Oktoberfest!! That time of the year where
everyone drinks beer, even if you don’t like it. Until Europe, I never drank
beer but before I left Sydney I tried to get used to it. There wasn’t a point
because the beer is much different over here (wish someone would have told me
that back then when I was ‘trying’). I like the beer over here, much nicer.
However, I will admit one thing….I still think Prague had the best beer! But
lets not get into that.
We arrived in Munich the day before the
festival begun, missing the hundreds game (which I completely forgot about and
would have loved to watch) and upon our late arrival we raced around town to
find the cheapest outfits. Apparently they don’t even put the prices up and
instead remain the same 100-200 euro always yet we managed to find a small
little store selling basic costumes for 50 euro…more so our budget, wanting to
spend more money at the festival. We met up with everyone for Mexican and drinks
but soon called it an early night, saving ourselves for the early alarm clocks
and the long wait tomorrow.
6am and we struggled to get up, dressed and
meet everyone out the front, knowing that we had to wait until 8:30am when the
doors opened and then 12pm until the first keg was smashed and the festival
officially begun. We got to the doors by 7:15 and trust it to start raining on
us. With skimpy jackets (knowing we will lose them) we struggled to stay warm
and our tummies were rumbling so we all huddled in and managed to share the few
food items that Lozzy remembered to bring (savior!). As the time drew nearer we
worked out our game plans; those who were the fastest would run in and secure
as many tables as possible for us. How that failed! By 8:30am we realised that
we had been heavily tricked and directed to a side door, as many others had and
the main door was just over the fence so before we even registered that we
mightn’t get in Danielle was already over the fence and pushing her way in,
next was Larissa and once I had thrown my camera to Toma I soon followed. We
jumped right to the front door and pushed our way in, securing three long
tables. Angie soon followed and told us that everyone had made their way to the
entrance and were coming. Celebrations all around for scoring such a good spot
however it was now time to wait. Three hours with no alcohol and everyone was
already stinging. Instead opting for breakfast from one of the many food
sellers as well as soft drink to ease the thirst.
A few of us ventured off to find fellow
travellers that we had organised to meet in this tent (Hofbrau) and soon found
them. Beau, Renee and Katie from our Turkey trip, as well as the boys from
Corfu and Croatia Sail. Everyone was in such a happy spirit and we even met new
friends that some of us other girls had met too along the way. It was one big
party and everyone was going off, singing songs, smiling and catching up. By
midday everyone was revved up and as that hammer smashed the keg cheers of joy
and excitement filled the air. The bar maids got to work as fast as they could
and within minutes our drinks were here. It is insane how these girls can carry
so many at once (10 was our highest recorded=10L). It wasn’t long until we saw
numerous people attempting the ultimate litre skull, for those who succeeded a
massive cheer and those who failed a long a deep boo. A few girls even got up
and gave it a crack and Becky, well Becky did so at half litre and let it
trickle all down her chest-but she got the cheer so well done!
Time goes by so quickly when you have no
need to leave a tent. The toilets were a death trap and resembled something
more of a riot scene once everyone had broken the seal, but there was no
stopping of drinks, they just kept coming and we soon had quite a collection.
Of course glasses were smashed from those oh so strong cheers we all made,
photos were taken (it didn’t happen unless there were photos remember!) and
everyone slowly began to talk more and more rubbish or become hopeless romances
with someone else (best people watching moments here). By 8pm someone called
the after party at Stoke Travel’s campsite and we all slowly made our way back
into the cold, leaving our beer covered jumpers on the floor and swinging by
the hostel for new ones. En route Toma and I found Del and we ordered a half
metre sausage-insane! Once at the campsite we instantly thought of the bull run
and whilst we were semi spewing for a second that we chose not to camp it
worked out just as good because we still gained entry into the campsite and
free drinks yet by the end of the night had a warm bed to go back to and decent
showers- best of both worlds. Semo was working as a DJ and Tully behind he bar
so what better mix for a good night. We caught up with all the boys that remained
at the campsite to watch Souths lose (yes!) and missed out on one messy day!
Dancing the night away we managed to call it quits eventually and regain
strength for day 2 of 3.
This time we all slept in and made it to
the festival by midday. Struggling to secure massive tables today some of us
opted to try out the Lowenbrau and managed to find a table outside in the sun.
We ordered chicken and pork knuckle whilst trying out the new beer and enjoying
the rays but eventually went inside for some unexpected sing-a-longs. The drunken
songs were out and everyone thought that they were the next Oktoberfest idols,
hugging their beers in one hand and the other over someone else’s shoulder we
all swayed as we belted the tunes and tried to record some of the moments. This
festival was great and nothing like I had ever been to before! Before the night
wasted away and we got too drunk we somehow managed to score a decent team to
test out the rides. We chose the best of course- a 5-looped rollercoaster! Normally
I would get sick on these things but I had way too much excitement to even let
it get to me. This was crazy and such a great ride. We wandered around for a
bit and enjoyed the atmosphere and scenes. Back to Stoke for yet another
excellent night. I honestly didn’t know how I was going to last another day.
For our final day at Oktoberfest we had
lost half our team. Too many were hung over and a few had only managed to just
squeeze Oktoberfest into their trips and were already at the airport ready to
fly out (right now I wished I was there with them) but we powered on and gave
it another go. Today, a little more suttle but somehow the messiest of them
all. Whilst nothing major happened we all seemed to just sway today, so drunk
that we couldn’t do much more than drink and order some more! WE managed to
shove some food in to sober us up and when Dani and Nat headed to Maccas and
home Toma and I opted for the roller coaster again and grabbed something to eat
from the stalls. We headed home to change and meet everyone at Stoke but my
next memory was in my pyjamas and in bed. My body had said no so unfortunately
that was it for me. How people do this for the whole festival I don’t know!
They are crazy.
Oktoberfest you were great and really
showed us how to have a crazy send off party with all the friends we met along
the way. That’s it. Summer is over. Done but not anywhere nearly dusted. There
are still so many places that I want to visit and living in London makes it a
hell of a lot easier. Until next time Oktoberfest!