


My jumps are precise and I elegantly make it onto the vine. Suddenly, I see a potential way out: a rushing water stream connects to a narrow wall, which I can vertically ride to hop onto a vine where I can grind, jump, and backflip to build up speed and escape the lemur. But I just need to make it to the next chasm and leave him behind, shaking his tiny lemur fist at me as I backflip over the void. His only goal, apparently, is to attack me and stop my speedy exploration.

It’s game over.Īn angry lemur is chasing me, probably because I, once a mountain shepherd and now a tourist with a sandboard and little knowledge of lemur manners, woke the creature who was resting in his hut. I hit the rock and fall face down in the sand. In fact, the horizon is so beautiful, I don’t see another rock waiting just ahead of me as soon as I stick the landing. The sky in the distance is a sight to behold – a full moon, barely visible among the clouds, faintly illuminates a panorama of ancient ruins left to age and crumble. While airborne, I glance at the dune ahead of me, and decide to attempt a backflip. My experience tells me that, in most cases, rocks have to be avoided, so I jump. The sky above the desert has chosen a peculiar, almost plum-like shade of purple tonight as I’m nimbly moving past tall silhouettes of cacti and palm trees, when I see the black contours of a rock.
