My most recent travels to me to the setting of Ai-mura, largely created by ラパ (Rapa Tone) and Indra Herouin. Occupying a sky platform covering a little under a quarter of a Full private region which offers the private island Land Capacity bonus, Ai-Mura is held under Rapa’s melodic.one Group and is described as being a part of the Love Project, in reference to the region as a whole and the multiple settings available within it – some of which I’ll be covering in these pages in due course.
Ai-mura is an engaging Japanese themed setting, with very good use made of the available space, which has been split into roughly three primary areas.
As you step off the train at Ai-mura station, you sense there is something magical about this small village by the sea. Refresh your body and mind at the local onsen, explore the bustling neko village, wander the paths to find your perfect picture spot, and come listen to amazing DJs while dancing your cares away in a beautiful, open-air venue.
– Ai-Mura Destination Guide entry
The train – more a tram, really – referenced in the setting’s Destination Guide entry sits in the south-east corner of the setting, stopped at the terminus of whatever line it has followed to reach this point, having to to it via passage through a nearby tunnel. The station located just below the elevated tracks has something of an industrial feel about its insides, resembling more of a pumping station than a ticket office or anything. Alongside of it is the entrance / exit to a subway system, suggesting another means of reaching the setting.
A bamboo path offers two routes down from the station, it and the tram track being the highest accessible points in the setting. The first is to the north, where a gatehouse and stone steps allow visitors to descend from the station’s rocky table-top and reach the neko village also referenced in the Destination Guide entry.
The second arm of the path turns west to pass under a Torii gate and again descend via stone steps to provide access to the west side of the setting. In offering the way to their respective destinations, both arms of the path pass over a fast-flowing stream that tumbles from above vias falls and then further falls and rapids before eventually passing into a tunnel of its own, effectively isolating the station’s rocky highland from the rest of the landscape.
The neko village is, as the name suggests, a village of kitties – u10 nitta’s (shiro0822) ever-engaging {-Maru Kado-} kitties to be precise. Unsurprisingly, given the local inhabitants 🙂 the majority of the businesses in the village square are given over to eateries with all sorts of foods on offer – including fish. The latter are being offered via a warehouse linking the village with a fishing wharf where a couple of boats are tied-up, most likely having recently delivered their catches.
Packed with little details waiting to be found, the village is a simply charming setting ripe with photo opportunities. One of my favourite elements – aside from the kitties – is a sign board sitting above the the village providing information on where Rapa – an SL DJ – might be, giving both her DJ appearances and the times she’s asleep with “zzzz”.
Steps on the west side of the village provides access to an open meadow which in turn connects to the west side of the region, the majority of which is given over to a field for music events, with the field set to host a Progressive Music event on Tuesday, July 30th from 16;00-22:00 SLT, hosted by Coley Magic, who will join Rapa and five other DJs presenting sets during the event.
South of the music venue is a raised courtyard which connects to the second part of the path running down from the tram station. The courtyard seems to function as both an overspill area for the music events field and as an open space before the setting’s osen.
The latter is entirely open-air and without either accompanying bath house or changing area. Instead, the main pool sits within a oval of large stones and appears to be heated from a natural source below, the water’s surface misted with steam. Whatever the source of the heat, it must be powerful: the pool appears to be fed by cold fresh water tumbling from more of the falls at the setting’s southern highlands; water which drops over stepped falls and then rushes through more little rapids to flow into the larger body of which the onsen pool is part.
For those who would like a more private spa, a second hot spring and pool can be found on a shoulder of rock overlooking the main falls and stream. It is reached by turning off the path down to the onsen from the tram station before it crosses the stream via a red bridge.
There are one or two roughly little elements where the landscaping could perhaps be tidied in little more, but these don’t really intrude into the setting to the extent them we show up in photos. The sound scape – birdsong and trickling water – could perhaps do with a little more, but again, its entirely possible most visitors will be dropping in for the music, and so won’t notice. Certainly, the overall photogenic nature of the setting cannot be denied, and the look and appeal of Ai-Mura does much to commend the rest of the public spaces within the region as being destinations to add to an itinerary.
SLurl Details
- Ai-Mura (a love Project, rated Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 