A R Kennedy lives in Long Beach, New York, with her two pups. She works hard to put food on the floor for them. As her favorite T-shirt says, “I work so my dog can have a better life”. She’s an avid traveler. But don’t worry. While she’s away, her parents dote on their grand-puppies even more than she does. Her writing is a combination of her love of travel, animals, and the journey we all take to find ourselves. Learn more about A.R. and her books at her website.
Safari Lingo
As a writer, I’m fascinated by words. Did you know safari is Swahili for journey?
As an author, trying to be profitable, I read a lot about keywords—for advertisements, marketing and selling. Did you know a safari has keywords, too?
The Big Five — The Big Five represents the five animals that most tourists are seeking to see while on safari—lions, leopards, elephants, African buffalo and rhinoceroses. This isn’t originally a tourism term. During colonial times, the term was used to list what trophy hunters considered the most challenging and dangerous animals to hunt on foot.
The Little Five — These are five small animals that a traveler can seek out in Africa – the Elephant Shrew, Ant Lion, Rhinoceros Beetle, Buffalo Weaver and Leopard Tortoise. Did you notice they all have the Big Five in their name? They can be looked for on a bush walk.
Bush Walk — A bush walk is also known as a safari walk or a game walk. Most safaris spend most the time on game drives but this short walk is a great way to find animal tracks, to take you where vehicles can’t go, and to get up close to local geology and plants.
Game Drive — It’s the highlight of any safari. It’s how you search out the Big Five and experience Africa’s beautiful landscape. Many tours will have two game drives a day, one in the early morning and one in the late afternoon. During the heat of the day, it’s best to be out of the hot African sun, lounging in the shade at the pool or taking a nap in your room.
Sundowners — Some of you may know this term as it relates to people with dementia. But on safari it is an extremely positive event. It’s HAPPY HOUR! While watching a magnificent sunset, your guide provides you with the drink of your choice—champagne, wine, beer, or juice. Light snacks are also served. It is a safari tradition, dating back to colonial times.
In Sleuth on Safari, the first in my new The Traveler Cozy Mystery Series, main character Naomi learns all these terms while on safari with her sister Charlotte. Join them on an adventure of a lifetime! Available 3/24/2020. Now on pre-order.
Sleuth on Safari
A bargain deal on a safari + one dead body = An adventure no one could plan for.
Naomi and her estranged sister are off on a trip of a lifetime—an African safari, a bucket list trip for Naomi on which she got a last-minute deal. Naomi thinks traveling with her sister will be the worst part of her African safari until she finds one of their fellow travelers, the unlikable Dr. Higgins, dead. She gets more adventure than she bargained for when she starts investigating what she thinks is murder but the luxury lodge says was a tragic accident. She only has a few vacation days, and a few game drives, to find the killer.
2 comments:
Thank you for having me on the blog today!
We're always happy to have you stop by, A.R.!
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