Since Serene Footman is back and started to work with Jade Koltai again. Just recently we could visit Black Bayou Lake again (read here). Saturday, May 21st, Jade and Serene opened a brand new sim: “Ojuela“.
To no surprise Ojuela is an extraordinairy place, a place not many of us know about and will ever see in reality. But we can visit Ojuela in Second Life!
Serene Footman wrote a detailed blogpost about Ojuela. I strongly recommend to read this post before you visit Ojuela in Second Life. I will have to repeat some of what Serene already wrote.
Ojuela is in Mexico. It is a small mining settlement, now well known as a ghost town as a result of the ore being exhausted. Ojuela was established after the discovery of abandoned gold and silver mines in the area in 1598. The Ojuela Mine produced a large quantity of mineral during the last part of the 19th century. With the advent of the railroad, all the extracted ore were transported away from the mine by train and processed in the nearby town of Mapimí (source: wikipedia)
Ojuela in Mexcio – a few pictures (lower left is a historic pictures taken from Serene’s blogpot)
Today Ojuela is best known for the “Puente de Ojuela”, which consists of a long pedestrian walkway suspended by a spider’s web of steel cables over a gorge 100 metres below. Completed in 1898, the bridge has a main span of 271.5 metres and the distance between the pylons that support the cables is 315.5 metres (taken from Serene Footman’s blogpost). By the bridge the ore could be brought to be processed without traveling a long detour around the deep gorge next to it. The bridge was reopened in 1991 and is now a tourist magnet.
Impressions of Ojuela (1) – Around the landing point
Realising the gorge and the bridge that overspans in Second Life was for sure not easy, but Jade and Serene did a great job again. Surrounded by high mountains the gorge fits in well. The selected environment (use shared environment in your setting) provides a bit hazy light yet does feel warm. It is not that easy to see everything with the provided windlight, some areas are swallowed by the fog. But the bridge does look even more impressive when you see it more and more as you come closer. The landing is one end of the bridge close to the ruins of a few administration buildings.
The meager rock environment does offer qutie some wildlife. I started my visit by walking around the the whole gorge on the edge of the gorge. And I saw quite some animals, cactus and cactus trees.
Impressions of Ojuela (2) – Wildlife
“You’ll find a variety of wildlife on the sim which is typical of this area: jaguars, bobcats (aka lynx), a bear and her cub, wolves, lemurs, bighorn sheep, a couple of donkeys and a few rams. Many of these are hidden away, just as they would be in real life. So you’re more likely to hear the wolves than to see them at first, likewise the bears.
There is abundant birdlife, too. You’ll find eagles soaring above (the eagle sits at the centre of the Mexican flag), osprey, kestrels, cuckoos, owls, vultures, red cardinals, orioles, grackles (which is essentially an oversized blackbird), thick-billed parrots (which are endemic to Mexico) …” (taken from Serene Footman’s blogpost)
Impressions of Ojuela (3) – Wildlife
After surrounding the gorge I visited the ruins of the administration buildings. Nature has taken back most of the ruins and animals are the new inhabitants. Yet someone must live there as there’s a washing line with some towels. Ladders and wooden boards connect the roofs. There’s a lot to discover and the ruins make a great background for pictures.
Impressions of Ojuela (4) – The ruins
Of course there are several nice spots to sit and watch. Most of them offer a view on the gorge and the bridge. I tried out a few. It is just great to visit this outstanding place so easily in Second Life.
Impressions of Ojuela (5) – Diomita enjoying the views
last but not least I walked of the bridge. That is a particular experience even in a virtual world. At one end I posed between two jaguars, something you would never do in RL *winks*. I took quite some amazing shots around the bridge.
Impressions of Ojuela (6) – “Puente de Ojuela”
I enjoyed my visit a lot! Serene Footman and Jade Koltai created another amazing place. Their love for the detail and the selection of extraordinairy places is just admirable. I’m thankful that I could visit.
As usual the sim shall be available just a few weeks. Hence don’t wait too long with your visit ot Ojuela.
Landmark to Ojuela
https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Overland%20Hills/110/106/98
Serene Footman’s blogpost about Ojuela
https://furillen.org/2022/05/21/ojuela/
Ojuela in Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ojuela
flickr group for Ojuela
https://www.flickr.com/groups/ojuela/
Diomita Maurer’s Blog 