Lucerne (for the second time) was not much to write home about (sadly no "Lucernefest" this time) so I'm skipping right into the good stuff - OKTOBERFEST in Munich!
First, let me start off by saying that I might be the only person to have low-expectations for what Oktoberfest would be like but my mind was totally blown away from the entire experience.
We arrived in Munich and quickly met up with Natalie (the original other girl from "two girls and a eurail pass") and her fiancé Shannon. Natalie and Shannon had been backpacking for a week or so already and got engaged in Croatia just a few days before (I got a shower face time call with the news but I was excited to congratulate them in person...with clothes on!)
The celebratory drinks would have to wait though because as soon as we hit Munich soil - the 4 of us had a date with "Bavarian Outfitters"
(If you're wondering what the heck "Bavarian Outfitters" is, it's your must go-to shop if you're planning on attending Oktoberfest and don't want to spend a fortune on a dirndl or lederhosen that you'll literally never wear again and have to lug around with you for the rest of the trip. And if you think you don't need to dress up for Oktoberfest, think again. Not dressing up will wind you looking like a weirdo and no one will want to talk to you - literally everyone aged 8-80 is dressed up.)
A month or so before Oktoberfest I "pre-ordered" our dirndl and lederhosen sizes (you don't have to pay anything, you just reserve the size - super easy). As we trotted into the teeny tiny store (literally the size of my living room - including the changing rooms!), there must've been 50 people grabbing their rented gear and everyone was PUMPED. We each rented ours for 2 days and it cost under $100 a person - we were in and out with our Oktoberfest uniform in under 20 minutes. (In retrospect, I should've rented 2 blouses because though the dirndl and apron were good for 2 days, I had to heavily hand wash the armpits of the blouse on day 2 and it still wasn't quite as fresh as day 1- but whatcha gonna do)
Once "outfitted" the four of us met up with our other 2 travel companions (Chris and Kyle) who had just flown in and had a nice German meal before hitting the sack around 10pm. We hadn't gotten a table reservation (apparently you have to be pretty much German and a regular Oktoberfest regular or be willing to pay exorbitant tourist packages to get one) so we were just going to get up early and wing it!
I vowed I'd get up at 5am to wait in line for when the doors opened in the late morning (surprise. I didn't)
DAY 1 - Oktoberfest (The "Augistiner Tent")
I was nervous with it being opening weekend and all the blogs I'd read about having to stand in line for hours if you didn't have tickets to try to get a seat at a decent tent.
Luckily, Kyle and Chris got to the fairgrounds by 10am and, handsome men that they are, scored us a table with two friendly, large busted German ladies who were kind enough to share their table with us and educate us on the ins and outs of Oktoberfest (thanks Jenny and Keristen!). We arrived a few hours later and would soon be joined by Tristan (a loose work contact of Kyle's who came to Oktoberfest solo, but soon became our adopted bud)
First, let me start off by saying that I might be the only person to have low-expectations for what Oktoberfest would be like but my mind was totally blown away from the entire experience.
We arrived in Munich and quickly met up with Natalie (the original other girl from "two girls and a eurail pass") and her fiancé Shannon. Natalie and Shannon had been backpacking for a week or so already and got engaged in Croatia just a few days before (I got a shower face time call with the news but I was excited to congratulate them in person...with clothes on!)
The celebratory drinks would have to wait though because as soon as we hit Munich soil - the 4 of us had a date with "Bavarian Outfitters"
(If you're wondering what the heck "Bavarian Outfitters" is, it's your must go-to shop if you're planning on attending Oktoberfest and don't want to spend a fortune on a dirndl or lederhosen that you'll literally never wear again and have to lug around with you for the rest of the trip. And if you think you don't need to dress up for Oktoberfest, think again. Not dressing up will wind you looking like a weirdo and no one will want to talk to you - literally everyone aged 8-80 is dressed up.)
