Oktoberfest

The Tilt-A-Whirl

When we realized that our first weekend in Trier was going to be the last weekend of the 200th anniversary celebration of Oktoberfest, the other international students in my hall and I decided we had to find a way to get ourselves to Munich.  We discovered a weekend special pass that would let us ride regional trains to Munich for a meager 8 Euro per person.  The catch was that the journey would last 14 hours on the way there, starting at 12:05 am.  We took turns sleeping to make sure that we would all catch each of the 6 different trains we had to take on the way there.

Hanging out in the Biergarten
(back: Stuart, Nicole, and Eric; front: Me, Sage, and Bree)

Dazed and confused, we stumbled off the last train in Munich, accompanied by a crowd of blonde-haired, blue-eyed Bavarians donning their dirndls and lederhosen.  The crowds of people were impressive, as we forged our way toward a brewer's tent, hoping to find seats inside.  After getting shoved around for about an hour of standing in the same place in line, we decided to just enjoy our Maß (liter mugs of beer) in the Biergarten.  After draining them and chatting with some Brits, Americans, and one Swedish guy who looked like a stereotypical viking, we stashed our mugs in our bags and snuck them past the security guard.

Techno Power
The best name for a German carnival ride.

Outside the Biergarten, there was a weird combination of family-friendly fun on the carnival rides, and debauchery to the tune of alcohol poisoning and fist fights.  We had a great time, but it probably would have been better if we had gone on a weekday to avoid the crowds.



The ride home was a little more stressful than trip to Munich, mostly because of sleep deprivation.  Despite some snarkiness toward one another, we managed to arrive in Trier only slightly worse for the wear.  I had a great time and I'm glad that I went, especially with the people I've met here.  I wouldn't mind making some more weekend trips with them, as long as the train rides are a little shorter!