Oktoberfest (but the real one)

Coming from Portland, Oregon, the micro-brew capital of the world, I know good beer. We've got "Oktoberfest" which most bars misspell "Octoberfest", and my dad and I go every year to at least one. Of course we look crazy getting drunk in our German finery on the west coast of the States.

Being responsible Germans, everyone takes the S-Bahn to Oktoberfest, which is packed and doesn't run between 3:30 and 5 am, which can get you into trouble if you try an after party and miss the last train.

But you can traverse as many bars or outdoor festivals as you want, even coming from a place well known for beer, nothing can prepare you for the size and drunkenness that is the real Oktoberfest. I was lucky enough to have my dad come visit me for the last week of Oktoberfest, and I ended up there three days in a row. So what's it like?

Fun.

Well it's the size of about 3 state fairs stacked end to end. Split into two primary isles there's the north side with food stands, amusement park rides and several rotating bars (essentially yurts that serve alcohol and rotate like the top of the space needle--if that's not a bad idea for drunk people I don't know what is). And then there's the south side with all of the entrances to the tents. And if you're over 16 that's where you want to be.

The tents are all decorated differently but generally they're the size of airline hangers filled with picnic tables with a large, raised stage in the middle where a band is always playing, switching between ompa music and classic rock (the strangest combination, but this time I was prepared). These tents fill up at 11 am when they open, and stay full until they stop serving at midnight. You have to be seated to get a beer (this is a general rule for Oktoberfest. No walking around getting drunker, just walking around being drunk) so the seats can get pretty competitive. But if you're friendly you can usually get a seat for at least one person in your group. Then everyone gets served and you meet some great Auslanders (foreigners). The tables on the outside of the tent are all reserved, but the tables in the middle are first come, first served until they're full. At which they close the tents to new entrants.

So we use the term "tents" loosely, as they have two stories, bathrooms and hardwood floors.

And that is how I spent my first night at Oktoberfest, all dressed up with no way to get into a tent. You can sit outside at the Biergartens that some of the tents have (but not when it's 2 degrees Celsius). Luckily the next two days were better weather and we went early as to get seats.

We dragged my dad from the airport, home to change and then right to Oktoberfest, he was pretty tired by the end.

Arne had these all day and they drove Birgit (his wife) crazy. That was as hilarious as anything.

So after finally getting seats for us all, meeting some great Germans and foreigners, we drank bier. Lots of bier. It only comes in litters and you don't get a choice of types, you just give the waitress a number and pay. Don't confuse this with your "beer". Nope. Bier.

Unfortunately for me, dirndls are not the most comfortable thing to drink bier and eat salty food in. I ended up at home by 10 pm each night (leaving my dad and our family friend alone to bring great drunk stories home the next morning). It's enough to make a girl want to buy Lederhosen.

Then again, they make you look like this.

That last day my dad was having a LOT of fun

Photos courtesy of Birgit and Arne Franke. Because my camera was too expensive to carry around drunk.

We took this first... but it is technically the end.