Day 9 – Part Neljä – The Clock is Ticking

First up I have to ditch my backpack. By some miracle there are some free lockers in the luggage depot at the far end of the Bahnhof.

I wonder if he's going to collect his bag.

I arrive way too late. It’s probably the busiest day of the whole two weeks. There are people everywhere. I ask some Germans and they tell me I’m SOL for getting into a tent. Undeterred I make my way onto the fair grounds and end up in “line” at what appears to be the exact same Biergarten from 4 years ago. Ben, Nick, maybe you remember.

The "line"

I can’t because back then it was all so hazy. Getting inside seems like an impossible task. There are about 30 people crowded around a door. This German guy Christopher is waiting to get in. His brother is inside and he wants to have a bier with him before heading to another tent. I hold his place in line while he goes to talk to his brother over the fence. A girl at the front says she’s been waiting for over an hour and a half.

We wait for 45 minutes. I can’t say the wait wasn’t entertaining. It’s great weather and there are heaps of drunk people getting into fights, falling down sick, and yelling at the bouncer.

I think it's time to stop drinking.

After watching dozens of people leave they finally let us in. It’s a mad rush for the tables but there’s plenty of space. I hang out with Christopher and his crew for the first round. There’s a table of drunk Germans behind us and I join them when I order my chicken and bier #2.

20 Euros - Seriously

Markus is this intense guy from Canary Islands. His buddy, a German guy whose name I can’t remember, is much more relaxed. Julia and Eva are sisters from Germany. I spend a good portion of the evening trying to convince Markus he’s from Austria. I almost succeed.

There were several trips to the loo. This part of the Oktoberfest experience warrants its own paragraph. The guys’ WC was straightforward: lots of troughs and no lineup. The ladies’ room, while I did not make it inside, I can only imagine. Their lineup was massive and it took about 30 minutes to get to the front. They need to fix this for next year.

I'd show you the line for the men's room but there was no line

Before I order beer nummer drei I check the time. Ninety minutes until I have to be at the train station. More than enough time. Things are starting to heat up. 40 police officers arrive and go into the tent to fix some sort of problem. The people in line outside are getting agitated. Some idiots are banging on the door. One girl manages to climb over the fence and doesn’t get caught. It’s a pretty solid wall – about seven feet (two metres) tall. This woman security guard violently tackles this drunk Italian dude. I can’t say I approve but it was pretty funny to watch. I snap a picture and the dude’s girlfriend yells at me.

And she got mad at me!

With my time up I bid farewell to my Oktoberfest friends. I manage to make it back to the main station and find my luggage locker. The night train is right where it was supposed to be, track 16. My cabin is empty and the bed is too short but I don’t care. I review my list of objectives for the evening: mission accomplished