Category: Exploring Second Life

Salt Water – click and image for full size

I recently received an invitation from region holder Kye (Kyevaiy) to visit her Homestead region of Salt Water. The initial part of the region’s description certainly piqued my interest – “The cure for anything is Salt Water — in one form or another, sweat, tears or the Salt Sea”; but it was Kye’s invitation that captured my desire to pay a visit sooner rather than later:

I asked Tippy Wingtips to help me recreate a places I had recently visited in Mexico, Belize and the Island of Roatán. I sent her several photographs of my trip and she tried to duplicate many of them in order to capture the places I love.

– Kye (Kyevaiy) describing the development of Salt Water

Salt Water

Belize is one of those places in the world that has long fascinated me, and I was keen to see how elements of it had been interpreted in the region design, hence pushing a visit to the top of my list. Sadly, I can’t really speak for Mexico or Roatán – the latter was completely out of my ken until I looked it up, and my one visit to Mexico was limited to Sonora. However, what I can say is that, even without any in-depth knowledge of all the countries and locations used as inspiration for the design, Salt Water is marvellously conceived and designed.

The region presents itself as a rugged, tropical island that climbs slowly from a western bay up to high plateaus. It has also, at some point in the past, been split into two: to the north-east a narrow gorge breaks the land, spanned by a single rough bridge, looking for all the world like it has been cut over time by water action. Throughout the entire region, the attention to detail is stunning.

Salt Water

“I loved doing this sim! It took me almost 3 months to get it the way I wanted it!” Tippy informed me. In spending several hours over the last couple of days exploring, I can see why.

The low-lying areas of the region to the west offer beach houses, sand, board walks over the shallow waters of the bay, open decks over both sand and water, all of which are woven together to present the most idyllic setting: the perfect vacation paradise. As the beach houses are presented for public access, there is no danger of trespass, and they offer additional places to sit and relax and become immersed in the setting as the westering Sun casts long shadows over sand and grass.

Salt Water

As well as the waters of the bay, the west side of the island offers a small rock-encircled pool for bathing while the board walks continue over the sands, helping to form  – along with the bay itself – a natural boundary between the low-lying beaches and the island’s uplands.

The latter are reached via stone steps cut into the rocks  or an age-worn path, and rise in tiers, the trees slowly changing with altitude, with the palm trees gradually giving way to a small rain forest that hugs the upper reaches of the island. These tiers are cut by a the passage of water that cascades down falls and flows along rocky channels to feed the bay below.

Salt Water

It is up on the highest level of the plateau, where the air is rent by lightning, the ancient Aztec ruins can be found, presided over by a large stone tablet raised onto its edge. These ruins, backed by the dense foliage of the rain forest, actually form the region’s landing point, and offer a marvellous lookout down and to the west to the beaches and the setting Sun.

Two paths – one at the foot of the steps cut into the rock of the plateau and which lead down to is first lower tier, the other running through the trees of the rain forest and then down through a rocky gorge, lead the way north to where that heavy bridge of felled (or fallen) tree trunks crosses the chasm separating the two parts of the region. Across it, more ruins await discovery while paths and steps wind down the land to the west, passing snuggle spots and look-out points until they reach the little beach of a headland.

Salt Water

All of this only really scratches the surface of Salt Water. There is a wealth of detail to be discovered, from the way in which all of the snuggle spots, seating and look-out points offer views over and between trees to the ocean and the lowering Sun, to the inclusion of suitable wildfowl across the waters and in the air, to the selected sound scape.

A marvellous design, perfectly put together and well worth visiting and exploring. Photographs are welcome at the region’s Flickr group, and gratuities towards the upkeep of the region will be accepted by the monkey at the landing point.

Salt Water

SLurl Details

• Salt Water (Salt Water, rated: Adult)

Green Acres – click and image for full size

Green Acres is the name given to a Homestead region designed by Alsatian Kidd with assistance from Iniquity Constantine that presents a slice of rural Americana in a very photogenic setting.

The region is roughly divided into two parts: rugged uplands running roughly diagonally across the land from the north-west to the south-east, that presents an arc of cliffs to the low-lying lands forming the rest of the setting.

Green Acres

The landing point sits on a low-lying table of grass eastwards of the hill, close to Cory Edo’s Yara Treehouse design, which is imaginatively built back into the stepped face of the rocky hills, water dropping in a sheet to one side, feeding  a pool at its feet where ducks swim, the water tumbling over a further small drop to meander away around the foot of the hills and through a narrow grassy gap between them.

