Readers, the 17proofers are counting down to when we leave for Munich for Oktoberfest 2010, drinking fresh German beer right there in the fatherland. So here’s a warning: In about 3 weeks time, our hands will be busy pouring 2 litre mugs of Bavarian brew down our throats, shoveling piles of sauerkraut and grabbing links of sausages to stuff our faces that we may not have time to blog or tweet real-time about our adventures. You can still live vicariously through us – post trip, that is.

But until then, we’ll be posting about our preparations for the original and biggest beerfest in the world! Having booked our air tickets and accommodations, we’re still trying hard to score tent tickets which are fully booked at normal price (about 20 Euros). But black market tickets are aplenty (150 Euro – go figure!). This typically buys your 2 litres of beer, some salad and a plate of meat (sausages, grilled chicken or pork cuts) at a table of 8 or 10. And you get to sit in the tent for usually only 3-4 hours before the the next shift of thirsty revelers kick you out and grabs your seat. It is even rumoured that if your bladder lets you down prematurely and you have to go to the little boys rooms, THERE GOES YOUR SEAT at the table! Merciless!!

So – anybody out there got access to normal tent passes for us poor, desperate sods? If all else fails, we may have to resort to, alas, QUEUING for tickets! We pray it doesn’t come to that!

So while we continue to tap our limited sources for tent reservations, we decided it’s best to beef up on Oktoberfest knowledge so we can be prepared for the economic-raising, employment-lifting mayhem that is to come. The following article we found provides  some easy-to-digest (again no pun intended) nuggets of Oktoberfest trivia. The one we love is where people lose their crutches at the event. Makes sense, cos after so much beer, we’ll all be crawling back to our homes and hotels right? How to walk?

Oktoberfest 2009 in facts, Oktoberfest 2009 party

Oktoberfest 2008 from Munich and Bavaria is the world’s biggest popular celebration and is as usually overcrowded. The liter beer costs 8,3 Euro at Oktoberfest 2008. Some of the foreigners coming to Oktoberfest 2008 are happy about it (French and Italians), some not (Aussies), depending of the beer price in their country.

Nevertheless, they come every year, tasting the beer and the delicious Wuerstchen! Everybody is celebrating, only in the Carnival of Rio you can find a similar atmosphere.

Oktoberfest has a respectable tradition, one hundred years. It is a good occasion for the Germans to wear their traditional suits, Dirndl for the women ( very sexy) and Lederhose for the man. The beer flows to Oktoberfest 2008, it is an unforgettable show. People drink, make parties and take a rest, in order to start next day from zero again.

Oktoberfest 2008 with its tents is legendary, hurry up to catch the Oktoberfest 2008. Millions of visitors and liters of beer are waiting for you to Oktoberfest 2008. Join the party.

Average stats for Oktoberfest

Area: 103.79 acres (0.42 km²)

Seats in the festival halls: ca. 100,000

Visitors: ~ 6.2 million

Beer: appr. 6,940,600 liters (126,900 liters non-alcoholic)

Wine: 79,624 liters

Sparkling wine: 32,047 liters

Coffee, tea: 222,725 liters

Water, lemonade: 909,765 ½ liters

Chicken: 521,872 units

Pork sausages: 142,253 pairs

Fish: 38,650 kg

Pork knuckles: 58,446 units

Oxen: 104 units,

Expenditure of electricity: 2.8 million kWh (as much as 14% of Munich’s daily need or as much as a four person family will need in 52 years and 4 months)

Expenditure of gas: about 205,000 m³

Expenditure of water: about 90,000 m³ (as much as 27% of Munich’s daily need )

Waste: 678 t (2004)

Toilets: about 980 seated, more than 878 meters of urinals and 17 for disabled persons

Telephones: 83, also for international credit cards

Lost property: about 4000 items, among them 260 pairs of glasses, 200 mobile phones, wedding rings, and even crutches.

via Oktoberfest 2009 in facts, Oktoberfest 2009 party.