Are You Going to Silk Road Hunt VII in Second Life?

The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes sight-seeing.

Daniel J. Boorstin

          The pages have turned on the calendar, winter has become spring (for some), and Perryn Peterson, the Mayor Mieville in Second Life (SL), has called to invite me to one of the great annual events in Second Life (SL)!

          And, that would be Silk Road Hunt VII: Xanadu!  

          Like clockwork, this is being brought to us again by Perryn and his merry band! 

          As the title implies, this year’s theme is Xanadu legendary home of the great Kublai Khan, made famous by Marco Polo (A Real Life (RL) hero of mine) and one of my favorite poems.  We won’t mention the movie with Olivia Newton-John.  (Significant Other cringes when I mention that.  Significant Other is a big Olivia fan.)    

          Many forget that while the Real Life (RL) Silk Road in ancient times started in Xanadu, China and went through to the Middle East with its ultimate destination being Rome, capital of the Roman Empire which was the theme of last year’s Silk Road Hunt.    (Clever how Perryn ties these altogether, huh?) 

          As usual, the Hunt has dozens of merchants on hand with fabulous gifts based on the Hunt’s theme for the bold and daring hunters who pursue these across the Grid.

          In particular, I’d like to call out Mountain Rose this year.  Now a member of the Hunt’s organizing committee because of their extensive help in preparing for the Hunt, they have outdone themselves this year!  

          Sebastian Tiogar Resident (“Sebby”), who is the youngest member of the family who runs Mountain Rose (And who also made the trophies for this year’s Hunt) was kind enough to give me a tour of Mountain Rose and the mini-hunt that they have planned for this year.  

          Sebby takes me through the mini-hunt which must have been inspired by The

Travels of Marco Polo.  We hike along a seaside pathway to steps leading to a rope climb (Significant Other says good thing this was virtual.) which leads through a doorway to the Khan’s palace.  The throne room is impressive and displays several of the gifts available to hunters who brave the perils.  From here, we use the magic words to open the entrance to the Sacred River.  (Sorry, can’t tell you what they are!) Following the riverbed to the Sunless Sea, we pass three caves containing more gifts. The river empties into the sea where more gifts are on the sea bottom and where we exit to go back to the land of the living and the final gifts of the mini-hunt.

          Mountain Rose is the third stop on the Silk Road Hunt and well worth pursuing.  Sebby’s mother, Meadow Copperfield, did the landscaping and magic, and his aunt, Sophia Kennocha, did the furniture.  Sebby did the outfits and the palace.  Viewing their

handiwork alone is worth the trip!   

          Silk Road Hunt VII runs from June 1^st to 30^th. 

          The kick-off party will take place on the evening of May 31st!

          Inworld, the Silk Road Hunt begins as it did in previous years at the Asian Victorian Garden in Mieville.   (Before going into the pavilion and starting the Hunt, take some time to stroll the beautiful gardens created by Mike Olbracht, Mieville’s floral wunderkind.  His garden layouts have to be seen to be believed!)

The Mountain Rose mini-hunt can be found here.  

          There are sixty-eight stops in this year’s Hunt and the merchants’ gifts can be viewed here.            

          Several notable merchants are Peterman Ltd., by Nabila Nadar, who runs an excellent Steampunk shop, and Frolic Poses by Friday Farstrider.   In addition, Mikki Miles and his musical instruments return to the Hunt after an absence of few years.  As Perryn describes Mikki’s work, “They're utterly fantastically accurate.”

          Perryn’s purpose with hunts like the Silk Road Hunt is to showcase the merchants of

SL and their wares, to help residents (hunters) meet merchants, and to get out onto the Grid and have fun!         

          Hunter information is available here.  

          I heartily recommend all dropping by and having some fun!

          Who knows?

          You might set the record for completing the Hunt!  (Or, ever run into me!) 

          I’d like to thank Perryn for his time and assistance in helping me to prepare this story, not to mention, his choreographing another spectacular event inworld!  

           I’d also like to thank Sebby for taking the time from his busy schedule to show me around! 

          Additional pictures of the Hunt can be found here.  

As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives!

My Twitter handle is @webspelunker.  Please feel free to follow me and I’d be happy to follow you.

I can be found on Google+ as webspelunker Ghostraven.

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I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here. 

          Open roads and kind fires!