This gap is shared by a path that winds along the stream’s bank, inviting visitors to follow. Beyond the cleft, the two part company, the stream continuing to hug the foot of the hills before it joins with a small river. By contrast, path branches before this confluence is reached, one arm linked to a snuggle spot nestled in the arms of the hills, reached via a little wooden bridge, the other running northwards over grassland. This path will eventually lead visitors to a lighthouse standing on a low promontory of rock and bracketed between a small beach nestled into a cove on one side and the estuary of the river on the other.

Green Acres

The estuary is home to a small fishing wharf, while the river is spanned by a broad girder bridge, providing the way to reach the ranch that occupies rest of the region. The lands here are open to exploration, but visitors are asked to respect the privacy of the owners and not stray into the ranch house itself.

This house sits above the rest of the ranchlands on a low table of grass and rock that offers an excellent vantage point for keeping an eye on things, the house sharing the hill with grapes growing on the vine. Below them, the land presents fields and livestock grazing, with cattle, sheep and horses occupying the fields adjacent to a large barn. Close by, an orchard offers apple trees ripe for harvesting, while more rutted tracks offer a route around the ranch outbuildings.

Green Acres

Beyond the ranch, the land closes back towards the hills, a large pool of water both fed by another waterfall and feeding the little river offering room for geese to swim and visitors to relax in a waiting kayak.

One of the things I like about Green Acres is the lie of the land potentially – and subject to respect and care – is one of those places ideal for exploring on horseback if you have a wearable / rideable horse. The trails around the region are ideal to follow, and the open grasslands offer plenty of room for grazing while appreciating the landscape from the saddle. But even if you don’t have a horse, the region offer a pleasant walk with plenty of opportunities for photography and for sitting and relaxing scattered around. There’s the kayak mentioned above, for example, a cosy little place on the beach, a picnic blanket spread on the grass, and the tree house near the landing point, to name but a few.

Green Acres

With deer, bear, raccoons and foxes also to be found, birds overhead and a gentle sound scape to surround you while exploring, Green Acres is another  delight of a region to visit.

SLurl Details

• Green Acres (Costa do Sol, rated: Moderate)

Maderia Springs

Update and warning: Maderia Springs is now an adult-rated nude beach / BDSM location.

Maderia Springs, a Homestead region designed by Thaihiti Baroque, is a curious place; so much so that while we visited it over the weekend at the suggestion of Shakespeare and Max, it’s taken me a few days to settle my thoughts and write about it. Truth be told, I probably wouldn’t be writing about it now had it not been for the fact the region I had been in the middle of blogging was summarily closed to public access by its owner literally just as I was finalising my write-up!

The reason for my having to settle my thoughts is that while Maderia Springs has plenty of photogenic elements to it, it doesn’t, at the the first glance, exactly have a feel of a cohesive whole. Oh, certainly, elements are nicely linked in places: the landing point, the waterside shack and the large central house for example, while the house across the water feeds into this setting rather nicely, as do the cattle and horses. But the region also has a feeling of being more a set of discrete vignettes, rather than an individual whole, the roads and tracks more a convenient means of connecting them rather than being part of a landscape.

Maderia Springs

Thus, I’ve found the region a little hard to quantify in trying to describe it. In the end I decided to treat it as it appears: a grouping of vignettes, each ideally suited to photography; sets, if you will, just awaiting their subjects. Which is not to say a wander through the region along its meandering roads is without reward. Rather the reverse, there is a lot of detail here to be enjoyed, whether it is around the aforementioned central house with its little gardens on either side and to the rear, or among the horses to the north or the wedding chapel up on one of the region’s two high points, or within the numerous little settings awaiting discovery.

Whether or not the chapel see any weddings is immaterial; its open sides and the tables and benches set with food and drink make for an ideal celebratory setting; the blossoms and doves  perfect accompaniments to the bunting and lanterns. All that is missing, perhaps, is a dance system.

Maderia Springs

Down from the chapel on the south side of the region are a couple of waterside settings. Both reflect a love of dogs that can be found throughout the region. One offers a simple picnic style setting with blankets and chairs and sun shades, the other is built around a small summer-house which, going by the easel and paints out on the deck stretching a finger over the water, would appear it be the getaway for an artist. This is in turn watched over from a little cottage sitting on a low hill to the west, a place where tea and refreshments can be partaken on the low-walled terrace, obtained via the van parked there.

