Munich, capital of Bavaria and the third largest city in Germany, is home to the Oktoberfest, one of the biggest p * ss on -UPS Earth. Despite its name, the Oktoberfest actually starts in late September and lasts for 16 days up to and including the first Sunday in October or (since 1994) to date of German Unity (October 3 e ), whichever is later. The festival was born of a wedding party for Crown Prince Ludwig in 1810 in which all the inhabitants of Munich were invited. "Wow that was fun," said the citizen with one voice when they woke up a week later, they did it since, except 24 times when it was canceled due to wars or epidemics. Thus, the Oktoberfest, which coincides with this issue Indonesia Expat is 180 e and marks the 204 e anniversary of the festival.
The first time I went to Oktoberfest, I could not believe the size of it. The site occupies approximately 420,000m2 of land, approximately seven million people visit each year, and on average, every man, woman and child who walks through the door drinking a liter of beer. True, around seven million liters of beer are served in 16 days - that is about 450,000 liters per day. Bearing in mind that beer is only available for about ten hours a day, it's amazing; about 45,000 liters per hour, or 750 liters per minute, or 12.5 liters per second. But they also sell about 150,000 liters of wine and 1.3 million liters of soft drinks, tea and coffee, so that the liquid consumption per person is actually much higher.
You can see why the city of Munich provides about 2,000 toilets and urinals specially for the festival, but unfortunately this never enough. During my visit in 2004, there were actually German police go along the very long queues for toilets that are trying to determine whether men waiting in line wanted to the number or two numbers (not exactly the kind detective work they had in mind when they come to work, I guess). The men dancing around grabbing the fronts of their jeans were ordered to go and use a huge pit closed with a gate above, those who stood motionless and grab the back of their jeans were allowed to stay online for closed cabins. This explains why each vertical object in a gray area one kilometer from the festival welcomes a man moaning blissfully, sometimes a woman moaning blissfully (and sometimes both).
There are 14 beers huge "tents" that can accommodate around 2,000 to nearly 11,000 people, including the obligatory beer gardens. The largest is called Winzerer Fähndl and operated by the Paulaner brewery. Here you find the players and fans of Bayern Munich football team and statistically people to stay in the tent more than any other (although I think it may be because they have lost the ability to hold). This tent is easy to find, thanks to its huge square tower and the huge Paulaner beer glass that runs on top of it. Inside, you will find the famous Nockherberger band playing in an authentic Bavarian atmosphere, making it one of the most popular venues of the festival. Outside you will find dozens of football fans and naive tourists lying unconscious in urine puddles.
If you like to be jostled and elbowed in the face by cheerful drunk men in lederhosen and Bavarian hats, Oktoberfest is definitely the place for you. Go to one of the beer tents throughout the evening during the festival and they will be too happy to oblige, and while they do, they will be happy to soak in the huge beer glasses they insist oscillate around in time to the music as if they were empty.
It is great fun, but try to anticipate your body functions well in advance, and if you are a man does not ask for ID before agreeing to leave the queue the bathroom with a curiously inquisitive German man wearing a police uniform.