Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld

Update: It appears this iteration of Natural Falls has closed. SLurls have therefore been removed.

DannChris might be a hamster in Second Life (and love the Maverick profile photo, Dann!), but he’s a hamster with a love of water settings. we discovered this when visiting his Natural Falls V in early 2017 (see Navigating Natural Falls in Second Life) and again with a visit to A L T I T U D E earlier in 2019 (see Gaining a little A L T I T U D E in Second Life).

At the start of July 2019, Dann dropped me a note thanking me for writing about A L T I T U D E – which was nice in itself – and to inform me that a new Natural Falls would be coming along soon. More recently, friend and fellow traveller, Miro Collas poked me to let me know it had arrived. So hoping it has retained the watery themes present in the previous builds and within A L T I T U D E, we jumped over to take a look.

Natural Falls has tended to represent, in Dann’s words, a decaying city waterlogged by some disaster – whether man-made or natural or a combination of both (such as humanity’s willingness to acknowledge climate change but stubborn refusal to adequately address it), is up to the visitor to determine.

As with previous builds, the city sits at least knee-deep in water and under the cement conduits of a really elevated railway, the parallel tracks of which sit to the north and south, bracketing the larger part of the city below them.

Getting around is a matter of following the wooden board walks, some of which sit between walls cunningly designed to resemble buildings, adding to the feel that this is a sprawling, flooded metropolis when seen from lower levels.  Power lines are strung along some of this walkways, passing between tall poles that march along the board walks, giving the impression some of the buildings here are still occupied. The walkways don’t however, all interconnect – so if you’re going to explore everywhere (and you should), you’re going to have to be prepared to do a little jumping and / or get your legs wet.

This is particularly true if you want to get down to the little Japanese style market that sits just over (and on) the water, or drop in to the old amusement park the water has claimed as its own, the old roller coaster looking rather forlorn. A slightly worrying aspect of stepping down into the water is the fact that off to the north-east, a couple of massive electrical pylons drip their high-tension power lines in to the waves. Fortunately, neither one is actually connected to a electrical generation system, so there’s no risk of electrocution present with them!

Which is just as well, really, because it is only by wading through the water that you can get to visit what I personally think is one of the most gorgeous motifs Dann presents in his region designs: a fabulous walled and flooded garden. I first saw this in Natural Falls V, and it was  – for a time, and in an expanding form – a feature of A L T I T U D E, so encountering it within this iteration of Natural Falls came as an absolute delight.

“I had to recreate it,” Dann informed me when I noted its presence,  “We had a party at Altitude which needed a special place, but there wasn’t enough LI, so the garden got taken down.” He paused a moment and continued, “I will put it back at some point 🙂 .” If he does, I hope he actually reproduces the garden in some form at A L T I T U D E rather than moving it from Natural Falls, as it makes for an ideal focal point; and with a suitable teleport portal, could even make for a nice link between the two regions.

There are other reminders of past builds to be found here – the old pavilion sitting among the lilies, the great engines slung beneath the elevated railway lines and concrete channel that turn massive propellers – presumably helping to keep the structures aloft.

Also to be found are the more artistic / whimsical statements those who have visited past Natural Falls might find familiar. The figures close to the landing point, for the example, who stand beneath a pained warning: Who Watches The Watchers, even as a haphazard pile of televisions rises close by to apparently keep an eye on them – and while a flying saucer overhead appears to be spiriting some of them away! Then there are the quirky little places to sit waiting to be found, such as atop a set of diving boards, complete with a potted plant. Or, in a touch of delightful and fantastical whimsy, a blue whale slowly circling in the air and offering passers-by a ride, either hanging from the ladder that dangles from his flank or in the garden sprouting  from his back.

Imaginative, rich in detail, quirky, fun, and giving a little tap on the shoulder of ecological conscience, with this iteration, Natural Fall remains a thoroughly recommended visit. Photos can be shared via the region’s Flickr group.

Lost Lagoon is a Homestead region designed by knight676 and Jana Guyot that offers an engaging – if curiously populated – setting that also has the ability to look and feel much bigger than the  65,536 sq metres offered by a region.

The region description states Lost Lagoon is a “lost place in the South Seas. Witnesses of bygone days and paradise for those who seek solitude and nature.” Certainly, it has all the elements one might associate with the South Seas (which usually encompasses the South Pacific): a tropical feel, palm trees, balmy beaches, and so on. But there is enough here to throw something of a spanner in the idea that Lost Lagoon is a South Pacific paradise and which serve to make it a unique setting deserving of exploration.

Surrounded by off-sim islands that perhaps in places look a little more temperate with there grass slopes, this is nevertheless a tropical setting, as evidenced by the presence of both palm trees and Moai, the latter of which certainly give the region a Polynesian twist. The island itself offers every sign of having once been the home of a lagoon: to the south is what appears to have once been a rock wall, long since breached by the sea, causing the former lagoon to become a bay cutting deeply into the island.

Within this bay are two much smaller islands,  little more than sandy humps. However, one of them is home to a small group of African elephants – the first hint, perhaps, that this really is a lost and unusual setting. They sit under the palm trees and even wade in the water, apparently unfazed that it is most likely salty seawater.

Of course, one might argue that the presence of African elephants might be excused by the fact that Asian elephants are in short supply in SL – but what then of the hippos with their slightly oversized tusks occupying the water by the second of the two little islands? They perhaps more directly throw a suggestion of Africa into the mix, contrasting strongly with the south seas idea, while the tigers roaming the island behind them further stirring the mix.

Thus, Lost Lagoon offers an intriguing mix, almost is if it is a kind of lost world in terms of the creatures to be found across it. And nor are the elephant, hippos and tiger the only curious mixing. Lions and meerkats also offer further hints of Africa – although the latter might be standing-in for mongoose. Also to be found across the island are snakes, waterfowl and birds of assorted kinds, all presenting  rich mix of wildlife.

There is also considerable evidence of human habitation to be found here, both ancient and modern. The latter perhaps most clearly comes in the form of the great, dome-topped finger of a lighthouse to the east of the island. Beneath it and almost within its lee, sits a nicely furnished cabin – perhaps that of those responsible for maintaining the lighthouse – built out of the cooling waters of a shallow bay.

Ruins to be found in the bay offer a more ancient setting, while the sometimes ramshackle cabins found around the coast help to give the impression that humans have been living here for some time. However, perhaps the most curious mad-made structure on the island is that of an aged submarine that appears to have grounded itself on part of the ancient lagoon wall. It had clearly been there so long that it has be claimed by the local foliage to the point where, from the landward side of the island, it looks like a metallic cavern sitting at the end of the trestle bridge that reaches out to it.

These low-lying man-made structures and ruins are overlooked by a old fortification and small chapel both of which stand on the island’s rocky spine. They are reached via a twisting path offering more chances for exploration, while on their far side, sitting on its own promontory and reach by passing under a rocky arch, sits the most wonderful ruin of a church or cathedral, beautifully repurposed.

With its rich mix of wildlife and range of influences – Moai, a Moroccan water pump house, a sitting Buddha, shrine to Shiva, and so on – Lost Lagoon really is an intriguing mix wrapped in an attractive tropical setting. There is a lot of take in, plenty to photograph (with a Flickr group for those who might was to share their images, rezzing rights available by joining the local group for L$150), and numerous places to simply sit and appreciate the location.

SLurl Details

• Lost Lagoon (Sea Starr, rated Moderate)