VACATION HOME (Christmas Mission Bonus Level)

Level by Adriel

Walkthrough by Phil Lambeth, greatly assisted by the builder's posted video walkthrough

The builder inexplicably has failed to provide a compass, a necessary tool in Lara's inventory, so I'll provide directions as best I can.

LARA'S VACATION HOME - BRAZIL

Lara begins near a pontoon-equipped seaplane from which she has apparently just disembarked.  Turn around and jump into the water.   Locate a triangular opening in the near wall and swim through.  Loop around to the right and pull an underwater lever affixed to the gate to open an underwater door elsewhere.  Flip turn, swim back through the triangular opening (watch out for that annoying collision which may impede your progress at the opening, and which can be avoided by approaching the opening head on) and continue forward underneath the seaplane.  The underwater door is straight ahead, but you'll probably find it to be closed upon arrival, meaning that it was a timed door.  Fill your lungs with air, go back and try again.  That aggravating cut scene kicks in again, so hit the look key to get rid of it.  I found that I gained a few milliseconds by turning around to my right after pulling the lever, so that I could swim over the mound instead of around it.  When I tried to flip turn I found myself swimming down during the cut scene more often than not.

When you make it through the timed door, save your game so you won't have to repeat this maddening sequence.  Get some air if necessary, then swim back through the timed doorway, turn left and go to the companion underwater lever on the other side of the gate.  Pull it to open a door near the seaplane.  Thankfully, this one isn't timed, so you can get back in a leisurely fashion.

Pull out of the water, enter the opened doorway to the water treatment area.  Climb the ladder, back flip near the top and land on the silver ledge.  Hop down into the pit on the other side and push the button in a corner alcove.  A door opens elsewhere.  Use the ladder to climb back out and safety drop from the other side of the silver ledge.  Exit this area and run counterclockwise around the periphery of the seaplane room.  Enter the crawlspace at the end and come to a room scattered with crates.  Run to the other end and Lara looks at some dangling cords in a connecting passage. 

Jump up to grab the ceiling and monkey swing toward the opening in the wall to your left.  Drop down inside and run forward to pull up onto a higher ledge.  Locate and push the button in the alcove ahead and slightly to your left to open a nearby door.  Go around to the alcove in the far left corner and the door opens upon your approach.  Safety drop into the beginning seaplane area.  Go along the walkway to the precise spot where you began the level.  Turn to face the grate and take a standing jump and grab to it.  Pull up and run forward into the next area.

Run past a few plants and hop over the railing to your left.  Pull up into the wall opening and jump over the dirt mounds past rows of shelves.  Lara may look up to an inaccessibly high opening to her left.  Go in that direction and around a moveable cage.  Continue hugging the left wall until you reach your first pickup, a pack of flares.  Continue along the periphery of this room with the wall always to your left, and you'll come to an alcove in the far corner where you'll find some revolver ammo. 

Return to that cage and pull it once onto some stray flowers growing in the concrete, then get on the other side and push it once more across more flowers.  Climb up onto it to access that high opening Lara was looking at earlier.  Ignore the shimmy crack, as it serves no purpose.  Climb up higher to your left and turn to locate the rope.  Jump to it, swing forward and leap off to the fenced veranda.  Vault up into the opening ahead, hop down and locate the poised boulder to your right.  Push it forward, and it will roll down over the cliff in the next area.  Look down to locate the river far below and take a long swan dive.

Pull out and run toward the golden waterfall.  Lara's attention will again be drawn high up to her left.  Jump into the water and locate the underwater opening.  Swim inside and follow the passage until you can pull out.  Run past the moveable cage and pick up two stashes of revolver ammo.    Return to the cage and push it once into the corner.  Get on it and climb the ivy-covered wall into a higher passage.  Pull up and head up the ramp toward an obvious boulder trap.  The refuge alcove to your right is a dead giveaway.  Hop backwards up the ramp until the boulder is triggered, then dash down and into the alcove.  Continue up the ramp until you reach the end.

Take a running jump (no grab) to the ledge ahead, turn around and jump to grab the green wall.  Shift left and climb up, drop off to your right.  Hop over to the falling water, walk forward to the edge and jump up to grab the green wall.  If that doesn't work for some reason, step back, take a standing jump forward and grab the wall.  Climb to the top and pull up.  Face away from the waterfall and take a running jump to the slanted ledge a little below your present elevation.  Slide down, grab the edge and shimmy left until you can safely pull up.

Hop diagonally to your left and enter the small cave.  Follow until you reach a block to your right that you can climb onto.  Do so and turn to your right.  Take a running jump to the next block, then a standing jump forward.  Vault into the opening and follow to a small medipack.  Return to the opening and hop down.  Follow the upper ledge around to your left past a tree and follow the passage to an opening that overlooks the waterfall canyon. 

