Oktoberfest!

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Need I say more…?

I went to Oktoberfest! The real one in Munich!

I cannot describe how amazing it was to actually get a table on the first day! The energy was crazy. Waiters are carrying 12 liters of beer down the aisles. There’s a brass band in the middle of the tent, and people are all standing on the benches in lederhosen and dirndls.

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Biggest darn tent I’ve ever seen…

I was there with two friends who had never been either, so it was great to see their reactions. We found a table full of Swiss men in their twenties. With lederhosen, of course.

Then came the songs! There’s Ein Prosit (I Salute You), where everyone waves the huge beer glasses while singing. Next was a children’s song about animals. Fliegerleid (The Flier Song) comes with hand gestures! You fly and swim and hop and then grab hands and sway. So fun! We also heard Hey Baby If You’ll Be My Girl and Working 9 to 5. Megan and I two-stepped to that last one.

I was also really excited about getting in on the first day, because I read it was impossible. You needed a reserved table, which runs about a grand. Or you had to be in line at 7:30. Impossible, I say.

So that day we got up for a leisurely breakfast. We watched the parade of Clydesdales pulling barrels of beer and wagon-loads of Bavarian revelers. Then we toured the Wiesn – the site of the tents and amusement park rides.

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I can’t believe no one falls out of those windows!

Finally Megan casually said “let’s get a beer”. Of course, they don’t sell any in the park. Only in the beer tents. And only if you’re sitting at a table. So that was our challenge.

We used no strategy at all. We just looked for an entrance at the nearest tent, which was Hacker Pschorr. We waited at the door for half an hour, and had given up when he finally let us in. Now we’re wandering in a completely full beer hall hoping to find 3 empty seats. Yeah, right.

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Get these people a beer!

Suddenly I realized we didn’t need long-term seats. We needed seats just long enough to order beer. We convinced the Swiss guys to let us sit with them “just long enough to get beer” and soon we were drinking, dancing, and joking together. Success!

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Good, better, Paulaner!

The next day I saw the end of the costume parade and had lunch at the Paulaner tent. I got to practice Italian with some Germans and French with some frogs. That night we went to the Ochsemel tent, which was also quite lively. Even better, they serve Oxen sandwiches. Yum!

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Pulled ox anyone?

So it was a successful Oktoberfest opening weekend. At this point I want to reserve a table and go again in a couple of years. Prost!

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Mit der trinken und der essen und der chatten und der treffen!

 

7 Replies to “Oktoberfest!”

    • Marcus Post author

      Thanks! I hope I can inspire others to be adventurous in their travels, their personal missions, or by meeting people around them.

      Reply
  1. Jessica

    The ox can’t escape the pulling even in death. 😉 Actually, that sounds (and looks!) delicious. Glad Oktoberfest was everything you hoped and dreamed!

    Reply
  2. Jon Miller

    Marcus,

    Glad that that you guys had a great trip and that my guide covering the top Oktoberfest songs (www.bigboytravel.com/europe/germany/munich/oktoberfest/most-popular-songs/) was helpful.
    Liked your 1st impressions on Japan article, it is our next destination in a couple months.

    Jon
    Bigboytravel

    Reply
    • Marcus Post author

      You’re going to love Japan! I highly recommend Sapporo, especially if you can make their Winter Festival (Hokkaido island). Himeji was beautiful too.

      Reply
  3. Pingback: My Favorite Adventures of 2015 – A Year of Travel

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