Oktoberfest!

Okay, so plans got changed around a little. But now I've been to Oktoberfest and it was everything it had promised and more. Yesterday, Erika's friend wasn't feeling well so they decided to push it back till today. So we met at the train station closest to the fest at a quarter to eight and walked the rest of the way. Nicole and I were dressed like Americans. Erika and Charlotte had drindls on. Oktoberfest is a huge section of land with several large "tents" set up. By tent, I mean, essentially a building they put up just for the three weekends/two weeks of Oktoberfest that seats a couple thousand. We found a tent that didn't have quite as many people crowded outside it and crowded outside it with those who were. At 8:30 the doors open. Think halls of highschool between passing period with the realization that the first one out gets a free trip to Europe or something. I'm surprised no one got trampelled. We managed to get in. Not everyone did. They monitor who they let in, I guess. We got a table and were later joined by five guys from near Frankfort. Within an hour the entire place was packed. They start serving beer at 9. One liter of beer for 8.25 Euro. Unfortunatley you actually have to buy one or they do their best to kick you out since the waiters work off tip and they expect you to buy as quickly as you can down it. So I bought one. Took a sip. Confirmed that I do not like beer, every Oktoberfest beer, and handed it off to the Drindle girls in exchange for the Pretzle-as-big-as-my-head. Pretzles in Germany are served cold, not warm.

Anyway. Music started at 12. Hence forth it became more crowded as people started dancing on the tables to traditional Bavarian tunes and crowding in the previously clear aisles. We were actually kicked out at 3. Kicked out being a harsher term for "it was implied that we should leave by our waiter who brought four other guys over to our already full table which is the Oktoberfest way of saying, it's been serveral hours since you've ordered. I want money. Order more beer or leave." We left. Getting out was possibly the most difficult part since pushing and shoving through a room where movement is all but impossible is not entirely easy.

Outside we saw the second half of Oktoberfest. The fest for famillies and children. There was a huge carnival with pretty intense rides for a carnival (even a rollercoaster), ferris wheel, more food than you can possibly imagine, souvineers, etc. We circled it a couple of times and decided after seven hours in the tent, we'd had enough.

Pictures: (figure out the order yourself)
Erika and Charlotte dressed in drindls
Me with One Liter of beer that I took a full sip of!
Nicole and I with Preztle-As-Big-As-Our-Heads
The inside of the tent, complete with overcrowdness and people dancing on tables.

Welcome to Oktoberfest!