Update, August 2020: Jambo! A Voyage to Africa has been superseded by Light of the Desert. See: A Light of the Desert in Second Life.
Jambo! A Voyage to Africa is a homestead region design by Camila Runo that offers visitors – as its name suggests – a taste of Africa – most likely East Africa, given the use of Swahili; possibly Kenya or Tanzania given the coastal aspects (although admittedly, the setting could be somewhere on the coast of Lake Victoria.
A mix of savannah, woods and wetland forest, the region is rich in wildlife – monkeys, elephants, giraffe, water buffalo, gazelle, ostrich, meerkat, crocodile, lion, and hyena, together with vultures an eagle circles overhead.
The region is set to to give a good feeling of space, with a number of buildings to be found throughout. These start with what might be a Victorian era safari camp, featuring as it does a proper bed, a large dresser and even a gramophone player, sitting alongside the landing point. Just up the trail from this is a small village – albeit suggestive of one set out for the tourist trade rather than being a working place of habitation.
A broad river cuts the region in two. It is spanned by a pair of bridges to the south, while a pier with a rowing boat rezzer close to the village offers the means to cross there or explore the location by water.
It is across the the river that majority of the wildlife can be found, together with a private home – clearly fenced of to help prevent trespass. Follow the land south on this side of the region and it will eventually lead to a large, solid building, bearing a sign that fans of American ’60s TV series might find familiar – although there was no cross-eyed lion to be found within; just another big cat undergoing treatment.
Exploring the region on foot or – if you have one – a wearable horse – is an easy, pleasant journey, while the animals offer multiple opportunities for photography. Thus time passes easily in the region whilst seeking out opportunities for photography, although the hint of tourism in the village and the presence of the bygone era camp site give a subtle depth to the region, a reminder of Africa’s past exploitation. Fortunately, the only hunting that can be carried out here is with the camera.
Jambo! A Voyage to Africa is a place that speaks for itself; the default environment catches it towards the end of the day, and the local sound scape supports this time of day. For the keen-eyed, there are a couple of minor anachronisms: a north American bald eagle substitutes for an African fish eagle, while a jaguar similarly substitutes for a leopard in the veterinary centre – but these are more down to the availability of wildlife in-world or on the Marketplace than anything else, and they don’t look glaringly out-of-place.
So, if wildlife photography is something you fancy or you just want a walk over the savannah, then make a point to hop over and explore – I’ll just say asante, kwaheri! (at least for now!).
With thanks to Shawn for the landmark.
SLurl Details
- Jambo! A Voyage to Africa (Coral Cape, rated General)
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