POURST

WOW ok...where to begin....how to remeber all the exciting things Munich has to offer. Well here it goes. We arrive on to Munich at 230, we cant go to Farahs (the girl who is hosting us) till 730. So we lock up our backpacks and head off. It was extremely hot and of course humid....still having trouble adjusting to the humidity. We are all breaking out in rashes....but o well maybe our skin will adjust. First thing you notice...DIRNDL and LEDERHOSEN! The bavarian costume for Oktoberfest. Everyone, and I mean everyone was dressed for the festival. There were a ton of shops for dirndl's and we figured we would stick out so we went out and bought one. We obviously bought the cheapest one (50 euros...ouch but worth it) and no it was not even close to authentic. It was just amazing watching all the different outfits, they were amazing. And there is alot to this outfit as well, for example....if you tie your apron on the left your single, middle your married, on the right your a widow. Pretty excited about our purchase and after walking around getting a feel for the city we headed to Farahs. Understandably, we were a little nervous about staying with a stranger but after talking to alot of other backpackers, they all said it was an incredible experience. We found the place just fine, its in a nice area of town. We buzzed and she let us up. She was so nice and welcoming. Her apartment is beautiful, her couch folded out to a bed that fit all three of us just fine. We chatted with her for a bit and she told us how Oktoberfest worked, how to get there, what else to see in Munich...even told us what tent to go to. She gave us a key and said that she works alot so she cant spend much time with us but that we can do whatever we please....shower, laundry, eat whateves. It was PERFECT! We got a good rest because when we heard you have to go early...and when they said early....they meant early. We got up at 6am got ready for the day and we at the gardens by 730ish. First off, its a carnival! There is this huge area with rides and fair food and then these building (so not actually tents) with different breweries that host each tent and only serve their beer at what tent you go to. So we get there.....and we really have no clue what line to get in. After wandering for awhile we get word to go to the HB tent. There was a HUGE line up...but then the sercuity guard moved and we kinda snuck into line. Now, when I say line........ I mean a huge mob of people huddling outside of the door. ITs a free for all....the goal is to run in and get a table. If you are not seated at a table you will not be served beer. So 845am rolls around, we say a little prayer, and hold onto each other for dear life. Then the doors open.....people just crush into moving towards the door...pretty sure Christie has a bruise from me holding her hand so tight. Then through the doors and run to grab a table. Once you get to that table your exhailerated!! WE MADE IT!!!! The shitty thing is....beer is not served till the first tapping of the keg....which is at 12. No coffee, no beer, just pop and mineral water. Side note about the mineral water....it sucks, it tastes funny, it is not refreshing. But guess what?! You cant get tap water, and all bottled water is mineral. We do not like that...especially stef who is also realizing that everything is fizzy...including Apple Juice. Thankfully, we brought playing cards and were joined by some Switzerland guys who go to Oktoberfest every year so they were able to give us the low down on what the day will look like.After many games of cards...some weird hot dog meat and german potatoes...the fun began. A parade of musicians playing bavarian music came through the tent and to the platform above. Then the owner of the brewery came and gave a speech welcoming us and then tapped the keg. After the keg was tapped they started handing out beer to all the people below the platform. Unfortunatly we were not under the platform. Soon enough the litre beer came, and it was good! Germany knows how to brew beer. The good times were rolling but by 3 o'clock the place was so hot you felt like you couldnt breath. No air circulation and HOT. So we got a stamp for the guard (who by the way...do not mess with them, they are big and scary and they dont care who you are they will throw you to the ground, we actually saw a girl get dragged out by her ponytail) Anyways, so we sat in the shade for awhile then we tried to go back in but they changed the stamps! So we couldnt get in and we were not about to try and get past those guards. We did however get into the beer gardens on the outside of the tent. We ended up sitting with some australians who seemed pretty nice at first. The two girls from sydney were awesome, they had been travelling for awhile so it was nice to get some tips from them. However the other austrialians were crazy. We have noticed