The Genealogy of Sea Sickness

Today I learned a lot of things. That the bottom a a whale's tale is like a fingerprint. Never the same, and that seasickness is a gene, and it looked like it got passed down to me. What are you asking me? I can't hear you from half way across the world. What? Ok..ok.. I'll explain it to you. 

Today we started off with a 3 hour whale watchers boat tour. It was absolutely amazing. Whales were coming in and out of the water, and water coming out of the blowholes.  For the first 1:30 minutes it was absolutely stupendous, but then I learned the 2nd thing. I made the fateful decision to go look on the top deck. I was up there for less than a minute, and I got seasick. I ended up throwing up and feeding the fishes. I then just laid down and moaned. It felt horrible. After the ride, I got on the sand, picked it up, stared at it like it was god or the meaning in life, then threw it up in the air and played around in it

Like it was the best thing ever. I bent down and kissed the ground I was so happy. 

After, I ate my body weight/weight of puke in food, we went on a hippo tour. It was on a river, so I was fine. It was actually nice, and we saw something that you don't see, we saw a wild leopard. It was amazing. Absolutely stunning. 

After we came back and ate, now I'm sitting by the fire and blogging to you about the The Genealogy of Sea Sickness.

Blllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeecccccccccchhhhhhhhhh 

(Puke)

Benny

Driving The Zulu Rhino's

Today was driving and watching. First, we drove, and I watched movies. Very detailed start, isn't it? I bet you're wondering what movies I'm watching. I've watched Fast and Furious (1 &5), Die Hard, Die Harder, Die Hard With a Vengeance, and Die Hard 4.0. Very good movies. We also saw 2 big black rhinos moving across the street. It was amazing because its not likely were going to be that close again. 

Anyway..... We went to a place called Hluhluwe (pronounced: Who Knows?!?!). It's very pretty. So after driving we came and ate lunch. This is our first time going to a not self catering hotel. The food is actually good. We then went on to a Zulu village where we saw how Zulus lived a long time ago, and we drank Zulu beer (which in my case tastes better that regular beer...... Not that I've drank any..........), and saw a Zulu dance. Now, I've just topped off my desert of ice cream and I'm sitting on a bench, under the stars, blogging to your from half way around the world. 

Hamba Gathle

(Zulu)

Benny

The Walk to the Giraffes

I will tell this story as a Chinese restaurant owner; hopefully i wont offend anyone.  Add accents wherever and whenever.  Sorry. No connection to wifi. No able to blog. You want sweet an sour sauce with that? Yesterday. All driving, and driving and no miso soup.   We ate at Spur, Texas style in Dundee.  We are staying at this national park called Ithala.  It is in the hills and we can walk here because there are no lions.

 Today: wake up and eat, but not egg rolls. Then, go meet private guide, Jeremiah, but he did not have a good name like yours truly, Mr. Wong . Next, drive to hike and hike for 3 hours, but hike no end in Chinese restaurant, that be better. See vilderbeast (English: wilder beast), Impala, Reebok, Wort Hogs, and James II. James 1, scary little kid that follow around Ben for 4 days. James II followed where ever went people.   James II is a single male blue vilderbeast that followed us on our hike.  jeremiah said wilderbeast love to watch people and are very curious.  james II STAYED about 500 meters in front of us and then would turn around and watch us.  He would hide behind bush and stick his head out to spy on us.  We named him James II after the other little stalker boy.

After. They eat. But not good, because not from "Mr. Wong's Chinese Emporium."  We now bring health and food grade up to F-!!" After. Go on game drive and see Giraffes, Zebras, and all other animals named before, and half of them on sale at Mr. Wong's Chinese Emporium!! They very good with duck sauce and Chop Sueey. After they take lot of pictures, they go eat food, but not my famous Fried Rice. After they chill. Now they blog.

Your Fortune Cookie
Bring Laughter and Farts (I'm looking at you Grandpa Michael)
Lucky Words: Ben is Awesome (if you say that in front of me, I might let you live........)

Benny

The Slow Monkey

Today was a nice day. I heard that the weather's bad in Chi-town, but its still good because the Blackhawks won the STANLEY CUP!!!!!!!!!!!! My life has meaning again!!!!! 