Look left and see the opening at the source of the waterfall.  Take a running jump there and enter an area with a shallow lake.  Climb up onto the gray central structure and jump up to activate a jump switch.  A wooden gate opens elsewhere.  Hop down into the water and exit this area the same way you entered.  At the mouth of the waterfall, look down left and find a ledge jutting out from the wall.  Run left off the water's edge, holding down the action key, and you should land safely on the ledge below.  If it looks familiar, it's because you've been here before.  Jump to the slanted ledge as you did earlier, shimmy left and pull up.

This time, turn away from the cave and take a running jump down to the ledge far below, losing a little health in the process.  You've got to get still lower, however.  Facing the large opening in the wall and standing at the left edge of the ledge, jump forward slightly left and you'll land on a sloped ledge below.  Slide down, grab the edge and shimmy right, around the corner, so you can drop down onto a safe ledge near an alcove.  Enter the alcove, squeeze past the bush and pull up right.  Go past the wooden gate you opened earlier and enter a room with crates.  Lara looks at something as you round the corner, so step forward and pick up a ring of RUSTY KEYS.

Go around the crates to the back wall and find a button.  When you push it a trap door opens nearby.  You can see it drop out of the corner of your eye if Lara is positioned correctly.  Go there and pull up into an upper room.  The irregular opening leads outside to the waterfall area, so pull up onto the ledge to the right of that opening.  Pull up still higher and hop down onto the fenced veranda you visited earlier.  There's no painless way to get down, so hop over the railing so that you land on one of the dirt mounds below.  Expect to lose a bit of health.  Run across the room to the opening in the far wall.

Hop down and turn left.  Run toward the wall and hop over the railing to your right.  Locate the receptacle in the far alcove and use your Rusty Keys to open the gate to your right.  Vault up into a parking garage of sorts, run up the ramp to your right and see the jump switch just ahead.  Activate it to raise a nearby gate.  Turn to your left, use the blue-gray slab to jump over the ornate fence into a crate storage area, and look up to your left to find an inaccessible wall switch.  You can't quite reach it with a running jump, however, and I'm not sure it would activate even if you could. 

There are multiple moveable crates in the area, however.  Start by standing directly in front of the wall switch.  Pull back the lone crate (the one with nothing on either side) back two times.  Go around it and pull it away from the bottle shelves one time.  Turn to your left to see four crates lined up in a row beneath the wall switch.  Pull back the leftmost one two times, then get around to one side and push it once toward the bottle shelves.  You can see a pattern developing here. 

Now face the wall switch and push the crate below it one time so that it comes to rest against the brick wall.  Hop up onto that crate, jump down into the open corner, and push the adjacent crate one time away from the brick wall.  Get to the side of this crate and pull it two times, away from the bottle shelves.  You now have a nice unbroken row of crates, so push the crate that rests upon this row all the way over to the brick wall.  Use the adjacent lower crates to push the upper crate underneath the wall switch.  Climb up and pull down the switch to lift a gate elsewhere.

Jump back over the ornate fence to the larger area, turn left and run to the long grated ramp.  Run up the ramp around two corners and jump forward to grab the crates ahead.  Pull up for some flares, then continue forward and jump over the gap and over the railing ahead into a new area.  Run to the far end for an ORNAMENTAL ROSE and a large medipack.  Run back to the other end, jump to the crates and back to the grated ramp.  Continue up the ramp and, just past the second chain, turn to your right and take a standing jump to grab the invisible crack in the wall.  Shimmy to your right around two corners and drop down into an alcove. 

Back flip into the upper passage, turn around and run forward to find a row of moveable crates.  Pull the nearest one back once, then run around to the other side and push it into the corner.  Pull the next crate back, run around it and push the third crate forward to reveal the LASER SIGHT.  Return to the alcove and use the crack in the wall to get back where you can hop down onto the grated ramp.  Run all the way up the ramp and open the door.  Enter a room with a wooden floor.

Enter the hallway on your right and open the door to your right.  Nothing to do at the moment in the small bathroom, so continue down the hallway (noting the keypad on the far wall) and turn left into a large den.  Go to the far right corner and push that golden pedestal with the vase on top away from the wall two times.  Push it left once over the slight ledge, then push it to the right once. Push it left once more time to the main floor, and you see part of the shelving move forward.   Go to the opposite corner of the raised flooring to find a wall switch at the end of a small bookshelf.  Pull it down to open a trap door to your right.

Go there, climb the bookshelf past the open trap door and back flip into an upper outdoor area.  You can see a wall switch in the distance, so run there and pull it down.  Blocks rise to your right and left.  Get up on the one to your right and take a running jump and grab to the taller one to your left.  Pull up and jump over the railing ahead.  Go to your right and find the KITCHEN WEREHOUSE [sic?] KEY in the alcove. Exit the alcove and run all the way to the other end, turn left at the corner and open the double doors.  Enter and find the hole in the floor.  This allows you to use the adjacent crate as a crawl space.  Crawl along the row of crates and pick up the MOLD at the far end.  Return to the other end so you can lower Lara and drop into the hole in the ground.

