7/24/14 colmar, Bresirach and "we didn't start the fire"

"And Action"

 Colmar, France is where our story begins. A cute little town is where Sarah and her family will be found. We walked around this cute town with stores and things.  We just looked. We went back to the boat and we sat down and relaxed for about 2 minutes then we went on a bike ride. Nothing hard just something simple. 

The real excitement came during dinner. Do u know what smoke smells like? Well, now I know. We were eating dinner and we went into a lock(look it up) and we wanted to see the boat in the lock so we went outside on the deck and we were watching the lock when our cleaning lady came out running coughing like crazing. Then another cleaning lady asked us to go back to the restaurant and she was like walk faster faster. We sat down and asked the waiter what was going on and he said he had no idea.  we said well something is going on so he went to go look. He came back and we asked him what was going on he said in a hurried voice nothing u should worry about every thing is good. Then 2 minutes later we hear the caption over the loud speaker " this is your captian speaking listen carefully there was a fire in the 200 corridor (our room was in the 200 corridor. In the sauna  it is put out but the fire department still has to come on board and check. Nobody is at this time is allowed in the 200 corridor." So the boat just pulled over and the local fire department came on. Then we hear the captain  "the fire crew has given us the ok to sail but nobody is allowed in the 200 corridor because the carbon monoxide level is to high. So do not go down to the 200 corridor until we give u the ok." We go to see what happened to the cleaning lady and they said that the ambulance people took care of her. We asked later that night why she was in the area for so long. She said there were so many kids on that floor that she went through  all the rooms making sure that there were no kids in the rooms. When we were funnily allowed back in our room it smelled so bad you have no idea (it smelled like a lot of smoke). We tried every thing but it smelled. The people said our room was one of the worst so we moved for the night to one of the crew people's room and they slept somewhere else but others people did that too. Hillary's room was fine.  All good in the end and very little damage.  

Vondelpark

"And Action"

So, today me and the crew went to Vondelpark.   It was one of the prettiest parks I have ever seen. It also had one of the best playgrounds EVER!  It was like an obstacle course and my mom and my aunt came and chased me and max.  It was hard to find because it was hidden in the trees.  it was the best thing ever. Then we went to the boat it was kind of a long drive. Then we got on the boat and then we started sailing but we are going so slow that I don't have to worry about being sea sick. We are now sitting listening to a long BORING speech by this lady. Then we are going to eat dinner I think this place is expecting us to dress fancier than we packed.

"And Cut" 

I miss you all that I know

Squiggles

24,000 steps in Strausberg, France

"And Action" 

Today we went to Strasbourg  and we walked to the old city. In the city we walked around it was very pretty. The city used to have walls and a mote going around It it was so the town (that used to probably have a castle in it) was protected from enemies. On the way we saw a very interesting cathedral. Yesterday the cathedral we went to was built in the style of Romanesque and today we went to a cathedral that was gothic. In gothic the stained glass windows ore much larger and they are more intricate. In Romanesque there where frescos. Frescos are a type of painting. In the cathedral today during world war 2 they took all the windows and paintings and anything important or valuable out and put them in salt mines. 

Then we walked to La Petit France and we ate lunch on the bank of the canal. We had bread and pesto for lunch that is my favorite thing to do for lunch #picnic. We went to a little store that was probably my moms favorite store. It had old boxes with cool designs on the front and turned them into tea boxes. I got this cute little box like a money box.

Then we came back and we sat for an hour and then we got bikes from the ship just me and my mom and we rode around town. Then we ate 3 hour dinner and now I am writing to u .

"And cut. That's a rap"

Squiggles

Speyer and Heidelberg

"And Action"

Spyer

In speyer, we went to a very old cathedral that was very beautiful. During  the succession this cathedral caught fire. So they rebuilt some of it. And a lot of the paintings got burnt or thrown away but a few were saved and they were very intricate and beautiful. Then we went into this room and it had relics in it if you don't know a a relic is then look it up. It is where  they save artifacts from old important dead people in the catholic religion. There was a head. Covered in gold something and there was a bone that was not covered and it was sooooooo gross.

Then we went to a Mikvah u are probably thinking what the heck it a Mikvah. Well I will tell u it is Jewish tradition that not every body does. it is for women. It is a bath that is filled with natural water and women would go in to the bath to purify them selfs.

