Ride the Lightning | Day 3

Good morning Munich! Luckily enough I was able to sleep most of the night and woke up feeling a bit refreshed. I think the roughest part of travel is navigating all the time changes. Some work in your favor and some just kick your ass. From Hawaii to Munich it is 12 hours time difference. In some aspects its not the hardest one to adjust to. Was up a little early but then again did go to sleep at like 7pm. Check out time was noon but I figure head down and get some breakfast at the hotel and then take stock of where we were at. The breakfast room and buffet was great. They had most everything you could think of for breakfast including a ton of meat treats. Eggs and bacon is a staple and had to get a croissant or two. The restaurant wasn’t to crowded when I got there but it slowly filled in. People seemed to be from all over and some appeared to be there for a conference or meeting of some time. People chatted in all different languages even at their own tables. A side door was left open and from under the table walked this grey larger cat up to me. The table next door was fascinated and it certainly was hoping to get in on the buffet action. I’m not a cat person so I wasn’t as open to the cat, which it must have figured out, and continued on to a different table. The gig was up relatively quickly as a waitress came to escort the cat out, which wasn’t easy. Someone had asked and the waitress replied that the cat lived just across the street and has a nack for coming in and out of the restaurant. Breakfast was good and something for sure needed after a lot of airplane food. I wandered back to the room and decided to pack and make my way to the next hotel.

The Uber driver arrived and helped me with my bags. He was from Iran but had been living in Munich for 20 years. He mentioned that his son had moved to the states and was studying in Sacramento. Germany is so incredibly different than Hawaii. The are that the first hotel in was carved out of trees and green fields. It had a much more rural feel to it than city. It was about a 25 minute drive from one hotel to the other. We passed the Allianz Stadium, which was home to one of the sites for the 2006 World Cup. I had been to Munich before with a friend and his family. We had road tripped from their home in Italy through the alps and wound up in Munich for a World Cup match in 2006. The stadium is really cool and kind of looks like it is bubble wrapped. At night there are lights within it so it can change colors and have any type of color gradient you want. We arrived at the hotel which had a really lovely circle drive. Check in was no problem and I found my way to my room. Most of the rooms online appear to be extremely small but the last two were relatively decent size. I am sure before to long I will run in to a few of those rooms that are smaller than most. I didn’t want to to lose focus so I gathered my backpack and set off to explore the Old Town of Munich.

The metro is just down the street from the hotel which is incredibly convenient. The metro luckily enough has both German and English so was easy to get my metro pass. With tech being the way it is Apple Maps told me which direction to take the train, how many stops to ride, which train to transfer to, and which stop to get off at. Even with all that tech I still managed to miss my stop haha! The metro was marginally crowded but the quality of it puts anything in America to shame. All ages rode the metro and it was spotless. No graffiti, no damaged seats, just people taking care of their public transit. Once I was “back on track” I arrived at Marienplats. Exiting the metro you are within a giant square. Tons of people walking in every direction and shops everywhere you look. High end shopping seems to be the number one thing places put in their tourist areas. I understand it but kind of stinks to show up and see a Chanel or Gucci store in my opinion. Never the less people love their shopping. I checked the map and headed to the Frauenkirche. The cathedral is incredibly impressive. Due to building height restrictions the church towers can be seen from all around the area. The church is free to walk in to and when you enter you can help but notice the incredibly high ceilings along with a large hanging cross with Jesus on it. There are rows and rows of pews which people are free to sit at. On all sides there are historical artifacts and religious depictions. High above the floor sit sets of organs which play from time to time. There is a small area where people are able to light candles and pray for loved ones. For a small fee, which I did’t do but might tomorrow, you can walk up one of the towers. There is a little catacomb room in the back that has priest robes, chalices, and staffs. It is something to see if you are in Munich.

Exiting the church I thought to make my way to the famed Hofbrauhaus. It wasn’t all that far away and as I started in that direction the clock struck noon and church bells could be heard. Along with the ringing of the bells there were tunes being played from the towers in front of me. There were a ton of people standing and looking up in the plaza in front of me. Marienplatz it home to the New Town Hall. The Hall South tower stands 279 feet tall and is made of brick and shell limestone. At the top of the tower is the fifth largest carillon in Europe. It first rang out in 1908. The 43 bells of the mechanical clock play four different melodies one after the other, to which a total of 32 figures represent the Schäffler dance and a knight’s tournament at the wedding of the Bavarian Duke William V and Renata of Lorraine in 1568. The melodies are changed over the course of the year. Six different combinations of four songs each are used. In the bay windows of the seventh tower floor, a Munich night watchman appears , blowing his horn, as well as an angel blessing the Munich Child. I listened to the different melodies for a bit and then carried on.

I wandered up and down the streets and came to the famed Hofbrauhaus. It was commissioned in 1589 to be a brewery to supply the Wittelsbach Court and its servants. Beer was being imported and was to expensive so they did what everyone would do and built their own haha. You enter and are greeted with music playing, people laughing, and glasses clanking. It is a brewery after all. There are large wooden tables lined up on either side of the aisle and at the end sits a german band. Waitresses dressed in Dirndls carry 1ltr (33oz) beers by the handful. It is a crazy cool places. I sat down and of course was going to get a 33oz beer haha. I had the Hofbrauhaus Original lager. It went down oh so smooth. I couple sat across from me and they ordered the smaller beer but unfortunately didn’t speak english. You certainly feel like a man on a island when you can’t speak the native language of wherever you are. Most people speak a little English but also everyone assumes you are from Germany so they just start talking to you in German. The music played and the beer and bratwurst came coming out in droves. I paid my tab, which they are incredibly trusting by the way. Whenever you are finished you walk to their register and tell them what you had and they will ring you up. With how many people are in there it would be next to impossible to see someone just slip out without paying.

