Blackwater (with Islas Gemas)

[sebes]

Nobody wants to make the 499th post - so I'll help everybody out.

You probably love to sit on a terrace in the shade overlooking the beach  ... Must be... it's too good to be made by somebody that does not like beaches. And otherwise you must love it walking and playing with the dog there on a stormy day... gottabee

Now - up to the 500th comment and the Islas Gemas Glossary  

Edit:
Guess what : Thundercrack thought the same on the very same moment... so: the honor is mine by coincidence after all...

[BossOx]

"Coal block" maybe came out a little derogatory, my apologies to you and Andreas Roth (I'll just eat my foot now, if you don't mind (there should be a smiley for that)). However hidden behind that hotel it did look suspiciously black and cube-like but I'm sure on closer inspection it will look wonderful and very fitting.

[dedgren]

I'm going to look the other way a bit and bend our rules a little by noting the tremendous achievement of DIG in reaching 500 comments.  It is such an honor to have this great work at SC4D!

Emil- I'm going to spend a leisurely evening reading back through this fine, fine MD.


David

[Strechnitz]

First of all, My congratulations with this landmark achievement of 500plus posts!

A milestone only achievable with talent and dedication as you have shown. And one I hope to achieve one day myself. somewhere in the distant future almost 300 posts away

The Beach is really nice. a bit big though. "Mammy is this a beach or a desert?"   But very nicely done. the boulevard walls around it are simply top notch. just as I have come to expect from you. And I agree. A shady terrace is more my place than the boiling sands of the beach.

And last but not least. The Dictionary is a very nice idea. it it grows bigger and bigger every time you update, I guess.

Good luck,

Strechnitz.

[emilin]

Personal replies:

rooker1: Thank you! But it's hardly a unique concept though. I think I stole it from David (degren) actually.

kimcar: Thanks! I will try my very best.

thundercrack83: Thank you so much, thundercrack! No surprise that you would be #499 either. You always have been a very loyal reader and commenter here, my friend.

sebes: Thank you! And of course, thank you for breaking Islas Gemas into the 500s.

BossOx: Thanks. No appologies needed. I like people commenting on what they like aswell as don't like. It helps me get better.

dedgren: Thank you, David! I'm not really sure what rules we are bending here though? I hope it's nothing serious? And of course, thank you for your congratulations, they are very appreciated. Your responses have been a major reason for me trying to develop my skills and get better at this game.

Strechnitz: Thanks! And I know it is a bit big. It was mostly inspired by a place on Gran Canaria known as the "dunes of Maspalomas" where you can actually go for camel rides.


Honouring thundercrack83

Finally this journal has reached #500 comments, and now it's time to celebrate. As promised everyone who have been noted for 10 or more comments will get something on Islas Gemas named after them. Some will get big things, others smaller – some will be places that we have already visited, some that are not even developed yet. I will probably through in a few people with less than 10 comments too, because their contributions have been extra valuable in one way or another.

Now, at this time I have noted 17 people with 10 or more comments, so I'm sure you understand that it will take a while to get through all of them. But we start off right away.

One reader of Developing Islas Gemas stand out among all the others for his astonishing loyalty and frequent comments. Thundercrack83 is noted for no less than 38 comments, a figure that is quite honestly a bit hard for me to comprehend. Without your comments, this journal would still have quite a long way to reach #500, so thank you my friend!

And it seems appropriate that thundercrack83 is first out for the honors, and also gets the biggest thing named after him: the highest mountain of the Islas Gemas. Please remember that this is not a fully developed area yet! I have plans for waterfalls, a mountain lake, and plopped streams going all the way down to the ocean.


Trueno

The massive volcano Trueno – which means "thunder" in Spanish – dominates the skyline of southern Zafiro. The highest peak is 2273 meters above sea level. It is actually semiactive, but has not erupted since 1902.

British explorer Edmund Berry was the first to climb the mountain in 1534. Today the whole mountain area is a popular tourist attraction. Climbing the mountain all the way to the top does not require expertise or special equipment if you follow the easiest southern route, but it is recommended that you have a guide for the glacier areas at the very top.








A winding dirt road goes up to the base camp.






Beyond this point it is recommended that you use a mountain guide.




That is the highest peak right there.

[HabLeUrG]

wow that mountain looks amazing at SC4  excellent work!! that was one of my best terraform working on that volcano... if you need anything else just ask cant wait for more 

[BossOx]

Awesome terraforming (terraforming isn't in the dictionary  ) , I like the detail with the trees only on the (presumed) sheltered side of the volcano and how the transition from dirt road to dirt track is concealed behind trees (common practice I know but in this case not overdone as much as sometimes).

