Rent an adobe bungalow on a Puerto Vallarta beach, pray in a Jalisco cathedral, buy Mexican arts and crafts, or ride on a donkey-drawn wagon – it’s all available in Second Life‘s Opera Joven sim, which reproduces some key parts of Jalisco, Mexico.

Opera Joven is a Jalisco cultural non-government organization (NGO) that was founded in 1999 in Guadalajara and has been staging cultural events in Jalisco. Two years ago Opera Joven made a major commitment to Second Life, where it has created this sim and where it stages cultural events such as operatic performances. You can learn more about Opera Joven’s activities at its website, www.operajoven.com.

You can tour this recreation of Jalisco either by a train (the only train I’ve ridden that goes underwater without a tunnel!) or by donkey-drawn wagon. If you want to ride the train and you’re a Second Life member, click slurl.com/secondlife/Opera%20Joven/146/46/21.

	The picture to the left is the interior of Catedral de Guadalajara, the cathedral in Jalisco. The sim has many well marked maps with teleport links situated around the sim, but there’s a disappointing lack of notecards about historical and cultural features. In most cases, the best source of information about a spot is to right-click on the land, which in some cases, such as the Cathedral, will provide additional information in the land description. Second Life members can teleport to the Cathedral by clicking slurl.com/secondlife/Opera%20Joven/155/169/21
In the background of the picture to the right, you see los Arcos de Guadalajara (Guadalajara Arcs), built in 1942 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of the city.
	The picture to the left is Tlaquepaque, Mercado de Artesanias (Mexican Handcraft Market) where you can buy assorted Mexican arts and crafts. There is a new restaurant next door, and a small museum (Museo del Estado de Jalisco) upstairs. Second Life members can teleport to the market by clicking slurl.com/secondlife/Opera%20Joven/77/178/22