The refreshments van reflects the fact that vehicles are very much another theme within the region. They are parked near houses, occupy some of the rutted tracks, and even provide a little lover’s nook among the bushes.

Maderia Springs

One of the aspects that adds to the attraction of Maderia Springs is the choice of windlight. It takes only some minor tweaks to frame images of the landscape pretty much perfectly. In this, the windlight environment is perhaps the thing that does brig the various elements within the region together as a cohesive whole; with those minor adjustments made, it is possible to see the region as a pastoral setting, a place of open countryside where cattle, sheep and horses roam, and farmers tend to them and the land; a place that is perhaps the location of holiday visits, with the large main house offering the perfect escape.

With a suitably rural sound scape, filled with the sound of birds, the occasional bleat of lamb or moo of cow, Maderia Springs does very much come to life as you explore it, while the scattered places where visitors can sit and relaxed offer a further incentive to tarry a while and enjoy the location.

Maderia Springs

For those who do take pictures, a Flickr group is available should you want to share your views of the region, and should you enjoy your visit, keep an eye out for the little windmill donation points, and consider offering assistance towards the region’s upkeep so that other might enjoy it as well.

SLurl Details

Maderia Springs (Maderia Springs, rated: Adult)

Sol Farm – click any image for full size

In looking back through my notes on regions visited in these pages, I came across Sol Farm, a place we first visited just over two years ago (see A Day at Sol Farm in Second Life) but had failed to return to in the intervening time. So I suggested to Caitlyn we hop over and take a look at what may have changed over the past 25 months.

During our first visit to this Full region, designed by Show Masala that utilises the additional 10K Land Capacity option available to private regions, I noted it to be:

A largely rural setting, centred around Sol Farm, complete with thatched farmhouse, fields of crops and livestock, outbuildings, and many of the mechanical accoutrements of a working farm. However, there is much more here than may at first be apparent.

Sol Farm

This is still very much the case. In fact, on first arrival, I wondered if anything had changed since our original visit or if the region had settled into one of those wonderful places that, rather than offering new looks to entice visits and exploration, instead preserve its original look and feel, making it an attractive and familiar place to re-visit,  where memories can be re-awoken be familiar sights.

For example, the thatched farmhouse with its fields are still there, sun-ripened crops looking ready for harvesting. Also still in evidence is the Mediterranean villa to the south of the farm, complete with its suggestion that it is perhaps a holiday home; while off to the west from the landing point the familiar Ferris wheel of an old fun fair breaks the horizon, as does the rocky knob topped by a lighthouse and pavilion.

Sol Farm

But first looks can be a little deceiving: Sol Farm has changed over the intervening time. Thus, for those both new to the region or those who have perhaps visited it in the past but have not returned of late, it makes for an engaging and in places a quirky visit, with much to occupy the eye and camera.

The quirkiness can immediately be evidenced when using the SLurl given in this article. When looking west from the landing point in provides, it is hard to miss the blue whale serenely and slowly circling through the air over the farm, a small wild garden apparently growing on its back (and on in which you can ride for an aerial view of the region). But it is not the only twist to this setting.

Sol Farm

It is also to the west that I spotted another change from our last visit. What had once been a large house occupying its own island connected to the rest of the region via a wooden board walk, is now a headland where another crop is ripening and which ends in a rocky promontory, where sits the most eclectic little group of houses, both on the ground and up in the trees, a little wind turbine supplying them with power.

During our January 2017 visit, I noted in passing the presence of a little Japanese village occupying the west side of the region, but somewhat separated from it by a rocky curtain wall. This is still present and open to visitors (just follow the track around the island to the east and under the Torii gate sheltering beneath a rocky arch, or take the north side beach eastwards until you come to it). However, it now offers another odd little quirk, being the home to a host of cats. And not just any cats; these all stand upright as they go about their business, a large part of which appears to involve some kind of festival.

Sol Farm

There are many elements that bring this setting together as a landscape painting made real. The first, perhaps are the rutted tracks that run through the region. These link the various points of interest – the farm, the villa, the broken old fun fair, the Mediterranean farm alongside it and the north-western headland – into a cohesive whole, giving the feeling you’re really travelling through a place. Another is the use of farm animals, sheep, horses, cattle, that neatly help stitch the central farm and the western lands together. Then there is the rich sound scape that perfectly enfolds everything.