Exit this room and return to the alcove where you found the most recent key.  Jump over the railing onto the taller raised block and safety drop to the ground.  Run across to the far wall and climb down the ladder past the open trap door.  Back down in the den, find the bookshelf that moved forward earlier when you pushed the golden pedestal.  Enter the revealed passage and the bookshelf closes in behind you.  You also get a fixed camera angle. 

Turn around, hop back and grab the edge, and see those deadly lasers beneath you.  Shimmy left around four corners and pull up into the crawl space.  Crawl forward to the other end and lower Lara through the opening on your right.  Reverse roll, run forward and pull up onto a ledge overlooking the lasers.  Jump up, grab the ceiling and monkey swing over the lasers to the far end of this room.  Release and run forward.  Hop down into the passage and follow over a block.  Take a couple of steps forward and stop.  Wait for the intermittent laser trap to reveal itself.  No monkey bars here to help you get across, I'm afraid, so you'd better save your game.

Getting through is largely a matter of luck.  The idea is to stand as close to the lasers as possible.  Hop back and take a running jump so that you land during the split second when the lasers are dormant, then take an immediate standing jump to safety.  I started my running jump the instant the lasers cycled in.  Save your game again when you've successfully accomplished this.  Getting past the second laser trap is much easier, and can be accomplished with a curved running jump. 

With the lasers behind you, jump into the water, swim forward past the fenced opening and loop around to the right to locate an underwater lever.  Pull it to open a door behind you, revealing a second underwater lever.  Flip turn and swim there to pull it, then return to where you entered the water and pull back out near the lasers.  You can now access the grate over the water and find the second ORNAMENTAL ROSE on the block.  Hop forward and enter the opening in the far wall.  Drop down into the den, pause for the small medipack near the flat-screen TV in case you overlooked it earlier, and exit through the opening opposite the raised area with the bookshelves.

Follow the passage past the open door to your left, turn right at the wooden parquet floor and take an immediate left between the white pillars.  Continue along the walkway into the next room and open the door at the far end (ignoring for now the room to your left).  Before entering the dining room, turn around and locate two receptacles in the small garden area.  Hop over the railing and insert your two Ornamental Roses in the receptacles.  A nearby door that had been closed is now open.  First, however, enter the room opposite the opened door, the one I suggested earlier that you ignore.  Turn left and locate a keyhole.  Insert your Kitchen Werehouse Key to open the door.  Enter the alcove and, with your back to the wall, take a swan dive into the upper passage.  Run forward and pick up the CAKE BATTER.

Get down and run to the other end of this room.  Locate the small oven in the corner.  Combine the mold with the cake batter (how unappetizing) to form the CAKE TO BAKE.  Insert it in the oven and listen for the faint sound of a trap door opening.  Leave this room and find the open trap door in the garden area outside.  When you hop into the depression you get a cut scene showing a painting of a sleeping woman.  Pick up a TORCH and enter the nearby dining room.

Light the torch in the fireplace to your right, then exit the dining room and turn left to enter the room you made accessible with the Ornamental Roses.

Toss the torch briefly to open the door, then retrieve the torch and enter the next room.  Run forward, angled to the left, and go up the stairs when you reach them.  Loop around to the left and open the first door you come to.  Bring your torch with you into the next room, head right and open still another door.  With torch still in hand, enter the bedroom.  Yes, there's yet another door to open, to your left.  Inside you'll find the painting that was seen in the previous cut scene.  Apply your lighted torch to it and watch it shatter.  Enter the revealed alcove for the PISTOLS and 4X pistol ammo (which is seemingly useless, because you have unlimited pistol ammo anyway).

You have no further need for the torch, so leave it behind.  Retrace your steps past all those doors you opened and go back down the stairs.  Run forward, veer to the left and find, sigh, another door to open.  Enter, open another door at the end and find an indoor pool that's been drained for the winter.  Nothing to do here at the moment, so go back upstairs and this time loop around to your right.  You'll find another door to open.  In the far wall is a switch.  Pull it down to open a door downstairs.  Go back down, turn right when you reach the bottom and locate the new opening, directly across from the opening to the pool room. 

Pull up inside, hop down into a dark room, climb the crates to your right and pick up a PIECE OF PAPER that's floating in midair.  When you examine it, you see a password (5507) that's apparently connected with that keypad you saw much earlier.  Exit this room, turn left and run past the stairs all the way to the opening in the far left corner.  Run forward to the small garden courtyard and turn left.  Follow the fenced walkway into the next room, turn right and then left over the parquet wood floor into the hallway with the keypad on your left.  Punch in the code to lift the gate overhead.  Jump to grab the crawl space and pull inside.  Crawl along the passage and lower Lara down the far opening.

