The following is an account of 10 intrepid travelers who set out on a journey seeking greatness. Each of us had different backgrounds, life experiences and alcohol tolerances...but we all had one common goal.....BEER! Together, we were a band of pilgrims seeking the ultimate Mecca for our kind. Our journey led us to Oktoberfest!
Wench's Log: Day 1, September 16th
The Arrival: It was like the beginning of the Britney Spears video "Baby One More Time". I was sitting in class, flicking my pen nervously on the desk, watching the clock, tick...tock...tick...tock....I just need it to be 12:30! As soon as we were out of class, we grabbed our bags and hit the road. I had that nervous excited feeling I get right before I go to Disneyland. But my rag tag bunch of friends and I weren't heading to Disneyland. We were heading to the other happiest place on earth...Munich!
The drive was a long one but totally worth it. As soon as we made it to the parking lot of the hotel we had our first of many beers. After checking in and a quick change we were off to downtown. We had dinner at the Augistener beer hall. It was hilarious, because as soon as we walked in my American cohort said "Jess, I know were are in the middle of Munich but it looks like the Epcot center!". There were beer wenches, liters of ale and sausages galore!
We all had a great dinner and I developed a really fun beer game ( don't ask). After dinner we headed toward....well, no one really knows, but we did end up at a dance club. The remaining events of the evening were a blur. I do remember dancing salsa with a Cuban guy and taking a sip of a mojito. We walked back to the hotel in the rain....and then I passed out :) All I know was that....IT WAS AWESOME!
Wench's Log: Day 2, September 17th, 2011
Making it rain!: Not unusual for me I was one of the first up and especially perky after a long night out. A few of us went outside to enjoy the opening day Oktoberfest parade. I saw many things, not the least of which was a guy with a kick-ass mustache and 2 little wiener dogs. Awesome! We toasted the maidens. I winked at the gents. I admired the horses. And awwed at the children. After the parade the ladies headed to the shops to find our dresses. Fun fact: If a lady's apron is tied on her left she is single, the right married, in the back widowed and in the middle.....well....she is up for anything ;).
The boys had headed to the tents while we were shopping and got us a seat. The bad news was all the tents were full when we got to Oktoberfest so we ate a sausage and had an ice cream and tried to make the best of it. All the ladies decided to head to the pub next to our hotel and have a liter (or two). Next, we decided a nap was in order. Some may disagree but I think that was the best idea ever. Once we were all refreshed we headed to the tents again. This time we got right in and got a table. We had 6 beers and 3 Chickens. We met a German named Sebastian and a guy from Denmark named...wait...I don't remember his name.
And then.....it started to rain....I don't mean a splash or a sprinkle, it was torrential downpours.....AND IT WAS AWESOME! People were attempting to make tents out of tables, others put up their umbrellas. We just went with it and got soaking wet. We ran in the rain laughing and skipping like little girls. We were adorable. Getting caught in the rain at Oktoberfest was one of my highlights of the weekend!
We ran back to the hotel, changed our clothes and headed to our "neighborhood bar". We continued our consumption, faked the lyrics to numerous German folk songs and met a lot of people. Who knew dancing on benches with 150 people could be so much fun! We all eventually stumbled back to the hotel, some earlier then others, and took our rest for the final day.
Wench's Log: Day 3, September 18th, 2011
Prost!: "Nicole, it's 8am. The tents open in 1 hour. Let's get up. We can do this!" I was so ready. My dress was dry from the night before and I felt good. We got everyone together and headed to Hippodrom tent. It was everything I dreamed of, sometimes I get a little tear in my eye when I think about it. Imagine a beautiful tent with red, green and gold swagging on the roof, beautiful evergreen wreaths with little horses dangling playfully, almost as if they are trotting above you saying "neiiiggghhh, Jessica, have a beer!". It was magical.
Our waiter came by with our first round. I took my first sip and then......oh no....I wasn't feeling so good. When he came by again I asked for a mineral water and do you know what he said to me...."Chicken". Oh well, it was the best thing I ever did because after that it was on. I don't remember how many beers I had, I don't remember all the people I met, I don't remember how many bits of pretzel mysteriously ended up in my clevage (thanks Dana)....but I do remember this. IT WAS AWESOME! We toasted the band as they marched out and chugged a beer. We said Prost (German for cheers) so many times I can't count. I ate this delicious pork thing with a potato dumpling. YUM.
Eventually it was time to leave the tent so the group march back, stein in hand, to the hotel. We took another nap and then rallied for dinner. No one looked that good. I figured we would all head back to the hotel after dinner. But somehow, I had a beer, and then 2, and then 3....and then I was dancing on benches again. My friend and I noticed this little 13 year old kid working behind the bar. It was a like a sitcom. Every time he came from the back he had a different accessory on. We even borrowed his hot pink over sized sunglasses for photos.
Some other things happened that night. We saw an old guy who looked like on of our friends, but 30 years from now, we sang loudly to John Denver's Country Roads and I met a Pharmacist named Ben. I can't say more about the rest....but trust me....IT WAS AWESOME!
Wench's Log: Day 4, September 19th, 2011
The Return Journey: It was rough going the next day. Some of us were ready to go but some of us were reluctant to say good bye to the land of liters and lederhosen....but it was time. We piled into the cars and headed home. On a side note: I puked in a field ouside of Munich.
We made it back home after a few pits stops, a long nap and a 7 hour drive. I personally spent the entire night in my bed watching episodes of "How I Met Your Mother". The weekend was over. I found some bruises in strange places. I became closer with my classmates. I learned that yes...I still got it girl! I surprised myself with how much beer I can consume. I think I surprised a few of my classmates with some of my behavior...no, I am not as sweet as I look ;)....But hey, what happens in Munich stays in Munich. OKTOBERFEST was an amazing experience. I am so glad I was able to share it with some amazing people and yes...IT WAS AWESOME! PROST!
No comments:
Post a Comment