I am Write!

The trip to Munich started with plans to go around Germany over a weekend, when we saw IC (intercity trains) taking mere 5 hrs to get from Magdeburg to Munich, and similar times on other routes. A detailed look in disclosed that happy weekend passes aren't valid on IC/ICE but on slow IRE, REs (interegio express, regional express) running at a crawling speed and taking more than 9 hours to get us to Munich or München, as it's called in these parts.

After boarding the 23:11 train to Leipzig, with plans to change onto a 3:35 train to Zwickau, to Hof, to Regensburg, and finally to München, we didn't know about the football frenzy we were entering into. Into Leipzig, we had dinner in MacDonalds, which doesnt serve anything veg. Sitting there, we heard a loud noice of cheering at about 2:30 in the night, and investigating it went Onkar and I. We saw about 30-35 football fans dressed in Blue. Later on we were to realise that they belonged to Lokomotive Leipzig. Drunk, loud, and happy were the only words that could describe this lot. Later on into the journey, we were joined by Yellow Dortmund Fans, and the rivarly began to show. With small fights over seats and using the WC, to loud cheering and thumping of chests to show their might. All this was accompanied with beer, more beer, and even more beer :) The Leipzig fans deserted us at Hof Hbf, taking a train to Nürnbürg, probably a match over there. As we closed in on München, we were to be joined by red FC Bayern München fans.

On having a 'friendly' chat with a hulk of a FC Bayern München fan, we were to be informed that the last match of the Bundes Liga, or German League was to take place in Munich Football stadium between Borussia Dortmund and home team FC Bayern München. Sumedh Onkar and I decided to hurry to the stadium to get a chance to see the match, and viola!!! Weren't we taken aback by the scenes we saw. It was a party time all along the route from Marienplatz, to the stadium station (we took U6 to get there) and then the short 1 km walk from the train platform to the Allianz Football Stadium.




Running to the ticket centre, we realised what football meant to these people here. It IS RELIGION. People from the age of 6 to 60 were there doing exactly the same thing! Nothing gets so many Germans on a common platform as football does. Barbeques, dancing, open air bands, and what not! And then the people putting up boards saying "Süche karten", or "Süche ticket" meaning "do u have a ticket?".


A run to the ticket office, made us realise that getting tickets wont be an easy task. After a lot of getting pushed, and pushing, we got 3 standing tickets for 20€. Once into the stadium, we were taken aback by the grandness. Alas! We had to check in our bags, and we by mistake checked in our cameras too :((

The match started with all the hip and happy crowd singing the team anthems, and then the teams marching out. Goals from Makaay, Bastian, Ballack and from 3 Dortmund players made sure the game was amazing! At 1:1 half time break, we learnt that FC Bayern München had already won the BundesLiga, and would be arriving at the Marienplatz square for a victory speech, and a party there after! As soon as the match got over (end score 3:3) we rushed to the station, to catch the next tube back to Marienplatz! The huge square, in front of the New TownHall was filled with red and white, with people chanting the Bayern München anthem, and what not, but in German :P We were to be see people drinking beer off 1 L beer-mugs (Onkar and I, picked 2 as souvenirs :D:D).




With a wait from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, the team was to arrive at 7, we saw, listened and joined the singing and merry fans in the chanting of "wir sind die meister, die meister, die meister von bundes liga, viva la Bavaria" (we are the champions, the champions, the champions of the Bundes Liga) :) At about 8 PM the team finally arrived, and they had the trophy and a feet tall beer glass in each hand. The team manager then annonched loads of things, but all we gathered was that there was going to be a party soon after, with 7000 Litres of FREE BEER. WOW!! is all that the three of us gasped! Not having had anything since morning, we just joined the crowd moving towards a place, and soon joined the team and the fans in the party at Marienplatz. Dancing, chanting, and meeting Germans who knew no english was all that we did!! The party beginning at 9 went on till 3 in the night, when the beer ran out! At about 4 everyone, drunk how much ever, began to fill the streets, still shouting out slogans, like "We are the champions" and making fun of everyone who was in yellow or blue or what not! It sure did help us with me putting on the German WC jersey, as they considered us as one of their own! :):P

To confirm the story, here are loads of videos...

We made it to the Hbf (main station) at about 6, and slept till 10. Then we did what every tourist does, go through the town and take pictures of churches and museums. All we did were rush through 2 churches, see a wedding, and then decide that we need to come back to this happenning place once more in this 10 week internship :) So, München, we shall come again!!






We caught the 2.45 PM train to Leipzig. On the train, another Indian (a punjabi... as he told us later) joined in. It was for us to later realise, that actually he was interested in Sumedh, for he called Sumedh near him, and then on a pretext that the female behind Sumedh was feeling uncomfortable because of Sumedh's body odour, the punju touched Sumedh's belly, made him wear a deo, that Onkar and I pledge was feminish!!! ;);) People in Europe dread of getting hit upon by a European or worse, a Niger gay, our own Sumedh Randi was hit by a Indian Gay in Europe :)):))

We ran and changed a bogie, and for the rest of the journey were safe and sound that no one was there to trouble us :)

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Videos Listing

Us @ Marienplatz with the fans around us!

Fans 1 Fans 2
Fans 3 Fans 4
Fans 5 Fans 6 Fans 7

Bayern Munich Team 1 Bayern Munich Team 2
Bayern Munich Team 3 Bayern Munich Team 4

Video with Beer Mug in hand!

Wedding Video 1
Wedding Video 2
Wedding Video 3