[thundercrack83]

Wow. I really don't know what to say, emilin! I am truly honored to make it onto the Islas Gemas map, and to have the biggest volcano in the chain named for me! Thank you so much, my friend! This means a lot to me!

...And by the way, Trueno looks absolutely magnificent! I hope that Bear Grylls ventures to Islas Gemas to try and climb Trueno! Thanks again!

[Yoman]

...And by the way, Trueno looks absolutely magnificent! I hope that Bear Grylls ventures to Islas Gemas to try and climb Trueno! Thanks again!

I love that show!

And many congratulations on reaching 500

[Ralph]

wow amazing a realy like your work ! 

[Pat]

wow emilin that was stunning update and i loved it...

[kimcar]

  Great volcano . Very well done . An the camp is a good idea too. 

[rooker1]

The volcano look very impressive and very high.  I have never seen anyone make a dictionary before, that's what I thought was unique.  If dedgren had made one before, I must have missed it.  Anyways I still like it.  It still takes alot of imagination on your part.

Robin   

[bat]

A great new update, emilin! Nice mountain!

Congrats for more than 500th comments!

[kwakelaar]

Congratulations on the 500 and by now ++ replies, and looking at your work here it is easy to understand why this is such a popular MD.

I really like your last update about the vulcano, very well put together camps and trails there.

[nova vesfalo]

thrid times I look at your beach and I've forgot to leave a comment ! (Two updates late ...) I love them (btw how did you made them ? they are stuning) Love the Islas Gemas Dictionary, very interesting, learn some things on Isla Gemas , the Volcano is so caribean (apart the snow:) ) nice addition and all the moutain ameangement ( and as you said they are not finished) are Wonderfull , the refuges are great , as always

[emilin]

Hounoring bat, kwakelaar and dedgren

First of all: I appologies for not having the opportunity to reply personally to each of you this time (it will not become a habit, I promise!) since I'm just packing up my stuff to go out into the countryside for two weeks. I will just have to say a collective "Thank you so much!" for reading and commenting and for all your support.

Unfortunatly this also means two weeks with no computer or internet access, so you won't hear from me at all for a while.

In this update I will recognize three more of my most faithful readers: bat, kwakelaar and dedgren. More of these honours can be expected when I get back from my vacation.

This time around there will be close to no development at all in the pictures. All of these locations are planned for development further down the road. You will get the background story ahead of schedule and then I will return to them at a later stage.


País Palo

The northern peninsula of Zafiro is known as País Palo. The name is Spanish for "bat country" (I hope you remember your Fear and Loathing trivia for extra enjoyment from this name). The name is not derived from the presence of bats, but from the shape of the peninsula, that early cartographers thought resembled a huge bat. The environment is hilly and green, unlike the dry south of Zafiro. It is not a densely developed area, and the biggest town is Lobo. This is one of the few spots on Zafiro where the tourism industry hasn't overexploited everything, and can be a very nice destination for a road trip.












El Perro y el Remiendo

The mountain chain in the middle of Rubí is known as "the dog and the Dutchman" after the two highest peaks: Perro (dog) and Remiendo (Dutchman). Remiendo is 1053 meters, while Perro is 975 meters. The scenery is very dramatic, with high altitude medows and steep cliffs. The area is popular among climbers, and the peaks are not as easy to climb as one might think considering how high they stand.










San David d'Esmeralda

San David is the main town of Esmeralda and the third biggest "city" of Islas Gemas (charter resorts not included, we're counting local population here). The name refers to a local 17th century saint who also established the monastery in Juaníta (as seen in earlier updates).

San David is also known as "the city of lawyers" for its' disproportionate amount of legal firms. It is located on the beautiful west coast of Esmeralda with steep mountains overlooking the town.

[kimcar]

  Wow great pics my friend and very good terraforming . I really like it. 

[Shadow Assassin]

Oooh, very nice. I'd love to see a region map.

[BossOx]

Very nice landscaping and vegetation although the third shot:



Maybe could use a little more variety (is it OK to quote pictures or does it cause confusion and "thread hijacking"?)

Also wondering if you considered use the NAM curved road pieces, but I guess there aren't any Euro (I think you are using Euro roads) compatible pieces and they do look a little "wrong", but you can't expect the NAM gods to get everything to be awesome the first time round.