Second Sanctuary

Back again, sorry about that... distracted. 
Opensim is so full of interesting grids and regions, it's impossible to know it all, and there are always people and places out there worth discovering, or rediscovering. It's a place of joy, adventure, wonder and friendship, with zero jetlag and very little drama unless you go looking for it.

The HG Safari tours return on 2 September for another ten weeks of variety, vistas and vibrant destinations. One neat place that the Safari will be visiting for the first time during this upcoming season is 2nd Sanctuary Grid. Here's the welcome region, with handy teleports to the main places of interest.

This grid is owned by Pete Taylor and Naomi Volturi. Now all you oldbies, don't be confused with the sadly long gone Sanctuary Grid by Shaun Emerald, famous among early HG explorers for Eld, the region of portals. 2nd Sanctuary isn't a new grid though, both the grid and its owners have been around for quite a while. Pete shared a few details about how he found Opensim.

Safari Signs Off for the Summer

Our second destination was on the Ozone grid, address of course at the end of the post. This is our last tour until the Fall, so we went somewhere with stunning effects.

We were making a return to Dismayland the theme park with a twist, or rather many twists, jokes, puns, insults, a place that is gleesome and gruesome at the same time. After navigating the skybox where the security guards are pretty alarming, we arrived at ground level in the entrance tent where Spax, the grid owner, was awaiting us.
Spax Orion:  Last time HG Safari graced these grounds, every single one of you got a taste of Dismayland swamp water. ::: THEN ::: Atrius Station: The game arena didn't survive the evening. The IMAGE party got hijacked and the presentation was delivered entirely by pigeons. You took the game home in pieces. Dirty Helga called it a masterpiece. 

James.Atlloud: nice

Spax Orion: What started as an iniquitous fun fair is now a virtual novel — the NPCs, the sideshows, the rides, the rubbish on the ground — every piece is a word in a story designed to mock the very reality you just escaped.

Spax Orion our host and guide

Spax Orion: I thought we would have a SCAVENGER HUNT in the middle of a minefield this evening. There are several fountains in this park. ONE is the fountain of youth. Almost every fountain is a liar! Watch your health! Find the REAL one, tell the GAME BOARD its exact object Name — then describe WHY. What did it do? What did it say? Where exactly is it? What's nearby? 

Forest Azure: ah, one last time this season on Thirza's head

Safari Meets Nick

Our last Safari for a while, and we went to visit some old friends who have recently moves to a new - and yet old? - home Confused? Well, that's par for the course on Safari. We were on OSGrid, to see their region dedicated to Nicola Tesla, Wardenclyffe, the HG Address at the end of the post as always.

Yara Eilde: Hello everyone

Alex Salamander: Hello :-)

Max Well: hello

camryn darkstone: Hello Yara and Alex, Max, welcome!

Camryn Darkstone

camryn darkstone: Welcome to Wardenclyffe! This is a reproduction of the laboratory of the famous inventor Nicola Tesla.  Tesla's story is fascinating. Walter and I wanted to build a place that would let people learn about him. You may not have heard of Nicola Tesla. But his inventions affect your life every day. For one thing, he invented AC current, which is why you are able to have electricity in your home. Tesla's arch-rival, Thomas Edison, invented DC current, but it was too impractical for widespread use. The conflict between Tesla's AC current and Edison's DC current is known as "The Current War". There was a recent movie about it, by the same name.

A Pocket Safari

Our second stop this week, after the intense colors and sensations of Nyx Breen's build over on Pangea grid, was a landscape region, all swamp, woodland, and subtle colors. Pandanus Pocket - what an intriguing name! The HG Address is of course at the end of the post. Landscaper Chelsea Louloudi has been in opensim for well over a decade, and has recently found a new home on Wolf Territories Grid, where she very kindly offered to show us around her latest creation.

Thirza Ember: Hey everyone, It is very VERY early in the morning in Australia, where our hostess Chelsea Louloudi lives

Chelsea Louloudi: Hello Everyone!

Bink Draconia: =(-,-)=HuHu =(-,-)=

Yara Eilde: Hello Chelsea

Max Well: hi

Thirza Ember: Chelsea has a translator orb, so that can help everyone understand our conversation (I wish it had a setting for typonese): on her head

Chelsea Louloudi: ahaha Thirza...i'm getting a good giggle Welcome Everyone...great to see you!

Thirza Ember: you guys remember Chelsea's work, she did collaborations with Mudpuddle - remember the Pepperland sims?

Nara Nook: Yeah :)

Jame Atlloud: oh yes

Thirza Ember: over to you Chelsea - I hope you have plenty of black coffee

Chelsea Louloudi: I do Thirza! earlier than i calculated

Thirza Ember: tell us the truth what time is it there

Chelsea Louloudi: 6:06 am

Dings Digital : good morning!