In Heidelberg 

I have been kind of busy so the few blogs I do now will be packed with information.

Today we went to an ancient castle  it was very interesting.

So it was an old castle . It had something like a jail cell and there was no stairs or anything you went down with a rope. Then there was the kings hall (all of this is ruins it is not full) we didn't actually get to go in but it looked interesting. Then we saw the royal library. We also saw the apartments where prince William the first lived in (when he was 17).

 The cell,the kings hall ,  the library, and the apartments were in the same building.

The. We took a short bus ride to an old town in side Heidelberg. We walked around for about 2 hours. Then we got back on the bus took the hour bus ride back and the we ate dinner and now I am blogging.

"And cut. That's a rap"

Squiggles

Boppard

"And Action" 

 Sorry I haven't blogged in a while it has been kind of busy lately I tried blogging a few days ago but it got deleted on ascendent. 

So yesterday we went rock climbing it was sooooooooooo much fun!!!

So I thought I was going to be just like you have a rope attached to u and u climb     Strait up but we did no such thing. My mom told me it was going to more like a hike with some climbing parts we were both proven wrong. We show up put on our(very uncomfortable) harnesses . Then we started walking up the mountain. Then we got to this metal thing. It was what we were climbing on. It was all kinds of things there where ladders,ladders built into the rock,and these lines of metal that stuck out of the rock we were supposed to walk on. But once we got to the top the view was breath taking it was just amazing. I think that that experience was  by far one of the best things I have ever done!!! 

Today was not a busy day we walked around town then we went to a wine farm. But this morning we sat on the top deck and watched all the castles go by it was beautiful but it was also cold. Then I am going to go to dinner and then bed. If I have not mentioned it dinner takes 4 hours.

"And cut. That's a rap"

Squiggles

Wake me up when it's all over

"And Action. Cue the alarm"

It all started at 12:00 am. "Sarah wake up wake up we have to go down stairs for breakfast"!! What the heck, mom!   it's 12:00 am. Go back to sleep! 

My mom's phone kept switching from Chicago time to Germany time and  at 12:00 am, my mom's alarm went off which was at 7:00 Chicago time.  she got dressed, brushed her teeth, packed the bag.... got totally ready to go...Only it was the middle of the night.  only when she woke me up did and looked at my clock, did i tell her it was at 12:00 and then it took me until 2 to fall back asleep! Oops!!! 

After that fiasco I was really tired and we were supposed to meet every body down stairs but we were not down there at 8 so my grandparents called.  But I  was asleep and it woke me up and started a very LONG day. First, we ate breakfast like normal people. Then at 9 a tour guide came to pick us up.  with the tour guide we walked to Anne frank's house. There was one of  the longest line I have ever seen. But since we were with a guide we did not have to wait in the line ( thank god) we were in her house for about 1-2 hours that's a lot of standing.  

then we went to one of the biggest sinnagoges in the world. It was very pretty and it was mostly made out of wood and during the war they protected it so it is really old but every thing is the same they did not have to change anything or do repairs. Then we walked to lunch.  (As you can see we only walk no bike no car no nothing I did 28 thousand steps today). After lunch we went back to the hotel and took a nap. Then we went out and just wandered the we ate dinner and played cards. Then  they took us to the red light district and I can just say it was definitely something!!  we walked down one block and then me and max made them stop and take us somewhere else so we went back to the hotel and I am going to bed soon.

" And Cut. That's a rap"

Squiggles

  this season we start off in Germany/Netherlands. We have some guest characters this season we have: Max, Aunt Hillary, Grandpa Michal, Grandma Joanie ( and of course me and my mom). 

"And Action"

We get to the air port at 4:00 ( four a 7:00 flight) we wait at the gate for like ever!! Then we FINALY get on the plane but there were other planes on the runway so we couldn't leave for a while. So I ate my dinner and as soon as the plane took off I passed out. I was sooooooo tired. It was an 8 hour flight. I probably slept 6 out of the 8 hours but I was still tired so then we were at the London airport for 3 hours!!!! Then we got on a plane to holland and it was only like an hour - so not that bad. but the time here is 8 hours earlier than in Chicago. Then we got to our hotel and we went out into town had dinner and my mom is making  me stay up thill 7 ( that is late when you are tired). We found this street that was totally covered in graffiti it was not like the kind someone does at night that is illegal but like sitting there for hours graffiti. I am in bed blogging and then I will got to bed. 

