Musashi Motorsports Drive Around the (SL)World 2006, Leg 5

After a little hiatus needed to develop proper snow tires, the Drive Around the (SL) World resumes today for it's fifth leg. The team is ready, and has checked the mechanics of the car in every little detail. Driving on frozen asphalt can be tricky, so everything must be perfect to avoid a disastrous crash.
Our Race Queen for the day will be Queenie Extraordinaire, awesome DJ and newest of the Musashi-Do models. Most definately a beauty.

It will be mainly a night-time race, ran for the 90% in the beautiful snowy sims around the Zermatt Lake, starting from the Isabel Infohud, across the orient bridge, to the intersection in Larsen, where I'll turn North to make a long detour along the coastline. I'll skim the rocky sims in Clarksburg and Steamboat and then I'll turn left back in the snowy ones in Jernberg. Proceeding across the Mieto mountain pass, i'll reach the intersection in the corner of my home sim of Anton, where i'll turn left again, and speed south-east to the goal in Benham.
The sims are fairly old, but many of them are empty Linden owned land, so the lag should be low besides near the Isabel and Wengen infohubs and the Popular barbie club in Refugio. The road should be frozen all over, but the maintenance conditions are said to be fairly decent.


I'm finally ready to start the leg as the car is positioned on the road. Queenie is there ready to see me off and wish me good luck. Despite the frozen conditions of the route ahead, i'm confident on my new show tires.


START! I step on the gas pedal and quickly gear up as my car darts on the road in front of the crowded Isabel Infohub, the roar of the powerfulm 500 HP engine attracts the attention of the nearby newbies....

As i feel the familiar grip of the wooden planks under my tires, I cross the Orient bridge, surrounded by cliffs, a dam, a castle and even a galleon...


I climb a steep hill in Kania and my tires loose contact with the asphalt momentarily as the GTX jumps! The snowy environment finally surrounds me as I fight for a second the instinct of stepping on the brakes, an action that would for sure send me in a disastrous spin.


It's nightfall as I reach Belmondo. The grip on the frozen asphalt becomes a little weaker but remains steady as I reduce the speed slightly and turn on the headlights, passing in front of a nice victorian style mall.


The sky becomes darker as Grishin and it's beautiful architectures surrounded by the snow disappear behind me. The lights of my car, refracted by the snow in the darkness, create an almost romantic atmosphere. That's why i love snow sims...


I try hard to retain control of my 500 HP beast in the lag as i skim the guard rail passing in front of the crowded Barbie Club, there must be party!


As I speed uphill to enter Jernberg, I spot a beautiful crystal structure towering on the nearby snowy hill... Someone definately put a lot of effort and art in building that...


My engine growls in powerful undertones as I keep it in the lower gears to cross the Mieto Pass, so high that i'm surrounded by heavy clouds.


At the bottom of the pass I step hard on the breaks and corner tightly on the intersection of Anton. Beyond the river my shops can be seen towering in the darkness. Home sweet home...


The snow around the scenic Zermatt lake, probably the most beautiful mainland location of Second Life, gets a red hue as day breaks and the sun raises over the horizon...


It's dawn over the Linden owned chalet in Wengen, but many newbies are already up and about, playing and meeting the parking zone in front of the lake.


The sky becomes brighter as I speed over the river bridge of Eagan, heading towards the goal of this leg...


Entering Heaton I see a beautiful fountain on the side of the road. It's always interesting to see such nice builds hidden where you wouldn't expect them. It's like discovering a pearl in the sand.


And i eventually reach the goal in Benham, the road in front of me is blocked by a massive snow wall, since the Lindens didn't bother continuing it in the newly created sims that lay beyond. A beautiful gothic sculpture stands nearby. This leg is done, stay tuned for the next one!