Safari gets into the Zone

Our first outing for the 2026 Fall season of Safari was on a new grid, called The Zones, which is the home of Kimm Starr and Cooper Swizzle. They have prepared an interactive build, or Experience, that is colorful, fun, and breathtaking, on the theme of 'Day of the Dead,' which is also the name of the sim. We were delighted to be invited to see it and while about halfway through our visit, there were some technical problems, it's clear that this is a lovely build you should see for yourselves! The HG Address is, of course, at the end of the post.

It was so nice to see many people on the trip, new faces and regular safarians alike. As you know anyone who wants to join us is welcome, so don't feel shy, come on over next week and be part of the event! Of course, no guarantees your bits and pieces will travel at the same speed when you grid jump...

Ayla Alvarez: I don't want to say hello until I look like a normal human avatar... ah... there I am...  phew!

Alex Salamander Hello everyone :-)

Star Ravenhurst: Hi Alex

Mike Fleetwood: hello everyone

Tutz Zabelin: hi to all new

Cooper Swizzle looking drop dead gorgeous

Cooper Swizzle: Welcome everyone.  We will begin at 5 after 12 so others can join us and rez in. In the meantime, if you turn your sound on there is music. Welcome Ayla, and Neo. Hello Alex.

Kimm Starr: We will start in a couple of minutes... please check your environment is set to midnight and your in-world sound is on

Max Well: hello everyone

Cherry Manga: Hi all!

James Atlloud: wow, so many stars in the sky!

Jade Serenity: yeah and clothing :P

Marlon Wayne: Huhu Yara

Cooper Swizzle: Hello Koshari

Star Ravenhurst: Hi Dorena

Cooper Swizzle: Please come stand behind the yellow line...

James Atlloud: define 'behind'

Forest Azure: i guess behind is where cooper is

Thirza Ember: 21 present that's a nice start to the season!

Forest Azure: oh, it is where cooper is NOT!

Ayla Alvarez: giggles

Bruce: Welcome Hypergrid Safarians! We’re so happy to have you here! Before we begin our journey, we have just a few quick instructions to help everything run smoothly. First, the Translator. You will see a pop-up menu on the right-hand side of your screen; select your preferred language. Whenever the translation menu appears on your screen, simply select your language again.

Cherry Manga: sorry I'm too lagging, have a great safari, send you all love

Terri.S: hello everyone

Lavia.LLavine: Hello everybody!!

Bruce: Now, if everyone would please step behind the yellow line, we need to leave plenty of room for the parade to pass. Keep a close eye on local chat. Your guides will be telling the story and giving you directions throughout the tour.  

Maria:  Welcome, friends, to The Zones Day of the Dead experience. My name is Maria, and I'll be your guide as we step into one of Mexico's most beautiful traditions.  Before we go farther, I want to invite you to enjoy our parade. This is not a parade of sadness, but one of love and remembrance.

Ayla Alvarez: when I was a kid at a parade my dad would put me on his shoulders so I could see

Maria:  Families believe that the spirits of loved ones return to visit.  The parade is a  joyful procession that welcomes the returning spirits!  So we fill the streets with music and marigolds and dance, to welcome them home with joy.

 The Day of the Dead has been celebrated in one form or another in Mexico for centuries, it's a combo of Aztec imagery and beliefs (the Aztec Empire dates from the 1400's), and Catholic practices (introduced in the 1500's). In the early 20th century around the time of the Mexican Revolution when there was a sharp contrast between Mexican identity and the Catholic church and other European influences, the Day of the Dead came to particular prominence, although in a spontaneous rather than organized way. The opening scenes of the Bond movie SPECTRE (2015)  featured a fictional Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City, and thanks to the popularity of the film, the city decided to organize a real annual event which has been popular ever since. 

Ayla Alvarez: I keep expecting to see James Bond

Thirza Ember: we have James Atlloud, kind of the same

Maria:  For over the last ten years, the capital has marked the holiday with a real parade – one born 

 from fiction, inspired by a Bond film.  Before SPECTRE, it never existed.  It's a case of pop culture inspiring a lasting cultural tradition.

Lavia Lavine: LOVE that music

Ayla Alvarez: uh, oh....here comes....

Cooper Swizzle: Hey let's dance, touch the box

Mike Fleetwood: cool

Forest Azure: my head! clothes!

Ayla Alvarez: giggles  OS is such a blast

James Atlloud: Forest, you are all here

Forest.Azure: yes, finally James

Jade Serenity: this is great

Maria:   I hope you enjoyed the parade.  Please, if you would be so kind as to follow me to the cemetery,  to learn more about Día de los Muertos, Come this way. 

