The tales of Munich

I was planning on having a quiet do nothing night on my first night in Munich when I first arrived, but it didn't quite work out that way. I met a few people in my hostel when I went back to my room. Two people from California, a girl and guy who I'm not sure if they were dating, best friends or just random friends who decided to come to Europe together were in the room. There was also a guy from Japan whom none of us could figure out his name in there as well. We all talked for a while. I realized I have a very hard time understanding Asian's directly from that region of the world and their English. It was the 2nd straight stop on my tour I've had at least a 10 minute conversation with an Asian, but could barely make out. Seemed like a nice guy, and he did confirm a belief longheld in the world. He was talking about how he went to the museum that afternoon and it was nice, but one of the problems was every 5 feet an Asian person would be taking a picture or ask him to take one of them. If anyone has seen Forgetting Sarah Marshall with the breakfast scene and the Asian couple taking pictures of their silverware and different breakfast poses, this does happen. It's entertaining to watch and now that this fellow from Japan confirmed the existence, I can no longer brush away those thoughts that maybe I'm just stereotyping, jackpot!

He left the room after a while, I hung out upstairs for a bit and then headed to the bar with the Cali peeps. They were real nice and good people to hang out with, we got our free drinks offered by the hostel at their bar, had another drink and headed off. I didn't really have dinner that night, just a late lunch, so the beer hit me rather quickly. We went down to a bierhaus, got some more beer and had some Brez'n (pretzels). The beers were good, I remember the place we went, but couldn't tell you what kind of beer I had. We then went to another place, just a regular bar endulged in another drink, and then came back for one more beer at the hostel. I was sufficiently drunk, though I don't think either of them really realized it, I've become good at hiding my lightweight drinking abilities. Finally around 12:30 headed up and passed out around 1:30.

I woke up around 8:30 the next day with the goal of heading off to the Dachau tour, I was a bit tired, but I got myself out of bed and headed to the meeting place. I arrived and saw a group of people, gathered around so figured it was the best area to go. The tour guide told everyone to grab a bit of food if they didn't have any because there would be nowhere to get food til after around 3:30. I grabbed a couple croissants, one vanilla stuffed the other chocolate and joined back up. We had about 20 people told on the tour, a solid group. I was a little worried about the tour guide because he did show up with a hangover, a scratchy voice, and didn't seem to want to be there, but as the day began he woke up a bit. First we had to take the train over to the camp, when we got to the station the ticket machine wouldn't take big bills, leaving the guide kind of screwed. I decided to be the nice guy, I offered him to use my money and he can get me back after, so it worked out and we were finally on our way. I also gave the guide one of my croissants since he clearly needed food, guess I just felt like being nice. Once at the train station we had to take a bus and then we arrived.

Getting off the bus and taking the walk right towards the camp doors definitely had a creepy feel. It was a cold gloomy day, something I just kind of expected when visiting a place so demonized from it's history. We stopped at remaining train tracks where the guide gave us an introduction into Dachau. It was the first concentration camp in Germany and used as a model for many thereafter. The grounds were also used heavily for the training/brainwashing of impressionable youths and how to use cruel tactics. He then told us the speech prisoners would hear upon entrance and we headed through the door. The land in front of us was wide open meant to have that sense of nothingness. We then started going into the first few buildings where the people slept, were checked in, and were punished. Many of them have been redone, but some original frameworks, items, tables and other things still exist. We first glanced at the table where people were stripped of their names and reduced to a number and then walked through looking at the cruel ways of punishment. The guide was good, let us look at the right moments, explained things well, and took us around. After seeing the tiny beds or boxes people slept in we walked around a few of the memorial signs. The "Never Again" signs always effect me for some reason, I didn't cry or anything, I don't know how to do that in public, but everytime something clicks with that and gives me chills. We had just missed Survivors day by a few days at the camp, but extra mini memorials and flowers were set up around portions of the camp. After that we went inside to get ready to watch the camp movie. I got kind of angry though cause I saw 2 kids kind of fighting inside there on what seemed to be a middle school tour, and I understand the comprehension at that age is impossible as to where you actuall are, but it made me really angry, which is rare. Finally the kids went on their way and we got to watch the very creepy 20 minute camp movie with movies of what the camp was like, the dead bodies, and the liberation. From there we headed to the crematories and gas chamber. There is a myth with Dachau that the gas chambers were never used according to the Germans at the time, but survivors claimed use, plus Jews and others starting in 1942 weren't deemed worthy enough to even be registered as prisoners anymore, so I have a hard time believing the never used story. Dachau technically wasn't a death camp, though over 30,000 regisitered prisoners died from starvation, disease, or cruel death again not counting three years of unregistered members. All that stuff was real eery to see and there wasn't much else to say after seeing that. I'm definitely glad I went and although it can never be described as a fun time, it was very interesting and I would have a desire to see other camps as strange as that may seem.

After the tour I did get my money from there train ride back for those worried ha and got myself a quick lunch. The day was still pretty cold, but I decided to do what anyone in Munich would do, go and find the Apple Store. I saw they were having a live in-store concert that night so I kept that in mind, it was a real nice store (as expected). I then walked around discovering more areas of Munich until finally getting hungry enough to delve into a meal. I had a German restaurant in mind and made my way there. The place was packed as most restaurants around here are basically beer halls and restaurants. I found one open table and ordered a giant wheat beer. It was actually good, I then decided to go with the Ox for dinner and see what this meat would taste like since I was getting pretty tired of pig. As I waited for my meal a German woman came up to my table, said some crazy German and pointed to the chair. I assumed this meant can I use this chair over at my table, but I was incorrect, she took a seat. I thought alright, this is fine, she can barely speak English and looks kind of old so should be safe. About two minutes later this huge younger German dude laced in tattoos comes and takes a seat to join us. I felt a variety of scenarios existed at this point, either I could get stuck with their bill (bad, but not the worst thing), they could be so grateful I let them sit and pay for my meal (I was a tad drunk from my beer), nothing could happen, or they could savagely stalk and kill me after the meal (what can I say, I'm an optimist). The Ox finally came, they ordered their stuff and I began to eat as they spoke German with each other. The Ox was good, some parts tough and others tender, but had a very brisket like taste to it. I finished rather quickly hoping to beat them to at least the bill and get out, but they ate their meals relatively fast. It turned out they were co-workers and were eating before heading off to work and needed to eat quickly. I made it out safe and stumbled my way back down the block.

