On the 17th, we hopped a train from Interlaken, Switzerland to Munich; yet another amazing city! I have decided if possible, I am going to stay in all girls dorm rooms instead of the mixed ones. It hopefully will allow me to meet some cool ladies and get a little more rest as women usually tend sleep more soundly and peacefully without all the "man" noises stirring from the bunks.
On the first night, I met 2 girls form New Zealand. We all met up in the hostel bar after check-in. After 3-4 beers, I received my email from Skydive Switzerland verifying my pictures were ready to be viewed. I immediately left the bar in search of a computer. I was dying to see the pictures to assure me that I really did jump and it wasn't all just a crazy dream. I spent the next couple hours trying to download them with no success. It took me back to my days of having to wait to open Christmas presents until after dinner and all the dishes were washed and put away. I guess I will have to wait until the next city or perhaps until I return home.
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| Yes, this is a typical day in the middle of the city. |
I met a girl from Germany on the tour and we decided to extend our own journey to the Chinese Garden (Bier Garden) and have the traditional beer and pretzel. It is so crazy, they are basically big parks, with picnic tables everywhere, where people serve beer and bread pretzels, people gather and just have a good time. The tables were packed, the beers were good, and the chants made me smile and love it even more.
I proceeded to walk through the ginormous park, encountered a few weddings, scurried my way through the city, stopped for a beer at the Hofbrauhaus, gazed at some of the amazing castles and churches, to where I finally noticed a building that looked familiar--my HOSTEL!! Eeek! Who needs a map anyway??
As I entered the hostel, I was quickly greeted with a beer, some pizza, and live music. As it turns out, the hostel was celebrating 15 years of being open. The music was fantastic, the people were friendly, and the dancing was magnetic. The music consisted of 2 sisters, their voices, and their instruments. Mesmerizing was an understatement. As I was waiting for my Hofbrau at the bar, I ran into a guy that stayed at the same hostel I stayed at in Zurich. How small of a world is that? That is what is truly amazing about traveling, one finds out just how small this great big world is. I spent the night meeting other travelers, swapping stories, sharing our love of music and dancing... as they truly are the universal language. I met people from Australia, Japan, China, Italy, New Zealand, Germany, France, California... Once again, I ate too much, drank my fair share, and stayed out way to late, but I met some unforgettable souls and that's what makes my heart tingle. This truly is a life dream of mine. I can't believe little ol' me is actually doing it! Tomorrow morning we leave for Vienna, Austria. While I am not ready to leave Munich, this backpacker must keep moving.
To sum up my brief time in Germany:
It reminds me of Barcelona because the people are SO happy, fun, and they like to party!
Life is much cheaper here than Switzerland, beer is only 2 Euro!
Jaywalking is illegal. If you are caught, you earn yourself a 200 Euro fine.
Lots of beautiful parks.
The people really take pride in their culture and history.
I need to attend Octoberfest here; adding it to the bucket list as I speak.
And the beer is delicious!!