Maria:  Along this tour, you'll see many of the traditions that are part of Día de los Muertos." "There, to your left, you'll notice pan de muerto, or bread of the dead.  This sweet bread is placed on altars and shared in remembrance. And see the flower carts, overflowing with bright orange marigolds? Their color and scent are said   to guide the spirits back to their families." "You'll also notice monarch butterflies. Many believe they carry the souls returning to visit. And finally, the ofrendas,  the family altars." "They're decorated with photos, candles, food, and keepsakes. Gifts of love to welcome those who are remembered.

Thirza Ember: I have some pan de muerto at the back of my fridge, at least I think it's muerto, it certainly has its own .... culture...

Maria:   As we enter the cemetery, you'll see that this is not a place of sadness, but a place where "memories are shared, stories are told, and love continues across generations."  Please follow me into the cemetery. You may see people dancing or laughing right beside the graves.  And that's because for these two nights,  the veil between the living and the dead  feels thinner.  It's a vigil, yes, but also a reunion.  The candles you see and the songs you hear are all part of guiding and welcoming the spirits back with   joy and not with fear.

Maria:  The creation of altars has been an important part of Día de los Muertos,  a festival whose origins are deeply rooted in Aztec beliefs and tied to the goddess Mictecacihuatl,  also known as the “Lady of the Dead. 
Maria:  Before we continue,  I invite you to light a candle for someone you love.   The candle alters are both to your right and left.  The flame is a small light to guide memories and hearts alike.

Maria:  If everyone would  please come and stand behind me, I want to tell you a little story about the alebrijes.  What is an alebrijes you ask?  It is a fantastical creature, bright and bold,  born from Mexican folk art. Not a historic Day of the Dead tradition,  but a modern symbol many people now see as a faithful guide or protector.  In our story tonight, the alebrijes will carry us on his back beyond the veil that separates our world from the next.  He will take us for a glimpse into the spirit world. Here he comes now, look up at the sky! When he lands please take a seat on his back and hold on. You will have a few extra seconds to take a photo while we wait for everyone to be seated.

And just like that we were transported to the blue, otherworldly plaza surrounded by skulls. Just seven of us survived a grid hiccup that logged everyone else out, including Kimm and Cooper, who were blocked from re-entering. 

This blue plaza is where one meets  Mictlacaheuatl queen of the dead

Mictlacaheuatl:  I am the skull beneath the flesh the truth you dread, I am the end that gives your meaning its thread

Mictlacaheuatl:  I am the silence that makes your laughter sacred. I am not your enemy I am your fate embedded.

Mictlacaheuatl:   So lean in close and hear what I have to say.    This is for your journey on its way

Jade Serenity: Oooooo!!!

Thirza Ember: great change of ambience

Forest Azure: this place looks .. dead!

Thirza Ember: did we lose some folks?

Terri S: looks like it

Nara Nook: we're figuring it out

Thirza Ember: it's a Mexican Log Off! LOL

Nara Nook: I think the dragon caused an avatar rapture

Forest Azure: it was a very fuzzy dragon .. not sure fuzzy is a good word!

Thirza Ember: it captures the feeling

Terri S: I loved the ride - magical

The magnificent 007 survivors of the great crash,
Forest, Terri, Thirza, Nara, Neo, Jade and Alex, all from different grids.

Forest Azure: a bus!

Thirza Ember: let's sit, in honor of James

Alex Salamander: who are the driver?

Bus ride!

Thirza Ember: where is Xenon when you need her

Thirza Ember: the lag is breathtaking, but so is the mesh!

Nara Nook: true

In a perfect world, the bus would have taken us around the sim to the other side and we would have entered another courtyard where an animesh version of Star Ravenhurst sings a song about the afterlife.

And we would also have visited the Mercado, which has lots of great freebies available for visitors! However, the lag got us, and so our trip was cut a little shorter than planned. Visiting the day after, Cooper and Kimm showed off some of the bits we missed, and also mentioned a bit upcoming event that will affect the whole of opensim. 

Kimm Starr

Thirza Ember:  It's a really fun sim, are the interactive parts of it available on demand? I mean like the bus and the singer, and the ride on the alebrijes ? 

Kimm Starr: It is still to some extent a work in progress, we plan to have the interactive parts working for passing visitors in time for the Hypergrid Hunt 

Thirza Ember: Oh tell me more about that. Great stuff!

Cooper Swizzle: This gives Grid Owners and Region Owners a chance to showcase your region, encourage exploration across the Hypergrid, and be part of a fun, community-wide adventure.

Kimm Starr: People can already pick up a Hypergrid Hunt Kit. it includes everything you need to participate. 

Cooper Swizzle: And here - we have a video that explains it.

HG Address: login.thezones.icu:8002:Day of the Dead