Munich, like all other locations we have been, began with an adventure. Our train arrived at the main station at about 10:45 PM and we had to take a regional train to our hostel because it wasn't in the city center. When we finally got off the train, it was 11:30. The map we had and the directions we had were very vague, and even after asking for directions we still didn't know where we were going. After an hour of wandering we went back to the train station because there was a bar next door and we had noticed a taxi outside of it, we we're done wandering we just needed to be safely there. We'll of course when we go back the taxi is gone. The bar staff tries to call us another taxi, but it will be an hour before it can get back there. I have no idea where it could have gone because the area we were in was very small. So small, in fact, that the men at the bar knew we must have been going to the hostel, because there is only one hostel, and luckily they were able to give us good waking instructions this time. We finally made it there at almost 1AM, only to find that they don't have 24-hour reception, they stopped checking people in at 9. Great. But they knew we would turn up, so instead of having someone wait up for us, they taped our keys and hostel info to the door. Not the best system, but it worked nonetheless. We of course felt like bulls in a china shop trying to put our stuff down with everyone asleep. No one seemed to notice too badly though because they never said anything.
We took our time in the morning to get ready to make sure we were ready for the day. It was a heavy day, we visited Dachau Concentration Camp. We got some good directions and information from a girl in our hostel (who looked scarily similar to a girl we met at our hostel in Switzerland, but it wasn't the same girl). We took a series of trains and then a bus. It was quite the sombering event. I could handle the pictures and video clips and walkthroughs of the living quarters, but when we got to the crematorium and gas chambers, that's when I lost it. Although they state there is no evidence they used the gas chambers for mass executions, there were still rooms in that building that were seemingly empty, then you read the description that states "this is the room where they piled the dead bodies 3000 at a time while awaiting cremation" and it's just like, holy lord I can not believe where I am right now. But yeah enough of that sad stuff I don't want to continue to think about that, I am very humbled because of the experience and have so much more appreciation for what happened. We headed back to the city center, and in complete contrast with the mood of the morning, participated in a Beer Challenge in the evening. It was kind of like a tour mixed with a pub crawl? We started at the train station with a beer, while walking to the first bar. We visited 5 places total, bars, beirgartens, etc with a beer at each place. It was a ton of fun and we met a lot of really cool people very similar to us, traveling around to similar locations. I don't really like beer, at all, so I was basically just along for the ride, sipping here and there, but a few of our friends had more than enough beer for all of us (I take partial blame since I gave all my beers away). After the last bar, a large part of the group decided they wanted to go out to a club, so we got directions and headed on our way. Well, we got there at like 1AM and it was already closed, which seemed very strange. Since our hostel wasn't in the city center, Megan and I couldn't stay out all night and just walk home like the rest of them, and the last train for us was at 1:39. So we bid our friends adieu as they ventured off to find another club, and we headed to the train station. Well, one particular friend we met had a bit too much beer, so we got him on his way home, then headed home. We got back late again, I'm sure disturbing people again, but oh well they're okay.
We finally made our way into the city center of Munich oh our last day there. We had to check out of our hostels d make our way to the main station to store our bags in a locker so we didn't have to carry then around all day. We then did the Sandeman's tour, which was super great. I feel like we saw all there is to see and then some, including the #2 most overrated tourist attraction in the world, the Glockenspiel. We met a bunch of cool people from America, and after the tour a few of us went to a Biergarten (I had wine, typical) and then wandered around Munich to see all there is to see. The guys we were with were really cool, and one of them wanted to get a pair of Birkenstocks!! How cool is that right?!we were instant best friends. I mayor may not have got another pair. How could I not?? They're made in Germany and thus indexed a pair from the original! Plus they're way cheaper over there. Anyway, we wandered around parts of the city we hadn't seen yet, went shopping, and went to this little place, it's like a river where they added an artificial groove, so people can surf in the creek! The guys wanted to do it but there was no place near by to rent boards, so we just got ice cream and watched the super legit surfers do their thing. A lot of them reminded me a lot of Uncle Paul, in their confidence and stature and awesome surfing abilities. Before we knew it, it was 6:00, and time for the guys to go do the Beer Challenge themselves. We went our separate ways and Megan and I continued to explore and see what else we could find. We ended up in a more neighborhood area, less touristy, and shopped around. Then we headed back to the main area to grab some dinner and our last bit of German beer before boarding our night train. They made these things they called rattlers which is half lemonade half beer, and I was able to drink the whole thing and not just a sip so I consider that an accomplishment. Our train left at 11:40 PM and we will arrive in Dubrovnik at about 10:30 with only one change. We accidentally got in the wrong car at first. Luckily they checked tickets and told us we were in the wrong car because shortly after the train split a bunch of different ways and we would have ended up in Austria! We want to make it there but not quite yet. Aside from that, revert thing should be going smoothly.
I absolutely can't wait for all the adventure that lies waiting in Croatia!! I can only hope it exceeds my every expectation and then some.