I've known about Oktoberfest for quite some time. Whenever we would talk about Germany in school, it was one of the things mentioned as a "Culturally significant event." Having been here for a few weeks, in talking to people I've learned that Oktoberfest is about as significant to the German culture as Mardi Gras is to American culture. It's really big for the local ethnic populus but the rest of us spend the time laughing at the stupidity of it. I have no desire to go to Mardi Gras but Oktoberfest intrigued me for some reason and I must say, I enjoyed the time I spent there. All of about two hours. The rest of the trip, though, was the great part.

Tony Yoder and I met in the München main train station at about 0030 on saturday (just after midnight for those of you not on the 24-hr clock) and we began our journey to the campsite we had made reservations at for that night. As it happens we just missed the train there and the next one wouldn't be for another two hours. Wasting no time we made our way to a local restaurant to wait. Two hours later we got on the right train and twenty minutes later realized that the stop we were leaving was the one we wanted. The next train would be in three hours (0525) and by that time it wouldn't really be worth going to the campsite at all. We were mostly out of the city by this point so after trying to walk back to the previous station, we curled up in a hay field and woke with the sunrise. Luckily all of our belongings were still there and we began the trek back to the city to enjoy all of the festival that we could.

Oktoberfest is like Mardi Gras in that most of the party is centered in a very small part of the city. Having no idea where that part of the city was we wondered around asking people for directions and haphazardly ran into three other trainees and one really drunk Irish guy. As coincidence would have it, we met him again on sunday. After a few more times asking for directions, we finally made it onto the right train and to the festival grounds. It wasn't what I expected at all. It was a carnival, and nothing more. There were rides everywhere and strange people trying to get you to throw a ball at a stuffed mickey mouse. The population density was about three people per square yard and, having no place to put our packs, Tony and I were still carying ours. After two hours of fighting the crowd and somehow getting a bite to eat, we left and headed for Dachau.

It's about a twenty minute train ride there and after checking into our hotel and doing the concentration camp visit, we wandered around town for a bit. It felt amazing to not be carying a pack anymore. We met a couple of locals (one of whom is from South Carolina) and together we had an amazing evening NOT being in a huge crowd of people. It was nice to have a shower and a real bed that night and in the morning we left.

It was a short trip but a fun one, nonetheless. The best part, however, was the train ride there. I changed trains in Frankfurt, and, after sitting down, noticed the guy next to me was reading Fortune 500 in english. We started talking and I found out that he grew up north of Salina and for the past few years has been working in Wichita. The Germany office of his corporation needed some short term help so he voulenteered to come over. It's always nice to meet someone from home, even if you have no idea who they are. It's good to be reminded that it's a small world afterall.

David