this trip to avoid Austrailians...they are crazy. I mean crazy. These guys were so wasted they were drinking their beer out of their shoes and hats, to which they call doing a shoey or a haty. Cursious how far these austrailian guys would go...I dared them to drink out of a rose and call it rosey. They did it, spilled beer all over themselve and the people behind them. Then the girl who was hit with beer from behind poured her beer all over the austrailian. Strangly enough he loved it, then proceeded to pour more beer on himself. Obviously we left....but we met some people from earlier in the day who got us back into the tent. Once back in the tent it was dancing and drinking and alot of singing the beer drinking song " My Pourst". We made it till about 830ish before we were way to tired...getting up at 6am is not easy. On our way back we took a wrong turn and could not find the subway. In the process of this, we got caught in a DOWNPOUR of rain! Of course we had no umbrella or jackets. Once we finally found the train station...we got on the wrong train. 2 hours later we got back to Farah...soaked and not in the greatest moods. However, the couch was comfortable and Farah gave us towels and was really great about it. The next day we went to St Mary's column for the Danchu concentration camp tour. It was pouring rain and frezzing. That seems to be the case. The first day of any place we go to is really hot....the rest is cold and rain. Maybe Italy will change our luck. Anyways, the tour was 18 euro and took us there and back on the train for its just outside of Munich. The tour was incrediable informative, heartbreaking, and a huge eyeopener. Danchu was the first concentration camp and the last camp to close after 12 years. Interstingly, the prisoners were from all over and they were not just Jewish. German, polititians, women, men, priest, basically everyone. The germans obviously do not condone what happened and make it very clear they are ashamed of what happened. But the background information we received paint a broader picture then what we learn in Canada. For example, these camp we protrayed to the public as simply a rehabilitation program for terrorist of Germany, the people who were trying to destroy Germany. The public did not find out for years the horrible things that happened at those camps. It was also informative to hear just how Hitler acccomplished his power hold in Germany, for Germany at the time was in dire economic collaspe and hyper inflation etc etc. Either way, the things that happened at this camps were hard to comperhend. Its harrd to think a human could every endure such psychological and physical torture. However, they have memorial education sites like Danchu so that people will know the truth and never forget. As hard as it was, we were all glad we did it. After the tour, we went home pretty somber and decided we needed to do something fun and happy. We heard about this Youth Hostel downtown with 2 euro beer, so of course we went. There we met some Canadians from Toronto. Always nice to meet people from home who have the same sense of humor. Later a russian and a couple of guys from Isreal joined. Meeting new people from all over the world is the best part of backpacking. You learn so much about where they come from, it really is interesting. After showing our new friends some canadian card games we went got a kebab and went home. The cabs in Europe are really cheap which is always helpful. The next day we got up and went into town to do the free walking tour. It was raining even harder then the day before and twice as cold. The walking tour was cancelled and we figured we would just go back to Farahs and make some mac and cheese, she was at work all day so we had the place to ourselves. We were hoping for KD but to no avail, so we got some noodles and sauce mix instead. Once at Farahs, we put the key in the door and hear the lock turn but its not opening. The door knob does not move either so its hard to know if the keys working of not. Well, stef gives it a go and chirstie then me again. Feeling stupid, hungry and cold....we decide there must be some trick to it. Stef starts knocking on surronding apartments for someone to help us, we look to see if there is a supervisor and me and chirstie start trying every way possible to open this door. Now, there is a window that is right beside the door at eye level that goes to Farahs room. Well....christies small, maybe we can get her through the window. There is a wooden blind in front of the window, then the window is open a crack at the top. We push the wooden blinds up and try for 15 min to open the window all the way from the outside. Well, that plan didnt work, and stef couldnt find anayone who was home. Christie gives the door another try and this time inside of pushing she pulls......and it opens. Yes that right, it took us an hour to open