Oktoberfest

It's that time of the year and what better is there to do on a weekend in Germany than to go to Oktoberfest. We picked up two other guys from the barracks and headed down to Munich. (If you're going to go, you might as well go to the best party in the world, Munich) We had no plans, were just going. We had the trunk full of a change of clothes and lots of pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags. We got there around 7:30, parked the car, and took a cab down to the fair grounds. We walked around for awhile looking at all of the vendors and rides. We tried to get into a few of the beer halls, but everything was completely packed. It was kind of hard to figure out what was going on because we couldn't take to anyone and not a lot of signs. We talked to a few security people and we kept being told that all of the halls were at their max and not letting anyone in unless they had a reservation. So, we walked some more and finally gound a seat out at a beer garden. The guys tried out the beer and we just sat there and took it all in. One beer was enough for awhile as the mugs were huge and the alcohol content was high. There were so many crazy things happening. People were standing on the tables all over while singing and dancing. We then started to walk again and found a door with no line at it. We asked the security guard how long it would be to get in. He said 10 minutes, so we decided to wait. We finally got in, but it took us another 30 minutes to find a seat. There was a live band in the middle of the room up on a stage and the rest of the place was just packed. I loved to look at all of the dresses and outfits. Everyone was decked out! Jay and I decided we want to each buy one of the traditional outfits before we leave. We sat there until 11:00 and then the place started to close down. We started walking out and headed toward the street. On our way out, there was a really drunk guy that started to come at me and try to kiss me. Jay stepped inbetween us and then the guy tried kissing him. Jay took care of him quickly and on we walked. I felt pretty safe having three military boys around me. They all were really good about watching over me. I appreciated that. We walked for a little ways down the street hoping to take off a few euro from the taxi. We finally caught one and rode back to our car. We walked around the town where our car was for a little while. The other two guys went out and Jay and I went to the car to sleep. We pulled out the blankets and pillows and got comfy. Behind us a couple hundred feet, the police were randomly stopping people and giving them breathelizer tests. We watched them through the rearview mirrors. Surprisingly, no one was caught as they all drove away. We haven't figured out how our car lock system works yet. Jay got out to get something out of the trunk and the horn went off. We finally got it shut off and with no attention brought to us. But then we needed something else so got out again, and again the horn went off. Then a cop came over to see what was going on. Jay told him that when the doors are locked and we open it from the inside, the horn goes off. Jay then had to give him his license and registration. The cop asked where we were staying. Jay said we were waiting on our friends and then we would find a place to stay. He accepted that thankfully since we had no idea where we were going, and kind of planned on staying right there. He took Jay back to take the breathelizer test. With that alcohol content, one beer was enough to set you over. Jay was smart that he never had the key in the ignition, knowing that that could cause trouble. The cop said he was going to take the keys to the police station and we could pick them up in the morning. But then Jay told him that I didn't drink. So, they walked back to the car and the cop took down all of my information. He asked me if I drank and I said no. He said I needed to have the keys and that I had to sit in the driver's seat. So, we switched seats, got settled in, and fell asleep. The guys came back later that night and slept in the back seat. We woke up, went to McD's right down the road for breakfast. We then drove closer to the fair grounds, hoping we could walk there instead of taking a cab. We found a spot about a mile away and followed the flow of the crowd. We simply walked around the enitre place, watching the rides, ate lunch, and walked some more. We tried to find a spot to sit down around 2:00, but found nothing. All of the beer halls and gardens were packed already. We walked to almost every hall and found nothing. All of our legs were super tired, so we found a hill and sat for while. It was actually a neat spot because it overlooked the grounds. It was unbelievable to see how many people were jammed into that area. Everywhere was shoulder to shoulder. We decided there was no way we were getting in anywhere and we were all tired, so we headed out. As we were leaving, there were hundreds of people walking in, so we definitely decided it was a good idea to leave. The taxi driver from the night before said Saturday nights are the worst. We are glad we went down there to see what it was like, but will probably never go again. We had our experience of seeing it and have our pictures, that's good enough for us!!

The front entrance to the fair grounds.

These mugs were heavy!! Four was all I could do!

Inside the beer tent, with a live band, and thousands of people.This was Saturday afternoon, as the crowd was really starting to poor in.