laura and I did, so we had a look around before heading back to join the others. After this we headed on another mission of places to get into. Here we found the only place allowing people without reservations in, so we lined up and were served beers in the line. It was a bit of a wait, but once we got inside, god it was worth it. Toasty warm and going off. It was here after a few steins I understood why travelling with a group of girls is a bonus. They befriended some locals and hooked us up a table, which we took over. It was a great night, apart from exchanging a few words with Danish (I think) lad who thought it was fair and reasonable to pour half my full stein in his. Who does that? Well no-one I know and I was not very appreciative of his actions and denial that it’s not unreasonable to do. Like a good Lewis, no punches were thrown, just a few unkind words until the lad either got me a new beer or took a walk. That latter occurred and the night of fun continued. All the beer halls are packed and every one is standing on the tables and chairs and singing over and over the same German songs. From the beer halls Brett, Sarah, Eliza and myself headed for the renowned Wombat bar and hostel, whilst the others headed back to the campsite. This was a bit of a mistake as the joint was surprisingly dead and we ended up having to catch a cab to the site. Thankfully it was not that expensive. That nights sleep was bit more enjoyable with Brett hiring us some sleeping mats and me being able to have my small blanket that was taken from me the night before.

Saturday morning got off to a fresh start, as the clouds had set in and it had been raining most of the morning and evening. To top things off the showers were once again freezing cold and although it is a good wake up call, I would prefer it not to have been the case. 5 girls and two boys meant that Girvo and I got some extra time to relax while the others take their pretty time. At least today we were on schedule to get there a bit earlier, but after a stop off to the internet café to supply the body with some required carbohydrates, we made our way once again into my new favourite showground. Being a Saturday and a late start we knew we were in trouble from the outset, so we took the advantage of the show rides on display, before things got a little messy. After that we tried to get into one of the tents, before becoming resigned to the fact that we would have to chill out in the beer garden. The clouds were not encouraging and we received a 10 minute down pour. The girls were a little bit more organised then myself and Brett with their umbrellas as well as a birthday cake for Sarah T’s birthday, which we also enjoyed once the rain disappeared. As soon as the sun popped its head out from the clouds the whole beer garden erupted. The weather was up and down, but the rain stayed away for most of the day. Once it got a bit fresh again, we made our way to the tent we were in the night before to line up again. This time the line was a lot bigger and not moving as frequently. But we got in after another stein in the line and bit of push and shove. Once again the beer hall was packed, but the girls weaved their magic, well so I thought, after half an hour a few German girls can back and became quite abusive towards the girls and called security. We left before they arrived and located another table to take over for the rest of the evening. From there we headed to a club that was recommended to Mim. Upon trying to gain entry the bouncer decided that Brett and myself, were not the type of clientele they were looking for. Thankfully the girls informed him that we were their boyfriends and would not enter without us. From there we some how swindled our way into the vip section where on the tables around us was a 640 euro bottle of Gray Goose Vodka. Even if it was 4.5 litres, I will never in my life spend that kind of money or a good bottle of red, little lone vodka. It was a great night out and Sarah’s birthday was celebrated in style and the club was pumping when we left. That night was freezing, well it was nearly at 0 degrees, so it was a not as pleasant and the top and tail system being used that evening resulted in me curled up against Eliza’s feet and me poking her in the head when my calves were cramping from the cold.

The Sunday morning was the last one there and thankfully the showers were hot and the floors clean. We had to be out at 11am, but there was not much movement on the home/tent front. We checked out and headed back into the main train terminal where we all organised our next destination and lives via the Internet café and train ticketing office. We all said our farewells, then I chilled at the station with Brett until I had a 6-hour train ride to Munich.

Oktoberfest, was amazing and I should have got to the tent a little early to enjoy the beer halls a bit more, plus the fact that the next time if I try to do it, I may try the middle week as I suggest the weather would have been a fair bit nicer. Plus the next time if my liver is up to it, I suggest I will book in advance and get a hostel room or caravan at the site.

---