Willkommen Oktoberfest!

We needed no persuading to attend, knowing – from past experience – that the food would be very good, the entertainment interesting and amusing. So, promptly at the unusual hour of 6 pm on Tuesday, October 22, we reported, as it were, for duty. However, with only the media present (it seems Bombay Dreams in the ballroom attracted the most local “customers” that night) Stacy Perez welcomed those present to Oktoberfest, 2013.

Oktoberfest is the world’s largest fair held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The origin of this “fest” dates back to celebrations for the wedding of King Ludwig I of Bavaria and Princess Therese, on October 10, 1810 when all the citizens of Munich were invited to attend the “al fresco” festivities.

Speaking at the opening of the festival Perez invited all to, “Join in the celebrations without the long flight (to Munich itself)... with a scrumptious buffet prepared by Speciality Chef Rolf Jung and our Executive Chef Umesh Meena and his team.” She ended by thanking Carib Brewery Ltd, the sponsors of the festival. Come 7.15 pm, or thereabouts, hotel guests were taking tables in the Pool Terrace restaurant in ones and twos, and for the media it was time to tuck in to the feast.

As in previous Oktoberfests at the Hilton, one of the lederhosen-clad members of the Werdenfels-Quintett climbed on a beer barrel to dance Bavarian style, slapping thighs and raising knees, to whoops from (if memory serves) the rest of the Quintett. After a brief pause, he returned for some spoon-bashing (as it is known in the UK) by holding two spoons, their bowls facing each other, between the fingers of one hand to produce rhythms for the performer to dance to – sort of like being his own orchestra.

Finally on the entertainment menu, came that same member of the Quintett standing on a chair to play the Alpenhorn that he said was very easy to play, or blow, and invited guests to try it for themselves. Denise Broce, a hotel guest from Panama, took up the challenge and played a few musical notes. Another guest, a young man, wasn’t so musical, however, so maybe it wasn’t as easy as it seemed to call from one Alp to another across the alpine valleys to call the cattle home.

Oktoberfest festivities at the Hilton continue until today. I thank the Hilton for inviting me to cover the opening of Oktoberfest, hoping that, if God spare life, they’ll invite me again come Oktoberfest 2014.