Oktoberfest - Munich

Wow what a majorly wicked weekend.  It started with me getting Friday off work for a University re-union.  Technically this is not a lie because I was going to be drinking beer with a lot of people from Otago Uni days. 
One thing I learnt over the weekend is that a university education doesn't necessarily teach you how to behave in some social situations.  Waking up on Saturday morning we soon discovered 3 people had had a beer spew from too much indulgence on Friday.  The 1st person to chuck didn't even make it in to the confines of the camp ground - spewed on themselves and the drive way.  The 2nd person to chuck didn't even make it out of their tent!! Perhaps the least classy of the lot as they then used their other halves t-shirt to mop up some of the mess.  The 3rd person to chuck spent the night on their hands and knees poking their head out of the tent to blow chunks around their tent - in a way marking out their territory.  So all-in-all a good start to Oktoberfest.

Due to some pretty hefty hangovers on Saturday we opted for the free tour of Dachau Concentration Camp and then lunch at a Beer Monastery.  As I was hungover and already feeling miserable I didn't feel too sad to be at Dachau. It was pretty horrific to think what went on there and going through the gas chamber and crematorium gave me an eerie feeling.  To cheer us up we were taken to a Monestary that brew their own beer and is situated on top of a hill in a beautiful country setting.  The only food on the menu was pig - pork knuckle, pork roast, and pork belly.  Served with potato salad or sauerkraut, it was magic for the hangover.  We lay in a grassy meadow soaking up the sun til it was time to head back to camp.  However, on the way we decided to head back to the beer fest and check out all the fun fair rides (but avoid the beer halls).  It looked pretty wicked all lit up at night.

On Sunday we had enough time at beer fest for Nath to drink 4 steins and get drunk before our flight back to London.  When we arrived at Stanstead we faced the biggest queue I have ever seen to get through passport control, needless to say it was a very late night and a struggle to stay awake at work on Monday. 

View from the ferris wheel of the beer tents and crowds of people

Talks are already underway for next years festival.  I will have to come up with a new reason for a day off work and I think we will upgrade accommodation from camping to something with some sound proof walls.  I felt like I was back at Uni when I could hear people vomitting and making groaning noises all night long!