So anyway... Today was a good day. The weather was nice, like around 75 degrees, and sunny. We started off with horseback riding, which was fun, but been there, done that. If you are not familiar about what I'm talking about, then read my Utah blogs. It was nice, but I got stuck with the slowest horse in the group. He was slow and hard to get moving, so he kind of reminded me of Grandpa Michael. It was funny, because Sarah's horse's name described her absolutely perfectly. The horse's name was Bin Laden. After, we ate and and sat outside and tried and succeeded in finding monkeys. We were given the choice to go on a 4 hour hike or hang around and play chess and badminton, so I asked myself "What would Grandpa Michael do?" So I decided to stay and chill. We played lawn bowling, and badminton, and went to check out the aviary. We then just came back and ate supper, and if you don't know what 'supper' means, then shame on you for not paying attention to what my dad says.  We're now just chilling in our huge (and for us, too fancy) chalet. 

 See Ya, Y'all

(Taggert)

(Blazing Saddles)

(Watch it)

Benny

the African Fish Monkeys

"What's with the title?" "What kind of title is that?" All good questions, but I'll tell you if you will stop asking questions. I'll start from the beginning. I woke up. What an epic start. We ate breakfast. It's crazy how much adrenaline is in the air. We went and drove to the aviary. We went to see a show. The first falcon wouldn't come back until after the show had ended. After a while came the African Fish Eagle, and when it landed, or came down to land it looked like a airplane. If you call my dad and ask him about it, you'll have to stay there for a while while he told of the greatest story of the trip. After the show, we got to hold the fastest bird in the world, a Peregrine Falcon. After we went home and ate. And after we were chilling, we saw monkeys, which my mom had always wanted to see. I thought 'Why be so excited if she sees monkeys every day when she wakes me up'. After we went to see a very nice waterfall. Overall it was a eventful day. 

By the way, a BIG shout out to Jack for turned 4!!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Ariva Diechi

(Italian)      (I know I've used Italian before, but its like bye and farewell)

Benny

Our Days at Cathedral

Its been a while. I know I didn't blog yesterday, but that's because all we did was driving and driving and driving and picking up our cousins and driving and driving and going shopping for 5 hours and kept driving and driving and then we got to Cathedral Peak then had a Braai (a South African barbecue).  So today.... We woke up. Very exciting start. We then went to eat breakfast in the other Sollinger's house because we put all the food there because they had a bigger kitchen. After we went to go on a group hike to the Bushman Cave Paintings that left at 9:15. You think that if we got there at 9:16, then it would be fine, and that they left late, but folks this is not America. We got there and they had left. We left to try and hurry up. We got there to only find out that this wasn't a trip to the paintings, but a 3 hour hike to something called the Sphinx. It was all because of a 12 year old boy who's been here so many times you couldn't count it on your fingers and toes. There were 2 families. Us and another family. We both wanted to just go to the paintings, and finally convinced the boy to go there. After that, we found a huge chess board and played. Overall I played about 3 games, and got chased down by a knight, run down by a pawn, and tried to be beheaded by a queen. All because Sarah had some anger management issues. After we went into their house and ate lunch. I went in my house and heard that fateful knock. It was 2 kids both under the age of 8. Thanks to mom's thoughts and the things she said, I ended up playing with them and them following me like a shadow. I tried to get away, but failed almost every single time. After playing, we went on a hay ride. Which was fine, but uneventful. After we played more chess, then came back for another Braai. Now, I just finished my food, and I'm just chilling. 

Voetsak

(Afrikaans)               (Google it)

Benny

The 'Magical' Drive

It all started with a short drive to a small town, then the ball got rolling. In to morning, we went to eat breakfast at the restaurant at the lodge. After went to a very small town named Clarens. We got out of the car, and my dad went to go get money from an ATM, but he noticed that he didn't have his wallet. Luckily my mom did, and she also had her ATM card. Dad and Sarah went to the ATM, while me and my mom (sorry English teachers) went to an info center and got a lot of info, and by that I mean a LOT.  She answered every question my mom asked. She had told my mom about this blanket store, owned by 2 old women. She said it was worth the 2 minute drive. We got there, and went looking for blankets but not expecting to buy any. We started to get more invested. My mom had found a small blanket with colors that she said "would go great in the family room". She found a bigger blanket that was "so comfy". She couldn't choose, so we got both. As we were paying, my mom looked at the shawls hanging from the ceiling. She asked if she could try one. Now we own it.  

After our/her shopping spree, we drove to Lesotho. A little country in the middle of SA. We got information from the information lady that said we should go to Lesotho and go to a town called Oxbow. W went through both borders, and got into a city called Botha Bothe. It was amazing. It was pretty much a flea market and a market compiled. There were stores and shacks with items for sale in it everywhere. after that we kept on driving. It took a long time to get there, but we missed it. We kept going and going and going. On and on, until after 3 hours, we started to maybe think that we passed it. Even when the road ended, we still thought that Oxbow was ahead of us. After we FINALLY turned around and headed back, we passed the area where Oxbow should have been, and we all started cracking up because here was a sign that said Oxbow. But it was only facing one way, so on the way there we couldn't have seen it. 