"And Cut. That's a rap" 

Squiggles

Langa Township or 7455

Molo.  

Today I woke up at about 7:45am then I has breakfast. Then I got in a car with the Evanston Sollingers/my family to the township of Langa.  We first went to a center where they were making pottery and art.  In the township, there are three classes: the poor, the middle class and the rich.  First, we visited the poor neighborhood.  In the poor class, people were living in hostels, shipping crates and shacks.  In the hostels, there were three families in each room which was the size of my bathroom.  And so sixteen people lived in a single tiny in a hostel "apartment."  There was one bathroom and one sink for 60 people.    In the shipping container, the size used on a train, there were two families.  And the bathroom and water are all outside and communal.  

But the shacks were the fanciest of the poor because in the shacks they had privacy.  There would be one family and could be two rooms and a kitchen.  All about the size of my bedroom.  They had electricity.  But you had to walk really far to the toilet and water pump.   The shacks, on the outside, look like a fort a kid would make.  It was made out of scraps of wood, metal, and cardboard.  On the inside, it is not dirty but there are holes in the roof.   So if it is raining, with the holes in their roof, they put buckets.  But if you see someone on the roof trying to fix a leak,that means that the leak is over their bed.  

So our guide, named Siviwe, lives in Langa in the rich part of town but he rents a bedroom in the back of the house.  He started an non-for-profit organization to show the kids that they can do something great in the world.  It is called Happy Feet (not the movie and no penguins).  This guy teaches his kids gum boot dancing (this is the type of dancing that tribal people would do while they were working in the mines). (It involves rubber boots).  He also feeds the kids.    They also do shows outside the township.  Most of the adults in Langa can't read.  So Siviwe wants to add two new parts to the school:  teaching reading and computers.   The kids in Happy Feet did a performance for us and it was pretty amazing and an awesome experience.  The little kids who also watched the show held our hands and sat down next to us to watch the show.   

After the show, we went to a place for lunch in the township called Mzoli's Meats.  You walked into this place and it looks like a butchers shop.  There is uncooked meet in trays in glass.  You pick out what meat you want.  They put your group's meat on one platter with some sauce.  Then you go back to the kitchen and you see lots of braais.  And you give them your meat and sauce.  I was expecting it to be gross.  But we got our food, and lets just say, in 10 minutes there was no food.  It was delicious.  

Then we came back to Georgia and Sophia's house.  Then we want to a cafe to meet Lindy and Bev and all my 2nd cousins.  

Now I'm blogging for you.  

On the tour, Siviwe taught us some Khosa, it is the language where you click.  

Enkhosee, thank you in Khosa.  

Lots of love, 

Sarah 

Flying over Cape Town

This morning at about six o'clock, i went to the bathroom and in the room, there was a glass door in between our room and our parents room.  So, I'm coming back from the bathroom and I'm walking towards my room, and I am walking and then there is a big thud.  I wonder what that was from?  And I wonder what the bump on my head is from?  Oh yeah, I walked into a door! After the door fiasco, we had breakfast.  Then we went to the airport with barefoot banchi, otherwise known as Sophia.  Then we got on a plane to Cape Town, pretty special huh.  We saw Table Mountain from the bird's eye view.  After the flight, we went to Georgie's house.  Then we ate dinner with Monica and her kids.  And now, I am blogging for you.  

Love is always in the air

Lots of love,

Sarah 

Where is it?

Yesterday  (July 2nd)

At 5:30 in the morning, the Evanston Sollingers went on a safari.  We got to see lots of animals like rhino, giraffe, and zebra.  About as close as you can get to zebra and giraffe.  For two hours, we went on the safari.  

When we came back, we ate breakfast.  Have you ever seen monkeys at the breakfast table.  I don't mean me.  Well, I did and it wasn't Ben either.  It was vervet monkeys.  The monkeys tried to get in the kitchen.  

We need more sunscreen!!!  Because apparently mom has been flinging the sunscreen at some Ben-like animal.  But it was outside the tent.  I now call mom "a professional sunscreen thrower."  

Today (July 3rd)

Do you know any special way for packing?  Because it would come in handy because today we packed and moved.  There was warthog, buck, zebra, monkeys, baboon, genet, and hyenas in our campsite. Then we got in the car and drove to the place we are at that no one know what the name is. Then we built forts at the place we are staying at. Then we went to dinner and now I am blogging for you.

