Bavarians

Bavarians are as unique, original, and proud as people come. Their culture dates back
centuries, and they have preserved it well.

To the casual observer, and especially to an Auslander, some of their traditions
might seem a bit odd. Or antiquated. But, to me, Lederhosen is cool. I can do without
the calf socks. The tradition behind the head gear is fascinating. Slapping your buddy's
butt while you're holding him upside down and he's slapping yours is something I would
require a further study on. Cracking whips in the air in perfect rhythm with accordian
music while standing on a table in a tent full of hundreds of people I could get used
to. And ordering beer en masse, a maas being one litre...each, well, a halbe
pronounced 'holbeh', half a litre, is sufficient.

We were fortunate enough to have been visiting Garmisch-Partenkirchen during a time
when Bavarians were celebrating a real festival of their own. Nothing touristy,
I felt like a complete outsider. But, the tent was huge, the people came night after
night (it went on for over a week), and everything was as authentic and non-schmaltzy
as it gets.

We went on two different nights. The first night we saw a lot of dancing and heard
a lot of traditional Bavarian music played by an excellent orchestra. The second night,
several nights later, we saw whip cracking and weight lifting - both traditions handed
down from the real things people have to do in the difficult lives that these people
live.

It was difficult to take photos in the dim light within the tent. I also had to
keep in mind that I was a guest, interloping on a festival that these folks take very
seriously.