Stay within the region long enough, and you’ll discover another somewhat unique element to it: the weather. Every so often a small tornado will pass through, bringing with it a squall of rain, the wind tossing bits and pieces of rubbish into the air which fall back to Earth in the storm’s wake before vanishing along with the storm itself.

Sol Farm

Beautifully conceived from farm to beaches to houses and village, richly detailed and presented, Sol Farm remains a photogenic joy to visit.

SLurl Details

• Sol Farm (Story of Infinite, rated: Moderate)

On The Other Side – click any image for full size

We first visited On The Other Side in October 2018 (read here for more), and on the suggestion of Shakespeare and Max. At that time, we enjoyed our visit to this Homestead region designed by Michelle (xxMichelle20xx) and Indriel (Indrielx), so when Shakespeare nudged me with the news the region has been updated, we hopped back to have another look. What we found was very different to the settings presented in October 2018, but a place still with its own eye-catching design.

The Landing Point sits in what appears to be a shallow cavern – although one obviously with an opening to the outside world, given the volume of butterflies that have made the cave their home. I confess to being flattered in seeing one of my photos from our October 2018 visit used on the blogger link board before stepping across the water to the “outer” part of the cavern, where a Flickr link can be found together with teleport board up to the {JAS} main store.

On The Other Side

A large slab of cut stone blocks further progress until touched, when it will slide side to reveal the region beyond. Stopping outside reveals the cavern is in fact beneath the ruins of a stone structure, its form suggestive of an ancient place of worship, the door itself faced by an ornate, teal-painted rune.

At first glance, the land beyond the door looks to be a simple rural scene: lavender grows on either side of a path that is itself is bordered by water. More water breaks the land – most of it low-lying  – into a series of islands. Birds can be seen, together with a tall wooden tower close by, a windmill further away.

On The Other Side

But look again. A dragon hovers close by the roof of the wooden tower, while on either side of the ruin behind you are two odd-looking structures: green pillars topped by disc-shaped objects. These have attracted the attention of … visitors. A flying saucer floats close by one of the pillars, a possible rescue mission for the one lying crashed in the long grass to the side of the ruins. The pilot of the latter prowls through the grass, possibly annoyed at losing his vehicle.

These touches mark the magic of the region: an eclectic mix of vignettes, one or two of which  offer echoes of previous builds. To the north side of the region, sitting on one of the islands is a little outdoor cafe, for example. This offers a link back to the region design we visited in October 2018. Should you drop in for a snack, do take care not to disturb the couple of mice who are enjoying their brunch at their own little table.

On The Other Side

The north-east corner of the region is the only part that is off-limits. It is home to a private residence and access control is set. Diagonally across the region of this is a farm, home to the aforementioned windmill. This sits on another island and raises a slightly different warning; when crossing the water between islands, it’s probably best to keep to the paths, bridges and stepping-stones. While the water is shallow in places, in others it can be uncomfortably deep, so you might find yourself taking an unexpected bath!

All of this is just scratching the surface of things. The wealth of detail found within On The Other Side makes exploration a real joy; the mix of ideas means that you’re never sure what might lie beyond the next hedgerow or over the brow of low hill. Standing stones here, a little lovers hideaway there, an unexpected and sheltered beach (complete with an opportunity to surf), over there – and more.

On The Other Side

There are also more of the contrasts to be found throughout. Wander in the right direction, as another example, and you might come across a touch of the Far East mixed with a hint of Africa. A further hint of the Far East sits up on the hills behind the temple ruins, while another reminder of Africa can be found in the waters. For the adventurous who may want to explore the upper levels of the ruins, there is a crawl rope offering a route to them from the nearby wooden watch tower. And talking of adventurers, keep an eye out for the aerial critter braving the air over the crocodile waters!

With numerous places for people to sit and couples to share their company with one another, On The Other Side retains its appeal as a place in which to spend time. Throughout entire region there are numerous opportunities for photography, and pictures can be shared on the Flickr group. Rezzing in the region is permitted, with an auto return time of 60 minutes – but if you do rez, please remember to pick your things up rather than letting auto return take care of it. And, as always, make sure local sounds are enabled so you can appreciate the region’s immersive sound scape.

On The Other Side

SLurl Details

• On the Other Side (The Horizon, rated: Adult)