Oktoberfest #8: Kotzwiese

Oktoberfest #8: Meadow of Puking

With the so called Italian Weekend, the Oktoberfest reaches its infamous (anti-)climax this Saturday and Sunday. This weekend a few hundred thousand residents of the eponymous state south of Austria pack their caravans and tents to cross the Alps to participate in the festivities in the fine city of Munich! Which means they queue up at 7a.m. in front of the tents to get a table, to make sure they are completely shit-faced around noon. Most Munich people try to avoid Oktoberfest on these days, or outright flee the city to spend time in the coutryside. The Italians seem to enjoy it, though. A lot!

Today's blip shows the other side of Oktoberfest, literally and figuratively. Behind Hofbräu, Schottenhamel, and Hacker-Pschorr beer tents the Wiesn shows its rather nasty and unappealing face. This is the Kotzwiese, the Meadow of Puking, where some people sleep off their inebriation, throw up, or piss (themselves) - sometimes all those activities at once. Nobody in his right mind is going close to that spot of grass - it not only reeks staggeringly of piss, but it also is a mine field of vomit. The three guys in the picture seem not to mind that too much, though. That was 1 o'clock in the afternoon, by the way.

For the last few days (starting here) and until the end of Oktoberfest, the biggest beer festival in the world, I will post a picture of the festivities every day as I'm going to be there pretty much every day. So if you are interested stop by - I hope you'll enjoy it!