Category: Exploring Second Life

Annie Brightstar, who curates Second Life destinations through Scoop It and various social media, poked me via IM to the fact the noted photographer Skip Staheli has opened his personal Homestead region, PhotoStudio Purple Cows, to public visits, and suggested I go have a look.

The region’s design is by Busta (BadboyHi), who is responsible for a number of region designs Caitlyn and I have enjoyed visiting (and in my case, writing about) in that past; a fact that further encouraged me to take a hop across and visit sooner rather than later. And I have to say, his work here is impressive.

The region forms a rugged, temperate island marked by an impressive spine of an undulating, rocky hill that winds from the north-west to both the south-wast and south-east in and extended “Y”. Relatively narrow, the hill nevertheless appears to contain an high-level aquifer, as waterfalls tumble from its many flanks to both form pools at its base and outflow channels that extend to the surrounding sea, breaking-up the shingle and muddy lowlands.

It’s an entirely natural setting – perhaps the best Busta has produced to date. The central hill is beautifully constructed, rising from natural footings to highest peak, the paths running it it from the lowlands all looking to have been created by the processes of wind and water erosion rather than carrying an appearance of having been purposefully designed. Similarly, the blending of mesh land forms with region terrain is exquisitely done, further enhancing the depth of the setting.

All of this serves to give the region a feeling of being almost literally transposed from the physical world to the virtual, offering visitors with the sense that they really are in a wilderness location – perhaps somewhere deep within the mountains of North America of just off part of it’s more remote coastline.

It’s a sense of wilderness that’s enhanced by the fact only two man-made structures are on the island. To the north lies a Japanese-style cabin sitting on one of the broad channels of water flowing outwards from the central hill and formed by a horseshoe of waterfalls. The cabin sits as the kind of retreat many of us would love to have; one with a outstanding morning-time view, with places close to hand – just across the water in fact – to sit and contemplate. Eastern influences are strong around the cabin, but in fact it is not a home; within it sits a small café and the suggestion of a studio space.

The cabin sits in the lee of the hill’s north-west arm, a steep cliff rising just behind it. Follow the base of this shoulder of rock, and you’ll find a path that winds up it and along the rising edge of the cliffs to where stone steps point the way to the second wooden structure, this one home to a bakery and small gallery space. It sits at the summit of the island’s central hill and upon a substantial deck that can be reached by two additional paths up from the lowlands. The deck extends out of the one of the island’s waterfalls to present a stunning view down to the cabin below.

As well following the paths up to the island’s summit, it is possible to circumnavigate the setting, keeping entirely to the lowlands. Bridges connect the shingle beaches where water flows out from the falls, the route rising here and there to pass over rocky feet as they extend to the coast. Doing so will reveal the various routes to the more elevated parts of the island and also bring some of the hidden / smaller details of the region into focus.

These details are many and varied – and sometimes easy to miss. A few of the more obvious are the the multiple locations where visitors can sit. These range from chairs and converted pallets  to tyre swings and blankets at the end of piers. There’s also wildlife to be found here, but some of it may not be easy to find (hint: keep an eye out for the local perambulating frogs).

A thoroughly captivating region, perfect in its design and execution, PhotoStudio Purple Cows is not one to miss while it remains open to the public.

SLurl Details

• PhotoStudio Purple Cows (Durandal, rated Moderate)

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)

I received a couple of suggestions from MorganaCarter and Shawn Shakespeare that we should pay a visit to Dolceluna Myoo’s Homestead region **[Dream]** Village. So off we hopped to have a look around, and found it a thoroughly delightfully visit.

The first thing to note about the region is not to let the “Village” of the title fool you; whilst buildings are to be found here, this is not in any way a village style environment; rather it is a open rural space, the buildings scattered across it with plenty of space between them to suggest an untamed place, perhaps sitting on the edge of a more developed location.

The landing point sits to the south, close to a tram line that offers the suggestion that this is an end-of-the-line destination even if the region is surrounded by water. Across the tracks from the terminus is an outdoor events space alongside an old shack. From here, opportunities to explore run in multiple directions, or visitors can opt to hang out and dance on the deck.

Off to the east is the first of the island’s cabins, reached by passing some of the island’s wildlife – bears and deer with seagulls flapping overhead. This is a cosy, aged placed with a makeshift terrace, and a Bohemian interior that’s inviting enough to make one of the region’s cats feel like it is missing out on the comfort, although the geese enjoying the yard outside might disagree; to them the tub of water is far more interesting!

Two large bodies of water cut into the landscape from the east and west, such that the bulk of the low-lying land forms an uppercase “i” in shape.  A further single-storey sits house to the north, a small summer cabin close by. Both are again furnished and offer plenty of opportunities for photography and / or sitting with friends. Horses graze close to the summer house, offering a further reason to tarry here.

