Around the World in Eighty Beers

We arrived in Munich on the Sunday after a fairly uneventful drive. When we arrived it was packed - people everywhere, campervans everywhere, I really thought we weren't going to get a pitch. I qued up anyway in the enourmous que but it seemed to be that everyone was leaving - 'bonus' I thought. I asked if it was ok for us to camp and the girl behind the desk said yes and gave me a look of 'like of course it's ok to camp - why wouldnt it be?' we pitched up next to yet more Aussies who were also travelling through Europe in a VW. They came and chatted as soon as I put the Ben Harper on the stereo as they were mutal fans. We were going to have some beers with them but we were going into the festival & they were leaving the next day so unfortunately it didnt happen. We headed out into Munich at about three for the festival.

Munich...Oktoberfest....what can I say? its absoloutely crazy, i've never experienced anything quite like it in all my life. For those people who've been to the Pompey beer festival - imagine that - then multiply it by a thousand then you're close to how massive this thing really is. We went on the Sunday and it was absolutley rammed, I cant imagine what it would be like on a Friday or Saturday. The place has stalls everywhere selling every kind of souvenir you could ever want, stall selling all sorts of foods, stalls selling spirits and hundreds of fairground rides from walzters to rollercoasters. We grabbed a shot each, tequila for me, cherry schnapps for Chloe. We decided before we would kick off the proper boozong we'd go on the ferris wheel to get a decent view. The view at the top was amazing it really gave you a bit of perspective of how massive the place was. After that we headed into the first tent and I got a beer and Chloe got a wine. A wine that cost eight bloody Euros! After that it was beer for her! we went out for some food, Chloe got a pretzl and chips and I had two different types of wurst. We qued for a bit and went back into a tent. Thats when the fun began and the memory gets a bit hazy.

To be honest I didnt really expect to get that drunk going with chloe. I thought it would be a few drinks, get a bit merry then go home. When we got inside the atmosphere was amazing and the litre glasses started flowing and we were drinking with Aussies, Italians, Spanish and Germans! it was crazy and I got very very drunk. Apparently I was being a bit of twat on the way home but I can hardly remember anything.....all I can remember is throwing up several times in the night and feeling very very rough the next day.....

We left Munich the following day after a very sobering visit to Dachau. The first Nazi Concentration camp. The whloe day was very interesting and utterly moving. The place would be like a ghost town if it weren't for all the tourists. You can still imagine and picture the horror of what went on there when you stand in the cells or in the crematorium where they burned all the bodies. I wont linger on that for to long but it was definitely a highlight for me so far.

After that we drove to Passau on the Austrian border for a nights stopover before heading into the Czech Republic. The next morning we headed off early for the next country on our tour!

Right then! thats us almost up to speed. Hopefully i'll get some Czech entries up soon. Maybe when we get to Prague.

By Matt