After closing out I headed back toward the metro station. I reached the New Town Hall square and thought to look at the lunch menu of the restaurant in front of the South Tower. The gentleman who was working there deserves a raise cuz he persuaded me to have a seat with little effort. He hooked me up with an unobstructed view of the tower. Of course a beer was to be had haha. I watched all the people walk back and forth and certainly there were a lot of Metallica shirts. I ordered the Bratwurst and fries and enjoyed my lunch. It was incredibly pleasant to sit out and just look at the architecture. It has a completely different vibe than anything in the states. Lunch was over and time to head back for a rest before the concert.

Upon nap completion, it was said that people should get to the venue early as there would be a second barricade in place due to licensing. Also, I needed to collect my pass. Taking the metro to the stadium was super easy. Was 2 stops then a transfer and then 4 stops and was there. The trains were SLAMMED with people as you would imagine. Everyone was excited and couldn’t wait to get there. The train left you about a 10 or so minute walk from the actual stadium. The Olympic park is huge and was used as an airfield. After WWII the area was fallow and even used as a rubble dump for bomb debris. It was then bided as a site for the 1972 Olympic Games. The property has an aquatic center, communication tower that holds a restaurant on top, a stadium, ice center, lake, and more. I found the “I Disappear” tent and was able to secure my pass without hiccup. When you reach the gate the stadium is sunken down below. The architecture is insane. It has tent like canopies on either side that are supported by Mad Max like towers. It all looks really industrial and mechanical. As advertised there was a secondary barricade and I thought, damn my luck I wasn’t there early enough! However, with the ticket I own I was granted access to the smaller section that was around the stage. Like the US shows there was plenty of standing room and wasn’t crammed in there.

A few minutes after I found a spot Mammoth started playing. Wolfie Van Halen, son of Eddie Van Halen, is the front man and boy can that guy play the guitar. They had a great set and the fans seemed to enjoy them. There is no surprise that it is hard for most any band to play before Metallica. Up next was the Architects. I hadn’t heard of them before but gotta say they were pretty awesome. More on the screamo side of things but a ton of heavy breakdown which was killer. Their set lasted about an hour. The lead singer really wanted to see some mosh pits and jumping around but Metallica fans are getting older and most had no time for that haha. There was the normal hour or so wait in between the Architects and Metallica. At first I was amped that I didnt bring a hoodie but as the sun went down it started to get a bit chillier. During the day it had been high 60’s but was for sure getting to the lower part of that. Metallica started and per the norm people went nuts. For myself that man on an island feeling was there just being by myself and not speaking the language. Everyone else had their conversations with people they came with and others. When the music starts however everyone knows the words to the songs and it brings everyone closer together. So far it was the same and as awesome as other shows I had been to. Then, a drop of rain.

About half way through the set a rain drop could be felt. Then another, and another. If you thought I brought a poncho or a rain jacket you are dead ass wrong lol. The sprinkle or two turned in to a light drizzle and before to long full on rain. Between songs flashes of light could be seen behind the stadium. People all made the “ooo” noise. The band however had no quite in them. They continued to play like nothing was happening. Not long after bolts of lightning we crashing all around the stadium. The rain turned to a driving storm. The crack of lightning and immediate thunder could be heard all around and yet we play on! By now everyone was soaked. The temperature had dropped to high 50’s and the wind was up. But does the metal stop? NAY!!! No one left the arena even with the storm overhead. It was a crazy experience and a new one for me. As the last song started, “Master of Puppets,” I decided to start making my way toward the exit. With the metro as my ride home I figure I might get a jump on all of the people. Beyond the second barricade a mosh pit had formed and people were bouncing off of each other in the puddles that had formed. I shot some video on the way out and as I turned there was a German fellow in a poncho just yelling out the lyrics and then a giant bolt of lightning cracked above his head. It was insane to capture all of that energy on video! There was a river of water coming down the stairs and a few people had started to make their way to the exit. As I reached the top was fully exposed to the wind and the rain. There was some shelter amongst the people from that but once out of that you were exposed. People were huddled under whatever roof they could find. I figure just press on. Im already soaking wet and cold so no need to drag that out. Things always look a bit different in the dark but was able to find my way back to the path that led to the metro. As we all walked lightning kept striking and the rain continued to pour. Once at the metro surely the crowd was insane. All of these people trying to get down the stairs to the platform. A lady was standing on one of the pillars giving some kind of instructions but she was speaking German so no chance of understanding. It took about 20 minutes to finally reach the platform all while trying to figure out which direction train I needed to board. Found the right one and we all crammed in. The train was packed to the gills and with each stop patrons on those platforms just shrugged their shoulders when they saw the amount of people on board. Was able to navigate the train change and arrived at my home stop. By the time I reached the street the rain had stopped but distant thunder could still be heard. I walked briskly back to the hotel and finally made it to my room. A hot shower was certainly welcomed and also the hope of not getting sick.

What an insane first stop, and show. Truly a first time experience. Will look to rally tomorrow but the weather forecast shows rain. Im hoping I can avoid getting sick but if the weather is not as awesome tomorrow a day in bed certainly wouldn’t hurt. AVITA ZEIN!