Lot and lots of love,

Sarah/squiggles  

            P.s  the place we stayed was called the Hatchery.  Look it up.  

Elephant Driving

Today we  went on a rod trip. On the way to the place we were going (called mpila camp) we stopped at an interaction. The interaction was with elephants! The elephants were in an enclosure but we stood right next to us. We got to feed the elephant and I had to put my hand in his mouth and put it on its tounge to feed it. We also fed him by putting food on his trunk. It was awesome!

Then we got back in the car and drove to mpila camp. Then we had dinner and now I am blogging for you in our tiny tent for 2.

Love your fan,

Sarah

A big whale of a time

Do you know where I could get sea sick meds. Because, well I might as well start from the beginning. The day started early. Because we had to get on a boat. The boat was for something watching, whale watching!!! It was pretty amazing we got to see lots of whales. The whales got so close to us we could almost touch them. Lets just say the fishy's got to have eggs for breakfast (the bad part is, is that Ben got to feed the fishy's with his breakfast). I felt a little sick but I was not bad.  Then we went for lunch at the Ocean Basket. We went on another boat to see hippopotamus, croc and a leopard. The hippopotamus was very fat/big. The leopard and croc was amazing!! Then I came back ate dinner and me and my guest blogger sat down and are writing to you here is a little something from my guest blogger: 

Hi every body.It's Georgie. I hope you know, that you have to come to Cape Town. Because  its so much fun.

Love,

Georgie

I send my love to all of you as well

Love,

Sarah

Driving Zulu Crazy

Today we started out driving. We drove to a place called hluhluwe (pronounced ;;;;;;;:7--/&;;$,&$8:!:  ). Check out your window to make sure that there are no giraffe or rhino well I did and saw something. If you just look out the window in South Africa there is always a new adventure just waiting for you and I am telling you my adventure of the day. The day really started when we got out the car we were in the car because we were driving from place to place. When we got out of the car we had a late lunch. Then we got in the car again and drove to a traditional Zulu village. The village was very cool. It was like how they used to do things. Like little huts, they told us about their religion and they showed us things that they used in the olden days. At the the end they did a traditional dance for us that they usually do at weddings and special occasions. Then we came back and had dinner. Now I am blogging for you right now.

I miss you all so much

Lots of love, 

Sarah 

P.S: my favorite line of the trip happened a couple of days ago. So Sophie had finished crying and mom had told uncle Steven to tell to Sophie " you have the right to cry I have the right to not listen so go in another room". Sophie started to cry again so uncle Steven said " you have the right to cry I have the right not to listen so get out".

Spy Glass

Today did you happen to see wilder beast, zebra, impala and giraffe. Well I did today we went on a hike to see lots of animals in the bush. We Got a tour Gide and everything (accept the fact that no one could understand him). We got to see lots of animals and there dung. It was gross and cool at the same time! Then we ate lunch. Then we went to the play ground and found rocks to climb on and made forts. In the next hour we started to go on a game drive. On the game drive we got to see more animals. It was beautiful and we got to see lots of animals that are not in America (the animals are listed at the top). Then we went back and had dinner and now I am blogging for you.

Pfffffffffffffff ( as said in wilder beast Language)

By-by,

Meisie (my South African name).

Invasion of the horses and monkeys

Today started out like a regular day, sunny and nice out side. Then we went horse back riding. Me and Georgie rode terrorists. mine was named bin laden  and Georgie's was saddam.  Me, Ben and Georgie's horses were always the last three in the pack.  But the guide kept going without us.   At one point, Georgie and my horses stopped altogether.  We had fun on the trail without our parents.  

After lunch, we went to the park and there were a troop of baboons!  10 feet away from us.  Go check and make sure your doors are locked before you go to bed.  Because the baboons can open doors and mess up your house. After the baboon encounter we sort of hung around.

Just before dinner we went went to a sheeben (sheeban is a mud hut which  is an illegal liquor store that villagers use).  On the outsides of the mud houses they carve in to the mud to make design. It looks like they use forks to make the design.

Tomorrow is a road trip day so you may not hear from me.

I miss you all so much and I will continue to miss you 

Lots of love, 

Sarah 

A big shout out to Eden. Braai is like barbecue. It is also amazing to see my cousins for the first time in a year. 

