Category: Reviews

Following a poke from Shawn Shakespeare, I hopped back to Cathy Vathiany’s (zaziaa) ever-evolving region design Lost Dreams, which has had a further re-dress (and relocation), with a design that now exists in a region of two distinct halves, with several secrets awaiting discovery.

To the west, and with a north-south orientation, sits a very temperate-looking landscape which encompasses the landing point within a very rugged setting. This presents a pair of cliff-sides plateaux separated by a low meadow that is home to most of the local wildlife and spanned by a tall suspension bridge that picks its way over an inland body of water fed by falls dropping from a curtain of cliffs.

From the landing point sitting alongside a cobbled path, it is possible to walk path west and then north to where it runs down a slope to a set of steps to where a small waterfront town sits. This is a place of broad paved roads, a busy wharf and waterfront where artists of both the visual and performance kinds have found a home, and posters on the walls give the setting something of a French connection.

Following the cobbles south from the landing point quickly leads to the tall bridge and the southern plateau, a slightly wilder setting offering camping (or glamping, given the use of ultra-modern geodesic domes), with a hint of history with the presence of the ruins of a stone-built church. Winding across the plateau, the path runs down to a southern shoreline and a small island. Those wandering down to this should be aware that there is a rental cottage tucked into the south-west corner of the setting.

To the east, and again with a north-south orientation, the region takes on a completely tropical look. Separated from its temperate neighbour by a broad channel of water, this tropical environment can be reached via a broad bridge connecting the north-western town with a broad events space with café and fairground rides.

Beyond this, the sandy landscape points southwards – although again, be aware that the southern end of the beaches is again given over to a further pair of rental cabins – and these are not the only rentals here. Sitting off the east coast is an arc of tiki rentals, each on its own little sandy hump for those facing a holiday on the water.

Within these two environments, however is more to be found. Clues to this can be found in the form of a couple of teleport portals – one in the temperate one on the tropical – that are hard to miss, and more subtle teleport disc scattered around. Find the right one, and you may be transported under the waters to a sunken gardens, or another to find yourself in a skyborne multiple-room lounge that has – for those of a sensitive nature – a decidedly adult theme (although other adult, umm, pointers, can be found floating on the beachside waters of the intervening channel between the two halves of the region). While sitting over those waters is a cliff side house that – I believe – is open to the public, although access is somewhat restricted.

There are also multiple touches of detail that await photographers – not that the entire setting is in any way unphotogenic; but small details are often what bring a place to life; so these are worth looking out for. There are also curious dichotomies within the region. Take the town for example: it offers something of a European tone with a pub, outdoor café, the street performance, etc., – and then sitting on the streets is a pair of stagecoaches right out of the American west.

Compared to past versions of Lost Dreams – and Les Reves Perdus (“Dreams Lost”) before it – this iteration of Cathy’s vision is very different in tone, simply because of the way it offers that temperature / tropical split whereas past designs have tended towards just the one overall theme for their setting, be it Nordic, temperate, tropical or pastoral. However, it is clear Cathy has taken extraordinary care to make sure the two sides of the region work both as individual settings and as a united whole, with equal care being taken to keep the rentals sufficiently apart from the public spaces so as to minimise the risk of intrusion from public to private.

All of which makes for another engaging visit.

SLurl Details

• Lost Dreams (Creative Hearts, rated Adult)

Bo and Una Zano (BoZanoNL and UnaMayLi) are back with a new Homestead region offering which is an absolute joy – as one might expect from Bo, who is justifiably held in high regard for his Elvion region designs.

Having opened in March, RockMead offers a wonderfully delightful setting that contains within itself shades of Elvion whilst offering an entire unique environment; a group of islands rich with the sense of spring and summer; a place where horses roam and stags and deer keep an eye on things on land, whilst heron watch over the waters and birds give the air song.

This is a setting that could easily be wherever the mind cares to fancy, northern or southern hemisphere; although that said, the beaver present within the setting do perhaps suggest this is a place far more in the northern hemisphere than the southern. The islands making up the landscape sit as something of a nested family: one of the two larger isles sits cupped in the arms of the other, a small isle sitting as home to the landing point held gently between them.

The landing point sits tucked into the south-east of the region, leaving the rest of the land spread before the visitor ready to be explored. Little humpbacked bridges span the waters as they divide the the landscape, connecting the dusty trails that cut across the low-lying lands to offer routes for wandering feet. The only man-made exceptions to the stone bridges are a pair of wooden walkways that span the channel splitting the westernmost island from its brethren.

A long, slim finger of grassland topped by trees, this western isle is the most “private” it terms of its position sitting beyond the widest channel of water and partially hidden from the rest of the region by low hills. To its northern end sits a little sandy area – not a beach per se, but a place secluded enough to offer a little romantic setting at the water’s edge, reached by passing under a natural rocky arch.

At the southern end of this island, the beaver mentioned above are busily creating a dam – one perhaps sufficient enough to cause the waters to spread behind it and offer more of a protected place in which the local geese can swim.