More places to sit and pass the time can be found dotted around the setting: chairs and camp sites, swings strung from the boughs of trees, an offshore deck and around the vehicles scattered across the region, such as the old VW camper wagon. For those who fancy something a little different, a hot air balloon sits over  the eastern bay.

There’s a richness of detail to the setting that further brings it to life. As well as wildlife and horses mentioned above, sheep can also be found grazing in places, whilst chickens share the island with the geese. Cats are also much in evidence, some of who form an appreciative audience for one of the poses offered in the region (those wishing to use their pose systems or props van join the local group for rezzing rights).

Ideally suited to a range of environmental settings and with a lot of subtle touches and plenty of details, **[Dream]** Village makes for a visually engaging and restful visit, rich in opportunities for photography and for simple appreciating the scene.

SLurl Details

• **[Dream]** Village (Purlove, rated Adult)

The highlands and islands of Scotland are proving a popular inspiration for Second Life region designers – and rightly so; there is a deep beauty to their rolling hills and high peaks that invites the imagination and leaves the heart filled with a yearning to explore. As such, we’ve visited a number of Scottish themed locations over the last few years, but this is the first time I’ve been able to write about Elo (WeeWangle Wumpkins) Scottish inspired settings.

The latest iteration of her work – Auld Lang Syne – opened recently, and it offers a mix of the rugged abruptness of the Scottish highlands mixed with a strong sense of age within the buildings to be found scattered around it, together with a healthy dose of mystery with a fitting dash of humour.

Admittedly, getting around on foot isn’t easy in places: the island rises sharply from the surrounding sea, and many of the slopes look like they would need a lot of scrambling to get up and down – just as many of the glacier-cut slopes of Scotland’s north may require the assistance of hands when clambering up them and a certain caution in getting down least one feet end up running away beneath one.

This steepness of setting may not at first be obvious from the landing point, which sits on the island’s highest rise within an ancient but intact fortification (Pupito Helstein’s popular Runestone Castle) – just an easy walk away is a group of standing stones inspired by the Neolithic Callanish Stones, located on the west coast of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.  However, descend the slope from the fortification to the ruins of a medieval chapels and its surrounding graveyard, and you’ll immediately get a feel for the region’s natural ruggedness.

Which is not to say it is all hard work is getting around; here and there are paths that make for easier descent to the coastal areas, one of which is just in the lee of the hilly shoulder on which the stand stones sit. It leads to an extensive coastal beach that faces south and offers and gentle sandy walk east and then north, passing hints of the more recent history of the place: the wreck of a fishing boat, the remains of a broken aeroplane engine – presumably all that remains of a past crash -, an aged anchor and the carcass of an old boat.

To the east, the path along the beach is almost blocked by the waters flowing out from a deep gorge. Fortunately, fallen trunks have been joined to offer a way over the water, a heron standing on their backs like as if awaiting payment of a toll in order to allow visitors to proceed.  Beyond the bridge, more tales of past life can be found, together with some of the island’s current inhabitants, a number of whom appear to have partaken of a wee dip in the sea and are now following another of the trails back up to their hillside home.

One of two towers that rise above the island’s rolling hills watches over these “locals”. Broken and holed, it appears to be a disused water tower, rather than part of any castle or fortress, although a owl is now acting as a look-out, keeping watch from the broken drum of its upper reaches. The view back across the island from this tower reveals the landing point on its high hill, whilst below and to one side, the ruins of what might have been an old manor house can be seen, nestled in secret on a north facing shelf of rock overlooking the beach, sheltered from the rest of the island by a rocky upthrust.

Around to the west, and sheltering below the castle’s hill, is another old ruin, similar in nature to that in the north, and now home to a wonderful garden that positively invites visitors to stay within it. The old structure and garden are in turn watched over by the island’s second tower, also the worse for wear as it sits on a rectangular promontory in the island’s south-west corner.

In between these “main” points of interest are others awaiting discovery that add further depth to the setting and increase the sense of realism to the island. As such, taking the time to wander on foot – particularly in circumnavigating the coast whilst keeping an eye on the slopes above – is recommended. However, for those so inclined, the castle hall forming the landing point has a teleport board that can be used to hop to those main points of interest. The second hall of the castle, meanwhile offers a little galley of photos taken around the region, whilst its flat roof provides a view over the island and places to sit.

All in all, a delightful setting, with plenty of detail and with touches that encourage a smile.

SLurl Details

• Auld Lang Syne (Isles of Scotland, rated General)

Update, July 14th: Pandasia is no longer available for public access.

Welcome to the island of Pandasia, mystic with a Zen atmosphere for nature lovers, relaxing and taking photos or taking a boat trip. the sim is fully open including the beach side house. [Have a] Good visit!

– About Land, Isle of Pandasia

For those looking for somewhere just a little bit different in-world to visit, Isle of Pandasia could be just the ticket. The work of T-Chat (noisette Haller), it is a curious mix of oriental themes, fantasy, whimsy and animal cuteness. It might best be described as a series of interlinked vignettes than a continuous landscape, held together by water.