Chelsea Louloudi: morning Dings :)

Nara Nook: Thank you for getting up so early

Chelsea Louloudi: So Welcome to Pandanus Pocket Why "Pandanus Pocket"? The Pandanus is a tree that is common in my part of the real world in the sub-tropics... the name has always appealed to me, as it conveys that tropical feel.

Thirza Ember: that was absolutely not the answer I was expecting

Forest Azure: it is a good tree for lothorien!

Chelsea Louloudi: On this deck is an example of Pandanus tree and it's fruit, which is edible and the leaves are also used in cooking.  Take copies for yourselves. Also on this deck is a stand containing landmarks of my favourite shopping destinations and also interesting places. Just touch it and you will receive a folder. The treasure chests also contain some goodies.

Breen There, Done That

It was the last but one Safari of the season, next week is our finale, until September when the Fall season begins. If you're interested in having us come visit your region or your grid in the Fall, don't hesitate to send me a message on Opensimworld or whichever social you can find me on.

As usual we met on the HG Safari grid where that big yellow prim contains the LMs and a very short notecard with info about the trip. But in just the twinkle of an eye it was time to head for destination one, on Pangea, the art-friendly grid owned by Marlon Wayne and Tutz Zabelin, who were there to welcome us.
Marlon Wayne: Hello everyone

Tutz Zabelin[sv→en]: Hi all

James.Atlloud: Nyx, this is amazing.  Is there a pbx reflection in the sky?  It's CRAZY!

Nyx Breen: EEP effects... have a few, and for sea also

Thirza Ember: I guess I messed up the LM somehow but we are all here now, apologies for any delay

Nyx Breen: welcome Havoc, hello and welcome everyone, please have your shared environment on and max your graphics

Arriving on Immersive 3 is intense!

Nyx Breen: up we go

Angelic Kisses: oh wow

Nyx Breen: Since my first foray into Second Life in 2005, I have been captivated by the world of Virtual Arts. My journey has been a testament to my unwavering passion as I've delved into all the opportunities available to artists. 

Scenes and Dreams on ArtDestiny

 The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; 
but still there is much that is fair,

 and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, 

it grows perhaps the greater,

JRR Tolkien, Lord of the Rings Book 2 Chapter 6

We visited ArtDestiny grid this week as our first stop, (HG Address as usual at the end of this post) in part to congratulate this group of friends for the 5th anniversary of their grid, but also to witness some of the remarkable creations to be found here. If you've read tis blog before you will be familiar with Stormy Scorpio and her regions on the grid that have an ingenious duality. 

Stormy Scorpio on Lothlorien

High in the sky - no, in outer space, perhaps would be a better way to put it - you'll find a dozen Star Trek spaceships, explorable and fully loaded. At ground level, and working kind of like the holodeck environments from Star Trek TNG, you have a gently glamorous landscape, full of elven architecture.

LMs for our trips are in this simple, giant prim at the HG Safari clubhouse 'waiting room'

But of course, before that, we all met up at the clubhouse on HG safari grid. Some folks arrive plenty early so they can get the LMs and have a chat before we depart for our first stop, but there's also a rush of folks in the four or five minutes before go time. If you arrive a little late, or maybe can make just the second hour, don't worry, you can still grab the landmarks and join us, the more the merrier!

Thirza Ember: hello Isabelle,  you have the LMs ok?

Isabelle Sun[de>en]: I only have this one from  OSW 

Thirza Ember: in this prim, the Lms for today...

Isabelle Sun[de>en]: bought :-)

Thirza Ember:  sometimes, there is a last minute change, for that reason I do not publish the full destinations in social media, it would be too complicated to go around and modify the publicity everywhere, so to try to avoid confusion, the only place where you can get  the guaranteed correct destinations is in this box

 Isabelle Sun[de>en]: Okay, that's well organized

Fantasy With Friends

Safine Mahoe: Hello Everyone!

Zuzu Bahro: Hi everyone

Dings Digital: Hello :-)

Alex54 salamander: Hello :-)

Thirza Ember: did my clothes survive the tp this time?

Safine Mahoe: everyone looking good

Thirza Ember: LOL 'looking good' could be different to 'fully clothed'

James Atlloud: yes, all green and pink

Safine Mahoe: Please click on  the translator  ball above

Forest Azure: i see a lot of tags with no people attached

James Atlloud: some things are taking time to arrive

Forest Azure: bodies?

Thirza Ember: Zuzu looks like she stepped out of the pages of a fairy story, and Safine's wings are magical - half invisible, so delicate