a door. Once inside we go to close the wooden blinds. There not moving. We cant get them down. Its in Farahs room. Shit. After some food and move attempts at the blinds we realize were screwed. We get ready for the night and leave her a note explaining the blind situation. Of course we made up some story about noise in the courtyard and we went to see what happened and the blinds broke. We figured that was better then we tried to break into your place. We told her we would pay if it needed to get fixed and headed to Oktoberfest for the second night. This time at 7pm not 7am. Because it was monday we got into a tent just fine. We ended up sitting with some locals right from Munich. Of course they were veterans to Oktoberfest but it was fun learning a bit about the history and Munich in general. After they took us to the best club in town. 086....easy enough to remeber. Best part? We got to skip the line and did not have to pay cover...it was like Vegas all over again! This club was awesome, played a ton of music we knew and german music as well. After we asked the cabbie to take us for a kebab....but he wouldnt. So we missed out on the kebab. Tuesday was our last day in Germany but we were taking a night train to Venice that didnt leave till 9 pm. We got up but Farah had already gone to work and was in bed when we got back. The blinds were still broken and she didnt leave a note.....so were not sure if shes mad or not. We bought her some wine and chocolates and wrote a thank you note and apoligized again about the blinds. Overall, the couchsurfing was a success, perfect for what we needed. A hostel would have been 100 euros a night or camping in a tent where we would have froze. I would rather stay at a hostel but Farah was really great to stay with. That day we stored our backpacks and tried the free walking tour. This time it was there and it wasnt raining which was great. Munich is a really interesting city full of secret history. There are alot of memorials for the second world war but they are not to flashy or noticiable. It became very clear that Germans are incredible ashamed of what happened, but would like to be remebered for something other then Nazi Germany. However, every student learns about WW2 every year and must go to 3 concentration camps to graduate. The nazi salute is illegal in Germany so are any nazi symbols or neo nazi groups. There are as well alot of spots where Nazi statues and plagues were taken down. Hitler did alot of his early campaigning in Munich and it was eery to think that you were standing in the same spot that man stood in at one time. This tour guide was spanish and her english was fast and hard to follow. She really sucked actually, but either way we got a great history lesson and got to see the roots of how things went down in Nazi Germany. After we went to the train station and chilled before our train. Once we got on our laptops the best new yet came. WE GOT OUR PIN NUMBER!!! Shout out to Debbie for getting the mail and sending the pin number, you made our year!! Now we dont have to use our canadian funds and we have money again. WOW, huge stressor gone. Our train was 50 min late so we didnt get going till around 1015ish. The sleeper carts are incredibale small and crazy. Three beds each side. Me and stef were on top and just barely from the ceiling. We met a married couple from Edmonton who had been all over who kept us some company. Me and stef took gravol so we were passed out in no time. While we definatly got sleep, it was off and on. The train would be moving so fast you think it will derail, then stop completely. Either way, it was ok and a good way to take a 9 hour train ride. Arriving in Venice at 630 in the morning we mostly just packed up our backpacks and walked around. We went all through Venice from one side to the other. There was alot of free entrances to church, art galleries, and musems so the day went quickly. The Piazza San Marco is the same as I remebered from High school. Large, beautiful and FULL of tourists. However, once you clear the Piazza and head the other way it is much quieter. Sitting by the canal with the gondalas riding past is nice. Its hot today...hopefully it doesnt rain tom. Christie had her first Italian pizza and Im pretty sure thats all she will eat this next month...she loves it. Stef had gellatto.....she was sadly disappointed. Me? The Language barrier is getting more difficult and no one is really understand my translation cards or lingo about my nut allergy...or they just dont care. Thankfullly we are out of Germany and I think there are less nut products in Italy, so I'll be fine. Right now we enjoying a cappicuno (yes ive become a coffee snob) on the patio in Venice waiting for our bus at 630. We are staying at a camp just outside of Venice, hopefully it is nice. Its going to be different then a hostel but I have high hopes for Venice.