My first problem is that hostels are booked out half a year in advance, so unless you want to pay 100 Euros a night (about 5x what I'm willing to pay) you need to find an alternative. Considering my awesome CouchSurfing experience in Pilsen, I decided to give it a go in Munich. As you can imagine, most hosts had already committed, but after 20 emails I find a German girl who was willing to host me. Sweet.
I take the train from Prague to Munich, which is completely reserved. I am worried I won't get on but after a mad scramble I make my way onto the train. There are no seats, so I sit down on the ground for the next few hours. I actually figure out a great way to lean back on my backpack to create a pseudo-seat. And I meet a bunch of cool people on the train.
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| From Oktoberfest |
I arrive in Munich around 8. I figure out the UBahn (subway) and head to the burbs towards my host's house. Half of the train is dressed up in Lederhosen and Dirndl - traditional Bavarian dress. These aren't cheap Halloween costumes. We're talkin pimped out outfits. I start a conversation with some guys in Lederhosen and soon we arrive at the Theresienwiese stop - Oktoberfest. The entire UBahn unloads and the guys beckon me to join. I am tempted but I'mk carrying my big backpack and my host is waiting for me. Oktoberfest will have to wait.
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| From Oktoberfest |
I find my host's house at LaimerPlatz. She's hosting two other cool American dudes. We head out to get dinner and drinks. The bar we end up at is packed with Bavarians in folk dress. At one point the bartender pours a flammable liquid the length of the bar and lights it on fire. The Fire Marshall would probably not approve, but it was freakin AWESOME.
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| From Oktoberfest |
The next morning I wake early to head over to Oktoberfest. I was warned that the beer tents fill up early. I got so excited on my way to Oktoberfest that I got lost in the burbs of Munich without a map. Luckily I saw four girls dressed up in Dirndls - you know where they're going - and they offered to show me the way. One of them lives in Munich and the others are visiting from Northern Germany.
By the time we get to the Oktoberfest grounds, it's 10 AM which is very late so I'm a little concerned. Most of the beer tents were full and closed. Luckily one of the girls new a bartender at the Löwenbräu tent and we quickly get in through the back.
In each beer tent there is only one type of beer, served only in 1 Liter Steins. The waitresses carry up to 10 at a time. And it's a mad house. The German girls bring me to their table and introduce me to their friends. They teach me the drinking songs, order me some beers, tell me to order the Weißwurst, and generally take me under their wing. I'm having a pretty authentic Oktoberfest experience. I have my first Liter beer at 10:30 AM. When the band starts, I look at my watch and notice its 10:59:59. Germans efficiency. By 11:30 AM everyone is standing on their seats dancing and prosting (cheers-ing).
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| From Oktoberfest |
My Germans friends leave at around 4 PM but I'm not ready to go just yet. I run around the tent meeting new people, sharing stories, and dancing on tables until the tent gets shut down around 10 PM. At that point I leave the tent and try to figure out how I'm going to get home. My CourchSurfing host is out of town at this point, but she was nice enough to leave me her key. I somehow find the UBahn, and am able to get to the right stop. As I turn the key in her front door, I wonder how I was able to make my way to the house. I'm asleep within minutes.
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| From Oktoberfest |
The next day I pack up and leave my hosts' house. I have nowhere to stay so my plan is to drop my bag off at the left luggage at the train station and check out Munich. Unfortunately when I get there, all the lockers are full. It seems that every time someone empties a locker, someone else who just showed up gets it. I'm walking around the left luggage area for half an hour with no luck. I have a chat about my poor luck with one such girl. Eventually I get a locker, put my backpack in the locker, and head to tourist information.
When I get to tourist information, I see the girl from left luggage and let her know I found a luggage. She's with a friend and they invite me to join them. I tell them I have nowhere to stay. They tell me not to worry - they know a good place to sleep in the train station. Problem Solved.
We head straight over to Oktoberfest and don't leave until we get kicked out at 10 PM. Eventually we end up at the train station. We curl up in our sleeping bags on the floor and go to sleep. Three hours later, we are rudely awakened by police. Time to move on. We decide the best place to sleep is the UBahn. We hop in and sleep until we hit the end of the line, where we are awakened by someone banging on the window. We hop out and get back on in the other direction. Repeat.
We spend another day at Oktoberfest. I arrange to stay with a CouchSurfer who came to the beer tent to look for me, but my phone died before I could find him. One more night in the train station.
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| From Oktoberfest |
I decide that I've had enough Oktoberfest and book a train to Vienna. First thing I do when I get to Vienna is wash the Oktoberfest off of me and do laundry. Time to relax.
At my hostel in Prague, I watched Pulp Fiction in the hostel lounge. Near the end, Samuel Jackson's character tells John Travolta's character that he's tired of a life of crime. When asked what he's gonna do, he replies that he's going to "wander the earth". Travolta's character retorts, "So you want to be a bum?" How appropriate :)
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