A month or so before Oktoberfest I "pre-ordered" our dirndl and lederhosen sizes (you don't have to pay anything, you just reserve the size - super easy). As we trotted into the teeny tiny store (literally the size of my living room - including the changing rooms!), there must've been 50 people grabbing their rented gear and everyone was PUMPED. We each rented ours for 2 days and it cost under $100 a person - we were in and out with our Oktoberfest uniform in under 20 minutes. (In retrospect, I should've rented 2 blouses because though the dirndl and apron were good for 2 days, I had to heavily hand wash the armpits of the blouse on day 2 and it still wasn't quite as fresh as day 1- but whatcha gonna do)
Once "outfitted" the four of us met up with our other 2 travel companions (Chris and Kyle) who had just flown in and had a nice German meal before hitting the sack around 10pm. We hadn't gotten a table reservation (apparently you have to be pretty much German and a regular Oktoberfest regular or be willing to pay exorbitant tourist packages to get one) so we were just going to get up early and wing it!
I vowed I'd get up at 5am to wait in line for when the doors opened in the late morning (surprise. I didn't)
DAY 1 - Oktoberfest (The "Augistiner Tent")
I was nervous with it being opening weekend and all the blogs I'd read about having to stand in line for hours if you didn't have tickets to try to get a seat at a decent tent.
Luckily, Kyle and Chris got to the fairgrounds by 10am and, handsome men that they are, scored us a table with two friendly, large busted German ladies who were kind enough to share their table with us and educate us on the ins and outs of Oktoberfest (thanks Jenny and Keristen!). We arrived a few hours later and would soon be joined by Tristan (a loose work contact of Kyle's who came to Oktoberfest solo, but soon became our adopted bud)
(The crew)
For the first hour or so while we waited for opening ceremonies we could only get fizzy water, but soon the beer was FLOWING. The beer waitresses served whole chickens and 1 size, 1 type fits all beer (which was delicious). With the amount they carried at one time (over 8 steins at a time), I was convinced they must also moonlight as Olympic weightlifters.
(That tiny blonde German woman literally carried all 9 of those beers with her two tiny hands all at once!)
As the beers continued flowing (make sure to bring lots of cash and tip generously!), the music played and everyone danced on the tables (even though they say not to, literally everyone does). It was by far the most I've smiled, laughed, and felt pure unadulterated joy in some time.
(Just having an absolute blast at Oktoberfest 2019!)
At some point it was closing time and it started raining. I don't remember much except being glad I'd purchased a Pocket Wifi and had internet access. I found a few members of the motley crew and we followed the foot steps (yes footsteps, it's like "find the public transport for dummies" and I was ever so grateful) and we found our way back to our HomeAway rental.
DAY 2 - Oktoberfest (Hacker Tent)
We learned the next day that Chris, in a decision he'd later regret, stayed behind with Kyle and some of our new friends to experience the carnival. Here's a cringe worthy video of him showing off on the ride right before he wound up in the hospital.
After a bit of a hungover start, we found our way back to the fairgrounds and wandered into the Hacker Tent (one of the largest tents of Oktoberfest). They started playing 99 Lufbaloons and I knew it was the place for me!
People of every age and country were dancing (20's, 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, and even into 70's!) - it was beautiful and joyful and oh so fun !
(Here is a photo of the mayhem!)
Though with arriving at 5pm we were a little late to the party, we were eventually able to find a table that was willing to take us in and we were off to another great night!
(Napa Chris sporting his newest accessory - a sprained wrist!)
(Group pic!)
After the Oktoberfest fair grounds kicked us out of the tent, we should've gone home. But as I'd already sprung $20 a person on tickets to what was advertised as the "official Oktoberfest party" (the Weisnzvelt) - I managed to guilt everyone minus Natalie and Shannon (including our two new German lady friends from night 1 and Tristan) to attend.
To put it in PG terms...it got weird (in a good way?)
(Tristan, Keristen, and Adam - 3 strangers 36 hours earlier - now living their best lives)
We came back in the rain and I don't remember much except feeling like we had totally crushed Oktoberfest.
The next day, we turned in our German rental clothes with Napa Chris, Kyle, Adam, and I heading to Prague and Natalie and Shannon heading in the other direction. Natalie and I promised each other though that one day, we'd come back here again.
Oktoberfest in a nutshell - an absolute, total, fricken BLAST. Would 10 out of 10 recommend at any age.
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