Its about time I let you all know that I’m still alive and kicking.
Overall, I’ve been quite because I haven’t had much to say. I’ve just been living the wonders of 9-5ing it and trying not to let extra-curricula drinking habits stop my bank balance from accumulating. I have been struggling with the mild depression from falling back into a working rut again. Regardless of which country I’m in, I’m still just starring at a screen all day. Unfortunately this an inevitability in life. It just becomes so much harder in the English winter where you only get to see some of the small amount of daylight there is if your lucky enough to have an office with a window. Being in a crowded, polluted city like London doesn’t help either. Unfortunately, it’s going to get worse before it gets better. I can only run round the world from winter for so long. I have had a good run of late, two summers in a row and all.
Anyway, I taking solace in my burgeoning travel plans which makes all the difference.
I only just recently returned from Germany and the wonders of Oktoberfest (hence the email title, its specifically referring to my last weekend, although could be extended in some ways to the amount of Fosters I’ve consumed over here. Yes, that’s right Aussies. I’m drinking Fosters regularly because its the best of the cheap beers here. All Aussies in London come to grips with it eventually).
At the Oktoberfest I can honestly say that I have never consumed so much beer in a weekend in my life…nor do I ever intend to again…nor would I be able to. Regardless of what impression I give, I’m not the biggest drinker in the world (particularly by Aussie standards), but last weekend it didn’t matter as I just got wrapped up in the spirit of the event.
The Oktoberfest is definitely one of the wonders of this world and deserves every reputation it is known for. I’ve never seen so many drunk people in the one place at the one time (and this is only counting 1 of the 12 beer halls). This wouldn’t usually be appealing in itself, but the thing I can’t describe is the atmosphere…I’ve never seen so many drunk people in the one place at the one time without a single fight breaking out.
Everyone there was just there to have a good time, meet people, drink as much beer as they could physically handle and sing a whole lotta songs. I met, cheered, and drank with people of just about every European nationality I can think of (….with the exception of Germans. Credit goes to the Germans, they throw a huge party just for everybody else in the world but don’t bother to turn up themselves, either that or they’re just smart enough to have their own parties elsewhere. Probably the latter I guess).
Overall, its one hell of a good party. I highly recommend it to anybody who happens to be in that part of the world at the right time of year. Just the spectacle of the event is worth going along for, but while you’re there you might as well stop in for a stein or two.
It’s taken me about a week to recover from the three days of drunken debauchery. Being homeless when I got back didn’t help, but that happens once in a while (my lease ran out while I was away).
Now I’ve got a place sorted and I’m putting my head down for the next month until I head off for my next journey to Egypt in November for four weeks. I’m going there to do the tourist thing (Pyramids, Cairo, etc) for a 10 days, before I stop in Dehab on the Red Sea and learn how to dive in what I’m told are some of the best diving locations in the world. I look forward to making you all jealous about that.