My trip got off to somewhat of a late start - I woke up twenty minutes before my train left (and it takes twenty minutes to walk to the station). After sprinting out the door, and down the street, I was lucky enough to find a taxi who got me there barely a minute before the train left. After anticipating this for weeks, it would have been such a shame if I had missed it!
The trains here in Europe always have the most fascinating people on them. I met a half Turkish half Swiss soldier, an Austrian woman who leads tours for Americans around Switzerland, and befriended an American girl studying abroad in Geneva, also headed to Munich to meet up with a friend. I had no qualms about striking up conversations with these random strangers, in fact this is one of the many advantages I have by living here; I get to learn about other cultures and ways of life from the very people who encompass them. However, after almost eight hours, I was happy to finally arrive in Munich.
When I stepped off the train, I was greeted by a familiar face - my dear friend Gabriel. I had met Gabriel last year in Virginia, when he was working as an au pair in Fairfax. We kept in touch after he returned to Germany, and after I arrived in Switzerland, we planned a trip to Oktoberfest together. The plan was for us to stay with his friends in a suburb of Munich and go to the festival together. I had no idea what to expect, all I knew was that I would be going to Oktoberfest with a large group of Germans. And I couldn't wait.
Gabriel's friends (Marti and Sarah), a couple in their early thirties, turned out to be the most generous, kind, and light-hearted people I have ever met. Not only did they open their home to me, someone they didn't know, but they let me borrow a dirndl (a traditional Bavarian dress that girls often dress up in for the festival). So with Gabriel in his lederhosen (traditional mens dress), we all set out for the city.
The festival itself had to be one of the greatest sights I've ever seen. There were thousands of people from around the world, all dressed in traditional outfits, singing and laughing and having a good time. The air smelled of the candied nuts, of roasting chicken and Bavarian sausages. The lights of the carnival rides twinkled in the fading light and the revered beer tents stood regally in their formations. The reservation for our beer tent table was at six, and we had time to kill. So, we went to this sort of traditional carnival attraction in which wooden risers were erected on the sides and a spinning circle stood in the center. Here's a youtube clip:
After this, we waited outside our tent for our reservations. Watching all the drunk people and the drunk people get sick is actually pretty comical. And let me just say, these people are EVERYWHERE. But while we were waiting, I found a photo opportunity I just couldn't pass by -
Haha what can I say, I like a man in uniform! At any rate, after being joined by several of Marti and Sarah's friends, we entered our tent. One of their friends was married to the owner of all the private tables in this tent, and so we were given the privilege of getting such a table. These were on a second level overlooking the ground floor. And the sight was amazing. Over one thousand people singing and eating and dancing and kissing and laughing... I will never forget it. Here was our tent:
Needless to say, the feeling of being there in that environment was incredible. The people I was with were hilarious and good natured and made me feel like I was just another one of their friends - despite the age and cultural differences.
The next morning Marti and Sarah put out a Bavarian breakfast spread - it was delicious. Their hospitality throughout the whole weekend was wonderful and unexpected, and I left that day with a glowing opinion of German people, traditions, and culture. Gabriel, throughout the entire weekend, through massive crowds and torrential rain, never left my side.
All of these people were kind enough to show me a deeper, traditional version of Oktoberfest, an event that now holds a dear place in my heart. Although it was sad to leave, and even harder to say goodbye, I plan on returning to Germany again soon, with the hope of getting to know this foreign culture just a little bit more.
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