A single homestead occupies the land, sitting on the large L-shaped island. It is a simple affair, partially ringed by dry stone walls, its rough-hewn frame and walls topped by a roof that has in turn been covered by turf to provide an extra layer of insulation, suggesting this is a place that can get cold in the winter months.

Sheep graze on the grass in front of the cottage, whilst from its overhanging front eaves it offers a view across the last of the islands, a place set out for horse grazing and marked by a single ruin; that of a former brick-built house that now sits at the edge of slowly-encroaching waters, the fence alongside it already partially submerged.

Pastoral in tone, RockMead is a place where the beauty runs large and small; from the overall design of the region through to the little birds waiting to be found here and there. Horses roam their field and take the occasional nap; geese swim the waters and pass overhead, whilst at least one familiar little character from the Elvion builds is watching over the landing point. It is a setting that is genuinely relaxing in look and feel, neatly rounded out by an engaging sound scape.

Another superb build from Bo and Una, and one that should be savoured by all, Those wishing to rez props for photography can join the local Group in order to do so – but please remember to clean up if you do.

SLurl Details

• RockMead (rated General)

Recently I was asked by a friend in Second Life if I knew of any good holiday resorts in-world, a question that had me thinking; while over the last few years there seems of have been a upsurge of vacation-style destination venues in SL, I’ve rarely covered them in this blog (partly, I’ll admit, because of unfortunate experiences in a couple) However, the question came on top of me also learning about a relatively new such destination in world, and it prompted me to hop over and take a look.

The destination in question is Badu- Egypt – Aswan City, a place which offers a mix of public spaces and more private opportunities for vacationing and touring, with a mix of activities that can be enjoyed by visitors as well as by guests availing themselves of the vacation opportunity.

Operated as (at the time of writing) the latest destination presented by AshaRhia Resident as a part of her Asha Destinations SL Travel Agency, Badu – Egypt is currently set to be open for at least 2 weeks (starting on March 25th), with a potential for this to be extended to up to four weeks, depending upon its popularity. Like Aswan, it mixes two faces of Egypt, ancient and modern, into a single location, offering visitors the chance to learn about some of the history of Ancient Egypt whilst also being pampered.

The two halves of the region are divided by height., with the ancient Egyptian elements occupying the land just above sea level, and the luxury amenities of the hotel sitting on a plateau above them, a layout that keeps them nicely separated while maintaining their relationship via the interconnecting steps leading from one to the other.

The ancient Egyptian elements of the region are located on its east side, and laid out in a north-south orientation. To reach them from the landing point follow the path around the base of the cliffs and pass the steps rising to the hotel area. They are dominated by the bulk of a vast temple, that sits with a chariot racing arena as a buffer between it and the rest of the setting, whilst containing what is very much a modern museum. Here, visitors can find images and information cards on multiple aspects of life and society in ancient Egypt, encompassing the lives of Pharaohs down to those of humble farmers, and incorporating elements such as clothing, jewellery, wigs, etc., with the temple itself offering a huge sense of space, wall frescoes, and a nod to the importance of water to the Egyptian civilisation.

South of this and the chariot arena, is a more desert-like landscape that offers a feel of the great pyramids of Giza coupled with the ancient ruins of somewhere like Thebe. Together with the more pristine building to the north, these serve to give visitors a good sense of Egypt’s long history through the ages without being tied to a singular period.

The upper area of the region presents a luxury resort complex, split between public and private areas, with the former taking up the central part of the resort and comprising with a front desk, swimming pools, the treatment spa, etc., all of which can be enjoyed by the casual visitor. The seven private suites border this to either side, all clearly delineated from the public areas by their frontage while offering a luxury stay for guests.

The larger of the suite designs present lower floor lounge areas with adjoining kitchen and dining areas, an upper TV lounge area,  private terraces (one with a hot tub), and a separate sleeping wing with lower floor grand bedroom with dressing room and bathroom, and an upper level with two further bedrooms and shared bathroom. The smaller units, located around the front desk and the hotel’s bar, offer single-floor accommodation with a more open plan approach to living, dining and kitchen, with a separate bedroom and bathroom, and each has a single terrace with hot tub, they also share a communal poolside lounge.

Guest / visitor activities take various forms, including Afrobeat dance classes, a quest, chariot racing, pottery classes and basket weaving classes (all role-play) – non-guests can participate in these for a fee of L$500, with details of times, etc., available at the front desk. Spa treatments and fine dining (both again role-play) are also available, with prices available to non-guests at the front desk. In addition, guests and visitor can join a guided tour of the Abu Simbel Temple Museum.

Badu- Egypt – Aswan City is a setting that has been brought together with a great deal of care and thought for visitors within to experience the fullness of travel to a destination within Second Life. The region is well laid-out, clearly signed, and there is a lot on offer. Fees, as noted, can be found at the hotel’s front desk, and vacations can be booked through the associated website, via the bookings page.

Given all this is available within the region, it can take its toll on the viewer; therefore those on low-to-mid-range systems should (as I’m prone to note in these situations) be prepared to make some adjustments to their system if they encounter problems. However, this should not put anyone off taking a trip to the region and seeing it for themselves!

SLurl Details

• Badu- Egypt – Aswan City (Origins 1, rated Moderate)