The  information lady said that we should by Maize Meal to give to the people in Lesotho because the poverty was so high. And for all of you who don't know, Maize meal is pretty much Matzo Meal, so keep it away from all dogs. So on the way back we saw a bunch if shacks with people in front of them, so. Pulled over. Now let me tell you. Little backstory. We were told not to give to them directly, but to drop it on the ground, so people wouldn't feel left out. So we pulled over, but the people were already starting to run. Let me tell you, as soon as you pull over for 2 minutes, like 20 people will come out from anywhere and beg for food. So we had to give to them by hand. They were really happy, and so was I, but the one thing that bugged me was that my dad was taking pictures of everybody. It made me mad that he was invading other people's space. At one point he pulled over to take a picture of a kid who was herding cattle and was getting up in his face with his camera. I think that my dad shouldn't be able to do that. Please comment your answers, and please agree with me because as always I am right, and you don't want to be wrong.

Adios Amigos,

Benny

The Animals and Me

I just got home from the 'safari', and it was a blast!!! There were a lot of lions. In one area, the were feeding lions in a closed, smaller habitat. All the lions were just laying around and finishing the bits of horse and cow head, intestines, and everything in between.  They were watching us closely, like we were guinea pigs in a lab or lunch.  One lion in particular was staring at me. I felt so happy, yet freaked out because I had my first stalker. After a while, we went to go see tigers and leopards, but on the way we stopped at a adapting habitat. (This is where they keep the newly received lions until they can find a pride for them to join).  That's were it became very funny.

The new lion was an albino  lion named (insert name here). When my dad was walking up to take pics, the lion pounced at my dad,and although there were 2 electrical fences, my dad jumped and started to run from the animal that was  'chasing him'. Everybody started cracking up. We were joking that the lion didn't want to eat him, but be friends.  It turns out that she was from Johannesburg Zoo and had killed someone, and had gotten shipped off. She jumped at my dad twice.  After we went to the tigers. There was a tiger that in my mind, looked out of a video game. I don't know why, but it just did. His name was Koda. He was amazing. It was awesome. After we saw a leopard that was somewhat fat (she wasn't fat, but she wasn't not fat). It was amazing. Overall we had a lot of fun (except for my dad who got the bejeeberes scared out of him).

Tot Siens

(Afrikaans)

Benny

Day of the living (and quite ugly) Wildebeests

Today....

In theaters everywhere....

The greatest movie of all time!!!!

And I'm here to give you all the spoilers

That day was eventful. They landed after a hard flight that our star (me) couldn't sleep too well. No biggie. After we got out of the airport, they rented a car, it's small, but it can fit all of their luggage (barely). On the way to their next stop, he took a nap in the car, which everybody wouldn't have guessed, because just before he'd complained that he couldn't nap in a car. After his nap, we stopped and he had the greatest moment of the trip, Ben got his Chutney Chips and his Biltong. After his happiness, they went to Lion's Rock, where they are going to stay for 2 nights. It's a sanctuary for animals. They are about to go on a trip around the park with a ranger. On the way in they saw zebras, all kinds of buck, wildebeests, and water buffalo.  That's were the script ends because Ben got to go..

Ciao Ciao

(Italian)

Benny

Our Crazy Adventure

Today was an EVENTFUL day (more like the last 2 days). So I have a lot to write, so I will do it as a story.......

A long time ago (about 2 days ago), a family went of strange adventure,that took time and effort. But then once we got to Granny's, it was all easy. The airport was fine, no long lines (what do you expect at 10:00 at night, a line the size of a wooly mammoth). We flew Lufthansa, and boy, was that some mistake. The pilot was a good of a driver as the ones in front of my mom while she's driving, and thus teaching me how to swear.  It was moving like me in Grease. I was able to get a couple of hours of sleep, but then it got worse. We were about an hour out, when me and Sarah (sorry for all you English teachers. 'Wink, wink' mom. I meant Sarah and I) started to get sick. And not the good kind when you get to miss school with a cold, but we were hurling into bags every 20 minutes. And boy, did our row STINK!!! Finally, we got off the plane and went into Frankfurt, and it was pretty good put aside the nightmares that have happened there. We got ice cream (I'm fine), and walked around. After that we came back to the airport to get on a flight to South Africa. We got there early (shocker) and now I'm in the gate waiting and typing. Lets hope this story ends with a happily ever after and not a bunch of hurl bags.

Shalom Alyechem

(Hebrew)

Benny

P.S.

Grandpa Michael, I can't wait to see your new character.