Thursday, November 14, 2013

Never have I ever brushed my teeth in the middle of Oktoberfest.

The last time I blogged I was gearing up for a weekend trip to Munich for Oktoberfest.  I think I'll give a recap of that trip before I write about what has been happening in Hungary lately. Oktoberfest was easily some of the most insane 33 hours I've ever experienced.   Yes, 33 hours to get from Budapest to Munich, drink with some of the biggest beer enthusiasts in the world and then get back to the comforts of my cozy pullout couch in Buda.  The trip began flawlessly.  My fellow CETP friends and I boarded buses at 10pm on a Friday and woke up to find ourselves in Munich around 10 am the next day.  We stumbled off the buses, were given a time when we needed to meet back, and were left to explore Oktoberfest for the next 12 hours.  I think it will be easiest to outline my day like this:

10:00  8 Americans + our new friend Jorge wander the streets of Munich trying to FIND Oktoberfest.  We have no map, no wifi and no guide.  When in Munich, follow the dirndls and lederhosen.  

11:00:  We finally find Oktoberfest but have no idea how to actually get into a beer tent.  Wait, this is a thing?  Why can't I speak German? It's 11 am and I desperately want a beverage.  Should I be concerned?

12:00:  It's now pouring rain.  We're still outside. We decide to join the masses of people in front of the Hofbräuhaus tent and see if we can make our way in.  After standing in the crowd for a few minutes, we notice a woman near the front of the crowd selling giant pastries for 10 euros each (quite the expensive treat)! THEN we notice that every time someone buys a pastry, she lifts up the rope holding back the crowd and lets them in.  My friend Shannen promptly throws 20 euros at the woman, grabs two pastries, and within minutes the two of us are standing inside the Hofbräuhaus tent.  I still have NO idea what the hell we actually paid for.  I don't think Oktoberfest tents have covers. That woman is BRILLIANT.  Maybe I should quit teaching and bake pastries to sell at Oktoberfest 2014?



12:30: We all make it into the tent.  Oktoberfest is EXACTLY how it is portrayed in movies.  Beer steins and pretzels everywhere.  Every time a song ends, everyone clinks their beers and chugs them as fast as they can.  At any given minute, ten people are up on the tables downing an entire stein in a matter of seconds.  Right when we walk in, we make friends with people from all over the world.  Everyone is there to simply enjoy the moments spent with good friends and good beer.  Why did it take me 25 years to get here?  Is this real life?  When does the bus leave again?  Where is my passport?  Must. hold. onto. my. passport.

 13:00: ...?



















14:00: ...?

15:00: ...?   
                                                                                                                                                   













16:00:  ...?      
                             
As you can see... things got rather hazy throughout the day.  I can't really account for the other hours that followed.  Other memories include: eating chicken and pancakes with two German men who didn't speak English, trying to order 8 sausages & being refused(!) and Shannen getting picked up and thrown out by a bouncer for attempting to take a beer stein as a souvenir.  We also spent a great deal of the day trying to find our friend Daniel ( the *star* of the toothbrush picture above).  We lost him early in the day.  I sort of assumed he was kidnapped, was going to have to stay in Munich forever and would be forced to become a beer maid for 2014.   Thankfully, Daniel ran up to us MINUTES before the bus left, panting.  

  He had nothing on him except two beer steins.
I'm pretty sure that's exactly the way Oktoberfest is meant to be.


I will post about my Italian getaway AND Hungary soon! I'll leave you with one of my favorite pictures of Italy!