On first arrival, the region seems simple enough: a body of water ringed by high-sided islands of rock, some of which appear to intrude into the region from their off-sim placement. It seems to simply be the home of a couple of low-lying islands, with wooden walkways connecting a Japanese-style shine and pier-end buildings, one of which forms the landing point. But looks can be deceptive.

A walk along the board walk from the landing point can bring visitors to the shrine, Buddha waiting peacefully within. He shares the island with some of the pandas that give the region its name, their presence, like the groves of bamboo close by suggesting more of a Chinese influence than Japanese, while the large sampan-like boat sitting between the board walk and the larger island  suggests either Chinese or Japanese origins.

This larger island offers a little Koi house and garden to be explored. Cranes, flamingoes, rabbits and other critters are scattered around the island, all watched over by a little panda on his rocky throne, and who has apparently wandered here over the bridge connecting the island to the shine.

Beautifully laid out, rich in blossom, this is all a soothing setting ideal for restful moments and photography – but t is far from all that is available. Despite appearing as if it is in the centre of the region, the landing point is actually off to one side, and several of the walls of rock surrounding rising from the water actually sit as curtains hiding the rest of the region’s secrets. How you reach these points is a matter of choice: flying is permitted – but if you can find one, there are little rowing boats that can be used to cross the water.

To the west and north, the rocks screen the beach mentioned in the About Land description, complete with the beach house sitting on its own small sand bar. A ring of the curtain cliffs here encircle a lagoon in which castaways can hide from the world if they like. To the south, a great shelf steps out from the cliffs to provide room for cherry blossom trees and a Japanese-style bath house where a cat might offer a massage.

The bath house overlooks a giant blossom tree that rises from the glass-like water. Lanterns dance around this tree whilst sprites form and roll and then vanish. This is another magical place where a rabbit sits on the water with his lantern and a snowy owl shares the boughs of the tree with two wyrm-like cloud dragons as glass flowers sit in the sunbeams.

More is to be found within the deep gorge sitting between high cliffs to the south of the landing point (the southern end of the gorge the home to a rowing boat rezzer, another little house on the shore nearby. Meanwhile, people can, if they wish, escape the water and take to the air on the back of the blue whale that slowly circles to the north-east.

Rich in wildlife, critters and with koi swimming the waters below, Isle of Pandasia has a lot to see and appreciate, and plenty to photograph, all of which makes for an enjoyable visit.

SLurl Details

• Isle of Pandasia (Dolly, rated Moderate)

Occupying a Homestead region, Paris for Ara has been designed by Trouble Dethly as a tribute to both the capital of France and to he SL partner AraceliSoto. Intended for photography, it captures much of the romantic heart of that city, whilst – with one notable exception – avoiding the usual focuses of attraction to be found within the heart of that city.

That one exception is the wrought-iron lattice tower that bears the name of its engineer: Gustave Eiffel. Built for the 1889 World’s Fair, Eiffel’s design was initially disliked by many in the French art and intellectual communities for its modernity. Nevertheless it became, and remains, one of the world’s great cultural icons, and the most-visited paid monument in the world.

Often seen as a romantic setting for marriage proposals in the physical world, here the tower stands on a small island to the north of the region and connected to it by a bridge, the water beneath the bridge mindful of the Seine, the gardens beneath the tower suggestive of the Champ de Mars.

Facing this north side island, the rest of the build offers not the broad avenues oft photographed or considered when thinking about Paris, but rather the narrower cobbled streets that pass through the city’s older blocks. Streets that so often offer hidden charms, be they little cafés in which one can shelter from a change in weather or to escape the broader noise of the city, through to places where a meal can be enjoyed alfresco, or corners where street artists ply their trade from mime to paintings of all kinds – including, perhaps those of people who have paid to sit and have their portrait painted.

Most of the buildings around these little streets and alleys are shells or façades – but this doesn’t matter. The aim of this build is to capture the romance of Paris, and in this it does so admirably, the relatively small size of the build definitely adding to this. As a place designed for photography – notably avatar-centric images – it has multiple places suitable for this task, from sitting and enjoying the aforementioned alfresco meal or posing alongside the mime artist or one of the cats and dogs dotted around the streets, to simply sitting on one of the many benches or  in the gardens of little cosy fair.

For those who want to take the romance further, there are two fee-payable fine dining options that are available. These offer (I believe) private use of the region for an average of 50-60 minutes for parties of two or more. Those interested can click on the Eiffel Tower sign boards at the street dining area or at the tower itself to obtain a link to the on-line booking form.

Capturing the essence of Paris and highly photogenic, Paris for Ara makes for a gentle, pleasing visit.

SLurl Details

• Paris for Ara (Simpson Bay, rated Moderate)