2006 Liver Olympics

Drunken European Vacation aka Oktoberfest aka Munich Tried To Kill Us aka Liver Olympics 2006 has come to a close.  I am happy to report that the team has arrived home and mostly in one piece.  I am sure we have all increased our beer drinking tolerances to ungodly limits which will surely cost us small fortunes at American bars as the beers here are much smaller and contain much lower levels of alcohol.  It will take much more to "do the trick" than it used to.

Your 2006 Oktoberfest Team consisted of myself, Nathan, Mike, Tara, Terry, and Brett.  All were first time competitors. 

Many medals and badges of honor were awarded.

There was honorable mention awards for those who slept on steps SOMEWHERE in Munich and those who challenged large Australian men to a bitch-slapping contests (and upon losing said contest, making besty friends with the ginormous winner).

Our idea of keeping a free-for-all journal ended in London on Day 2. It's just too difficult to carry a pen AND a litre of beer at the same time.  And seeing straight was an issue for many of us, as well.

Timeline:

Nathan, Mike, and I spent Saturday afternoon through Monday afternoon in London.  We did the obligatory and super-fun whirlwind double decker bus tour, seeing every single possible thing there is to see in London in 2 hours.  We all had the traditional fish and chips meal (a first for Mike and I).

Upon our arrival in Munich on Monday evening and after much confusion trying to figure out how to get a train ticket, the three of us sat down to eat and drink at the first brewery ever inside an airport.

After checking in to the hostel, me claiming a top bunk, and throwing down our bags, it was a mad dash to the Oktoberfest tents...a 15-20 minute walk away.  PERFECT!  It was late in the day, so most people were going in the opposite direction than us...singing, weaving, reeling, eyes crossed, eyes closed.  Nathan and Mike made the observation that it appeared there were 2 women to every man and their steps quickened a bit.  

I think we both paused a moment at the entrance, taking in the crowd, the lights, the noise, THE SIZE OF THE BEERS!!!!  It was like coming home.

Tara, Terry, and Brett joined us the following day.  As soon as they got there, sans luggage, we headed back to the tents.  This would be mine and Terry's first taste of Oktoberfest chicken and the beginning of a new addiction.  If anyone has the recipe, it would be much appreciated.  DELICIOUS.  Tara & Nathan ate 57 brats, each.

  We sat at a table in one tent all day...until they kicked us out as it was a reserved table.  Then we headed outside for more sitting and beer drinking.  Tara and I located a place that served shots of (warm) jagermeister and Tara played some carnival games.  Hooray!  I got Nathan's Dad's cell phone stolen by a group of Austrailians that were still ridiculously fun to hang out with so I can't hate on them.  Brett disappeared wearing a cow print hat with horns and a leiderhosen shirt.  Terry and I went for more Jager, immediately followed by a ride on a loopty-loo roller coaster (not recommended), and promptly lost everyone else.  We all regrouped at the hostel bar (which became home base for the rest of the week).  Brett finally reappeared at who knows what time, leiderhosen shirt missing and completely non-sensical.

  We think he went on carnival rides by himself and that he traded said shirt for said carnival ride, but he isn't sure.

On Wednesday, Tara, Mike, and I went exploring in Munich, while the other three slept off their evening a bit.  We found ourselves in Marienplatz - home of shopping, the Glockenspiel, and...yes...the world famous Hofbräuhaus!!!!  Needless to say, we didn't rejoin the group until we sang and weaved our way back to the hostel...where we found everyone in the bar.  Turns out.

Thursday, Tara, Mike, and I went on a four-hour guided bike tour through Munich...while the other three slept off their evening a bit.  It was sooooo hilarious, sooooo fun, and we actually got to see and learn about quite a bit of Munchen.  Our tour guide was incredible and we had a super fun group.  One stop included the Biergarten am Chinesischen Turm or... the Beer Garden at the Chinese Tower...the 2nd largest biergarten in the world.  It can hold 9,000 people!  It is in the center of the English Gardens, past the nudist region (yep...we saw naked people...this was also the same point in the ride that I turned around to find Tara running her bike along the trail as she was unable to ride it onto the grass to avoid hitting people.

We made fast friends with several people in the group and we all sat down after the tour at the Hofbrauhaus together for a mass and a few shots of jager before meeting up with a group of them at the tents later that evening.  That night was a blast...we were right in the center of one of the tents, in front of the Oompa Band, singing and dancing.  Most of it is a blur to me.  Though I do remember getting my heel caught in a cobblestone gutter, which took me straight down.

The crowd was insane.  We lost friends, found them again, lost them again...on and on and on.  Everywhere you looked on the street, people were passed out...on lawns, in doorways, on benches.  And no one disturbed them.  Everyone was cheerful and peaceful (except one guy that I and a new friend stole a hat from, teamwork style).

Thursday was my most favorite day!

Friday we checked out of our hostel and moved to a hotel closer to the airport as all but one of us were flying somewhere the next day.  We planned to visit Dachau or Neuschwanstein or even head back to the tents but once we saw clean beds and clean bathrooms we all shut down (the hostel had gotten pretty nasty...it literally stunk...with six drunk people in one tiny room so you can imagine how welcome this new place was).  We sat at the tables in front of our cute little hotel all day, drinking beer, exchanging stories, eating, and laughing.  It was actually quite perfect.

On Saturday, Tara and Terry left very early in the morning.

I WILL return to Europe and soon!  It was an amazing experience.  I learned so many things from sooo many various people from all over the world.  Different manners, customs, opinions, experiences...I am definitely inspired to learn more about the rest of the world.  So, I am happy and so fortunate that I had the opportunity to step out of my bubble and get some insight.  

I am most fortunate that I have such wonderful people to share the memories with.