Prost!

Well this post is about Oktoberfest. Yep, here it is. The following is a scattered collection of vague memories spaced out over 3 days and many many liters.

steins on steins on steins

First, think about what I just said. Liters. At Oktoberfest you consume beer by the liter. That's two pints or about 3 standard American beers. But wait there's more. Big strapping German boys brew much more alcohol into their beer than their comparatively scrawnier American counterparts. Suddenly you don't feel like a total idiot paying 8-10 euro per liter. There were many brave people, dressed in lederhosens of course, that would stand up and chug an entire liter while the rest of the tent cheers them on. Downside is that everyone boos you if you don't do it. See below, sorry for all the background screaming.

Enough about the beer, on to the beer tents. Not actually tents at all. They are permanent structures with slanted roofs that house some of the craziest people I have ever met. Perhaps the craziest part is that they are all filled by 9 am, some by 8 am, with thousands of people from all over the world. In that sense, I experienced some very good cultural immersion this weekend, meeting people from nearly every continent.

Madness

I found some old friends too. While casually (I mean aggressively) enjoying myself inside the Hofbrau Tent, I turn around and two girls from my high school class are right in front of me. Considering the size of this event, the chances of this happening were probably near zero. It was great to see some familiar faces!


Obviously, the madness could not continue all day. Vomit Hill as people call it (note: I never saw any vomit on this hill, although I can believe that it was there at some point) was where everyone took their midday naps.

Vomit Hill. No Vomit

Recharging

I'm not quite sure I could tell you anything more about Oktoberfest. Not because I didn't witness it, but because the memories are too fuzzy. Go big or go home I guess. However, going home was rough. Three days of intense partying made my liver and stomach about as happy at Amanda Knox in an Italian prison. Like her they got a break though.

Too soon?