I miss you too!!

Cheep-cheep and walking

Our eyes were just opening to see the world.  Never had I heard such a noisy group of geese ): To the show we went the flying show a BIRD show! It was amazing it was superb it was stunning.  They let the birds fly in the sky but they did come back (most of them). They were letting one of the birds go called a falcon go fly and they could not get him back down to ground. We went on  hike to a beautiful  waterfall. Then we came back and fed the bunnies. Came home made a braai ate dinner and now I am blogging to you.

From your fan,

Sarah/ Squiggles         (:

BIG SHOUT OUT TO JACK

HAPPY B-DAY WE MISS you.

Cousins

                                               Yesterday

Yesterday day the day of sight seeing and seeing my cousins!!!!!! We went sight seeing "they were beautiful seats we got to sit in". I even got my own window and every thing! We even stopped at a grocery store and got food and lunch!!But the best thing was that we got our own vehicle and we were in it for 7 hours! It was a car we were stuck in for 7 hours.   It was not exciting ):

              

                                       Today

 Today we went on a hike in the morning.  we wanted to go to the bushman paintings but someone else wanted to go to the Sphinx but we ended up going to the bushman paintings in the end. Then we went back to our house and ate lunch. Then we played soccer and played chess. Then we braai with chicken and chops. And now I am blogging .

I miss you all sooooooooo much and I will continue to miss you.

Sending my love,

Sarah Sollinger (:

Sending a shout out to Eden: 

We missed Oxbow because, in the end, there was no Oxbow.  Literally, Oxbow was not there.  It is on the map, but the village seemed to have moved. It is cold at night but during the day it is very nice. We are coming back on July,11 2013

Lesotho

Today, the day of adventures. It all began with the words of wisdom coming from my mouth "mommy I'm hungry when will we get breakfast" I wined. The breakfast was  pretty good (a breakfast of the kings: eggs and tea). The day had just started. To the town we went, we stopped at a bakery to pick up stuff for picnic lunch. After that we moseyed over to  a very nice blanket shop (very persuasive people because we got 3 blankets). 

From the blanket shop, we hit the road.  Up & over up &over went the car with the cool people.  Putin' on their shades (mostly me I was in the sun). We were driving and suddenly we saw a ski resort with a full blown ski slope (just remember we're in the middle of Africa).  Before we left We had stopped at a store and bought 4bags of  maize meal (which is like matzo meal so don't leave Sally by her self with it). We drove for hours to see a town called oxbow it was beautiful besides the fact that we never got there.  apparently you don't need much to get on a map. So the cool people  started to drive down the mountain. Then they saw a group of people that were very poor ( I don't think I mentioned that the country Lesotho was very poor). We took the maize meal and gave them the 4 boxes. They were sooooooo happy!!!!!!!! We started down the mountain and had dinner at Bens favorite place Nandos. Now the cool people are at their hotel at lions rock.

I know all this info about the cool people because I am one of them(:

By-by, adios, shalom and tot sins

Signed  by the cool people   Sarah     (:

Albino Lion

After I blogged we went on a trip in a trip. The day was blue and you could hear the lions. The lions were hungry (very hungry). We were headed in their direction the wind was in our faces and the sights were good. Our tour guide was  at first not explaining much  but then it began. We got 10 feet away from them. They could eat 400 kg.  a day, one of the lions was looking at me and thinking "yumm lunch" but in my case I am more like a tooth pick. There were 12 of them. Today was feeding day, we got to watch it all ( they ate cow).  The sun was setting so we started to head home but we made one more stop.We stopped at the albino lion cage. We can safely say my dad made a new friend. The travelers  were watching with suspense to see what the lion was going to do. And sure enough the lion did something it did something surprising. The lion ran at my dad ( but  there was a metal fence in-between them . My dad ran like a little girl (it was a little funny) . Today was one of the best days ever!!!!!!!

Up up and away to lions rock

Yesterday we went on a 7 hour flight (but both me and ben threw up 2).Today we went a 10 hour plain ride (  luckily no one puked but ill get to that in a minute).  We got off the plane  and got in a car for 3 hours ):  But we got the most beautiful  place on earth!!!!!  At Lions Rock there are lions (of course), water buffalo , zebra and all sorts of buck. Today was awesome!!!