Dusseldorf, Part I

Where to begin...

This weekend we were in Dusseldorf with the Musikzug HIrschau for their Karneval festivities. The Musikzug has been going there now for 33 years, and Markus has been going since 1991, so it was about time for me to go. Well, I couldn't partake in the drinking activities, but that was just fine with me. They have this "special" beer there called "Altbier" and seriously, it smells like dirty socks, so no thanks. I stuck with water and Apfelschorle (apple juice mixed with sparkeling water).

So we left at about 1pm Saturday and made it up there at about 7. It was pretty nice, the area where we stayed. It was at the corner of Koelnerstrasse and Schuetzenstrasse. And if you wanted to walk to the city, it took about 25 minutes. Not too bad. So, we get in and unload the bus (there are about 55 people there all together). We didn't stay in a hotel or anything. It was more like a youth center for a church, which is exactly what it was.

We got in, set up our beds...these awful "feldbetten", they're cots, but pretty unconfortable. By this time it is close to 8 and I'm pretty hungry. All that there was to eat was cold wurst and bread. I'm a pretty picky eater right now and there are some things that I just can't handle...two of those being cold wurst and bread. I just had to stomach it. And I did :).

After everyone was settled and got some cold wurst and bread, everyone dressed up. I didn't really have a costume, but I did have this hamburger hat that we bought the day before at Mueller. So, that was my costume. A hamburger hat. I know, I know. In the future, I need to be a lot more creative! But forgive me just a little as I was feeling like absolute poo in the days leading up to us leaving for Dusseldorf. I had these great plans of being a Deviled Egg...I would wear devil horns, and make a fried egg looking thing to wear. Next year.

So, back to the costumes. Everyone dressed up...there were garden gnomes, bees, Hawaiian girls, devils, cowboys, Markus was a pirate, and my favorite costume was from these 5 guys. They were each wearing a Staubanzug (a white full body suit to protect from dust?). What they did was they colored each one a different color and wrote on the back what they were. One was the bottom bun, another ketchup, another mustard, another meat, and the last one was the top bun. Together they were a hamburger. It was pretty clever.

The costume contest (of which I was a judge) lasted for about 2 hours, and then after that I was starving and on the verge of puking I was so hungry. So, a big group of us went out and the closest thing was a McDonalds. So, we went there. I had every intention of going out with them after that, but I was just too pooped and not feeling too good (duh, McDonalds!), so Markus did the gentelmanly thing and walked me back to where we were staying. I passed out and was so tired, I didn't hear the others come home at 2am. However, I did hear this one guy at 5:45am, but that is because he sounded like a freaking chainsaw!

On Sunday, there was a lot to do, and luckily, the pukey feeling was gone. We got up at about 8, had to be ready to leave by 9:45 since there was a parade that the Musikzug had to march in that started at 11:11am. Everyone was "fit" or, really, as fit as they could be after a night of drinking. It was a lot of fun. I got to march with them and help out as well. I would run water, lemonade and beer to the musicians between songs. It was about 6 kilometers long, but there was also a lot of stopping. So, it wasn't too streneous.

After the parade, I was absolutely starving, so I ran as fast as I could to the bratwurst stand and got a huge bratwurst and semmel with curry ketchup. It was heaven! All of the musicians got a ticket to get a free one, and I would have too, but I was too impatient and starving. After the long march, we went back to the place we were staying and took a nap. The musikzug had to play a bit later at a church in the city center, so we had about 2 hours to relax.

More to come later...it's time now to relax some more :)