Run up the slight ramp and pick up the WATER SERVICE KEY.  Locate and push the nearby button to lift the gate to your left (but briefly, so hurry through it).  You're back in the den with books strewn all about.  Exit to the right, run past the keypad and turn left at the parquet floor to return to the warehouse.  Run partway down the grated ramp and jump across to grab the highest row of crates.  Pull up, turn left and face a suspended platform.  Take a running jump and grab it.  Pull up and take a running jump to the next suspended platform.  Take a running jump angled slightly left to the open gateway and enter the next area.

Draw your pistols and shoot all the windows and barrels.  Pick up the SCREWDRIVER and exit the way you entered.  Safety drop to the warehouse floor, losing some health in the process, or jump back along the suspended platforms to avoid any health loss.  Get back to the warehouse area with the grated ramp, get on that blue-gray slab you used earlier to jump over the ornate fence to the moveable crate puzzle.  This time, take a running jump and grab the marble column near the ornate fence.  Pull up and run across the marble flooring to the left.  Hop up the ramp and pick up a small medipack.    

Run back to the other side of the marble flooring and shoot the glass windows.  Safety drop into a lower alley and follow it around to the right into a garage.  Go to the far right corner and find the REVOLVER along with some revolver ammo.   Nearby you'll find two more stashes of revolver ammo.  Head back the way you came and find a lone crate to your left that you can climb onto.  Do so and climb higher to your right.  Jump back to the upper area with the marble floor and drop down to the warehouse.  

Go down the nearby ramp into the garage and through the opening.  Continue forward through the crate room and into the beginning area with the seaplane.  Continue across and through the opening into the water treatment area, turn right and climb the ladder.  Take a rolling back flip near the top and grab the ledge.  Pull up and veer to your left.  Hop over to the keyhole and use the Water Service Key to lift the nearby gate.  Go there and follow the passage into an alcove to your right.  Push the button to flood the area you just came from.  And the indoor swimming pool you visited earlier, a great distance from where you are now, although you wouldn't know this had I not just told you.

Nothing to do in the nearby flooded area, so return to the beginning area with the seaplane and take a standing jump and grab that raised platform you used earlier.  Pull up and follow straight forward to the opening that leads to the garage and go up the ramp to the warehouse area.  Go all the way up the winding metal ramp and through the doorway over the parquet floor.  Go straight ahead and left between the white columns.  Continue along the walkway to the garden area, and turn right into the huge den.  Run to the far left corner and enter the doorway that leads to the swimming pool. 

Take a minute to catch your breath from all this backtracking, then run along the left side of the pool and hop onto the crate in the corner.  Take a running jump angled slightly right and grab the diamond-checkered ledge.  Pull up and run past the diving board to the other end.  Take a running jump angled to your right and land on the window sill.  From there face out and take a running jump left to the balcony down below.  From the far end of the balcony take a running jump past the palm tree and grab the other balcony.  Pull up and run to the other end of this balcony.  Use your Screwdriver to open the door.

Enter and pull down the wall switch to open a similar door elsewhere.  Return to the balcony and jump over the railing into the pool.  Open the door to your left and swim along the hexagonal passage.  In the next room surface for air if necessary before pulling the underwater lever down below. 

Some bookshelves lower in the inaccessible room beyond the window, so swim back the way you came and surface in the indoor pool.  Pull out and return to the huge den.  Turn right and go up the stairs.  Loop around left at the top and go through the first of many doors you opened when you were here earlier.

When you reach the bedroom you find that a door that was formerly closed in the corner is now open.  Enter the bathroom, step into the shower and pick up the LIBRARY KEY.  Now for some more backtracking.  Exit this suite of rooms and go back down the stairs to the den.  When you get to the bottom, loop around to the left and follow the narrow corridor until you reach the receptacle for your Library Key.  Use it and go down the stairs to the library.  Drop down from the stacks to the main floor and run past the piano to the opening in the wall. 

Turn right and hop onto the crate for the BOOK.  Return to the library and jump up to grab the ledge where you dropped down from earlier.  Pull up into the stacks and go back up the stairs to the den.  Run past the staircase, loop around right and run back up the stairs.  Loop around right at the top and follow the passage to a door you opened earlier.  Enter and turn left at the wall switch you pulled down earlier.  Enter the alcove to your right and place the Book on the plinth.  Continue to the next alcove and shoot the barrel to reveal a wall switch.  Pull it down to open the nearby door.  Proceed to an outdoor area where Lara looks up at a bell.

Combine the revolver and laser sight and shoot the bell.  The door ahead opens, so run forward to make that annoying looping background track convert to Lara's theme music.  Run forward into the sunshine to end the level.