Bellisseria Update: Working on The Railroad

By Bixyl Shuftan

While attention was on the Second Life Birthday, work on the Bellisseria region continues. This includes the railroad, and rail bridges, rail lines, and the occasional railroad station are being placed by Linden Lab's moles.

 On the map, one can just barely see the rail lines as brown lines. A little easier to see are the light green lines marking places for track to be placed.

The quickest place to find them are at bridge areas, where a rail bridge is next to a road bridge.

 At some places, the moles placed rail, ties, and other objects to help give the impression of a rail line under construction, which it is.

There are occasional stations along the railroad.

I (or rather my alt in this case), was able to rezz a rail car and move along. At one point though, the car got stuck. So I had to go into edit and push it a distance.

While most of the tracks laid down went by community areas, there were some through some more rocky and wooded places.

 It made for some picturesque scenery.

At one point, I found a zip line that led from the top of a hill next to the tracks.

The areas near the track are being filled with Linden Homes, available to Premium account residents, the ones I saw in Victorian and log cabin styles.

But while much track has been laid down and ready to use, there's still more to lay down. On the ground, one can see the green lines marked for future building.

So one can't ride a train across eastern Bellisseria just yet. But eventually it can be done in the future. For now, the moles will still be workin' on the railroad.

Bixyl Shuftan (and Rezzdammit Resident)

Three More SL17B Exhibits

By Bixyl Shuftan

The events may have been over for a week, but the exhibits are still up. And there are a lot of them. One that got my attention was the "Epic Surf Center" at SL17B Stunning (217/33/23).

Epic Surf Center promotes all information related to surfing in Second Life; from surfing regions, surfboards, and swimsuits/wet-suits. There is a wealth of information on surfing, instruction on surfboards, and up-to-date surf-related events in Second Life.

Unlike some exhibits, this one is interactive. The area has a huge pool in the middle, simulating a wave. To surf around, just touch the rezzable surfboard, and one will rezz. Get on it, and ride around for a while. You can also read information about the main location of the center inworld.

Another exhibit that got my attention was from the "Instituto Espanol SL" group's Aztec pyramid build. On the inside, one gets a lesson about Aztech mythology and it's beliefs on life after death.

Mictlan was the Aztec Underworld, ruled by it's Lord and Lady. It was a gloomy place reached by the dead only after wandering for four years beneath the earth, accompanied by a "soul companion", a dog which was customarily cremated with the corpse. 

The journey from the first level to the ninth was difficult, and took four years. But the dead were aided by the psychopomp Xolatol. The dead had to pass many challenges, such as crossing a mountain range where the mountains crashed into each other, a field of wind that blew flesh-scraping knives, and a river of flood with fearsome jaguars.

Getting through one level of this underworld required going through one jungle in which the chests of the souls were typically slashed open by wild animals, and the hearts torn out and eaten by a jaguar. Talk about "eat your heart out."

You can get to the pyramid at SL17B Captivate (101/88/23). There's also a video one can watch (link).

There was another water-themed exhibit that I thought was noteworthy, "Underwater Wonders" at SL17B Astonish (56/225/21)

As the waves gently rise and fall giving the air of calm, what could possibly like beneath? First, take a moment to learn about a few creatures from the sea and then stroll on down to the climate-controlled observation pod. Be sure to grab your free gift while there. Please watch your step on the way out! Actually, take a deep breath! Brought to you by creators Cynimon Catnap & Diamonique Viper on behalf of Vipera!

As mentioned, at one spot are displays to read up about some of the numerous living things in the ocean. There's also a pipe you can go down and port into a couple picturesque undersea area. One has a dance animation for mermaid avatars. Another has a free gift, a face and snorkel, that depending on your avatar may require some tweaking.

By all means, don't just stop at these exhibits. There are many more fun ones to explore. You have until Sunday July 12 to do so before they fade away into memory.

Bixyl Shuftan