I saw the line grow in front of the Apple store and felt I have nothing else to do, why not see the free concert. I got in line, was one of the final 10 remaining allowed in (felt semi-bad for those who were probably really interested) and headed up to stairs to the concert. I looked up and saw it was $amy Delight, German hip hop/reggae star (I looked up implies that actually knew who this Samy Delight was, but in fact I just saw a sign). One perk was getting 10 free songs from the German itunes store for being there, no idea if it will work when I'm home, but worth a shot. I stayed for the whole thing, it was pretty packed and besides the Deutsch words when he did more of the actual reggae style of song him and his band weren't bad at all. Apparently he's really successful in Germany, so was worth checking out. I then headed back for the night and tried to call it an early night. I got in early, didn't go out, but slept awfully for some reason, ah well.

The next day I woke up and reunited with the Californians. They were leaving in the afternoon, but we had time to go for a real german breakfast. For the 3rd straight day it was cold and rainy as we walked to the breakfast location. I had Weiß-wurst, the breakfast sausage made with cream and eggs. It was very good, though the skin must be removed before eating so that part was a little annoying. Both of them went with the traditional breakfast wheat beers with their meal, but I decided it wasn't for me and beer in the morning never has and probably never will go well with my body. Afterwards we headed back and then parted ways.

I originally wanted to go to the BMW open that was going on since I had never been to a pro tennis match, but with the colder weather and rain I decided not to. Instead I walked around the city, ended up at the Deutsches Museum and spent a few hours there. This is basically their science and technolgy museum. Half of the place has English, the other half not so much. I didn't feel like an audio tour though and could figure out most of what I was looking at. The place was huge and pretty impressive. From car technology, engines, aeronautics, astronomics, a planetarium, to musical instruments, sexual pharmaceutical technology, computer science and random chemistry experiments it had it all. I didn't plan on spending that long there, but so many rooms existed and it was easy to get trapped on the way to looking for an exit. I left there, got my train ticket for when I return to Munich on my flight to head to Venice the next day, and then searched for food. I was sick of German food, which has pretty much consumed me for 2 weeks now and felt it about time to change up. I longed for a burrito, it's been over 30 days now, I rarely go more than 3 meals without a burrito. There was a recommendation for the best tex-mex restaurant in the area so I went there. Apparently it's the best restaurant in the world because inside and out every seat was filled, the bar was filled, and people were waiting on the streets. I decided I couldn't wait any longer to eat so I let that dream die and got some decent spicy chinese food (it was actually really good, but I say decent due to the results of the following morning where the toilet ate my meal). I headed off and walked down the street. I decided to try Haagen Daas in Germany, I could've went gelado, but figured I'll be in Italy in a week anyway. It was good, I finished it and walked past the Apple store where another concert event was being held. I wasn't gonna go this time, for real, but the security guards were handing out stuff on the street to get in, it was a different person this time, and I was hoping this would mean 10 more free songs, which it did (if it'll work in the US). This time it was Cassandra Steen, not nearly as popular as the other dude. She was just a regular singing type. Not terrible, but I thought her backup singer had a better voice. I went back to the hostel, talked with my Japanese roommate for a bit, and went to sleep early, though again did not sleep well.

Today I got up around 7:45, I was gonna go back to sleep, the other guy had left to checkout and I had until 10, but apparently the cleaning crew here is real irritating. The guy knocked on my door at 8 a.m telling me I had to be out at 10, at first I thought maybe the 6 different sources of time I had were all incorrect, but turns out he was just a dick, especially since he came back an hour later and said it again. Instead I showered and got ready for my day. I finally checked out at 9:55 just because I was pissed and could. The day has good weather for the first time in Munich so I headed off to the English Gartens, walked around the gigantic park (its twice the size of Central Park) for about 2 hours observing my surroundings. I checked out the little surfing area in the park they had (a mini rapid by a bridge where people have a decent wave and actually surf, it's kind of cool) and then walked back. When I went in the morning I took the metro, but saw I had plenty of time so took the hour walk back. I grabbed a gigantic pretzel for lunch and then headed back to the hostel. On the walk back I also noticed a big Israeli concert/rally thing and checked it out for a minute and that was about it.

Now I get ready to head to the airport for Dublin. I'll be there for 4 days, see the Counting Crows tomorrow night, explore the whole place and then head back to Munich for a night before Italy and Greece to end the trip. I'm a little antsy about this flight ahead, but it'll be a good test run at a non-English speaking airport a few weeks before the trip home. I get to Dublin around 10:15 p.m on an Aer Lingus flight so I'll probably take a cab to the hostel since the directions the other way includes a bunch of buses and walking, which I don't think I'm wanting to deal with tonight. Tomorrow I'll probably explore Dublin, although 50s and rain is expected all weekend and I'm sure about 10 hours before the concert tomorrow I'll just start waiting in the general admission line (just kidding, I'm not that big of a fan or that crazy, uh). Anyway, maybe I'll see you in Dublin.

Dahnke Shan

BK