The Great Wall In The Snow

I have covered the Great Wall in another post, but there are always different views of this magnificant site, it being so huge and all...and I do LOVE snowy views! Thanks Jarod :)

UNESCO - Pre-Hispanic Town Of Uxmal, Mexico

The Mayan town of Uxmal, in Yucatán, was founded c. A.D. 700 and had some 25,000 inhabitants. The layout of the buildings, which date from between 700 and 1000, reveals a knowledge of astronomy. The Pyramid of the Soothsayer, as the Spaniards called it, dominates the ceremonial centre, which has well-designed buildings decorated with a profusion of symbolic motifs and sculptures depicting Chaac, the god of rain. 

Uxmal is located in the Puuc region of Mexico and was one of the largest cities on the Yucatán Peninsula. The name Uxmal means 'thrice-built' in the Mayan language, referring to the many layers of construction of its most imposing structure. The Pyramid is approximately 35-meters tall, as the measurements seem to be a matter of some kind of dispute. Nevertheless, it looks awe-inspiring, and I envy Brigitte on seeing it! 

UNESCO - Agra Fort, India

Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. Thank you Sanjay for this impressive view. I am esp happy to get Unesco from India that is not from the official series.

Surabaya Mangrove Forest, Indonesia

Another summery postcard...Surabaya is the capital of Jawa Timur (East Java), located on northeastern Java island and along the edge of the Madura Strait and the second-largest-city in Indonesia. The surrounding area is known for mangrove tourism, there being two forests with organised tours: Kelurahan Wonorejo and Kelurahan Gunung Anyar. Which one this is its hard to tell. The colours are lovely though. Thanks to Andrea :)

On The Beach Of Tarawa, Kiribati

Tarawa is the main atoll of Kiribati, of which I have written in the 1st post of this exotic country. I am grateful to Darya for arranging this 2nd card, very inviting on these glum winter days :)

A Panda Scene (and more)

I love this panda card because it looks like a scene in which each panda should have...you know those speech bubbles, and the one on the right would surely say something sarcastic looking at those two! Thank you Mengyao, pandas are always cute :) But especially on the video that was circling the social media in the last few days - a giant panda enjoying snow! Have a look if you haven't managed so far, trust me it'll make you happy just by seeing the fella happy :D

Lynx From Belarus

A fantastic portrait of a lynx comes from Belarus, a huge card with a lot of info written on the back - i can read the cyrillics (however slowly heh) but sadly not the language. The stamp is equally picturesque showing the fauna of Naliboki Pushcha (one of four). Thank you Irina :)

Osogovo Monastery, Macedonia

Osogovo Monastery is a Macedonian Orthodox monastery located near Kriva Palanka, Republic of Macedonia, 10 kilometres from the Bulgarian border on Osogovo Mountain. It consists of two churches including the larger "Saint Joachim of Osogovo" and the smaller "Holy Mother of God." The monastery grounds also consist of a bell tower, dormitories, a guardhouse, and a residency for the Head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church.

Ana suggested to include this place during my next trip to Macedonia, and I can see why - its a gorgeous setting! I also really love the orthodox church art, like the icon on the stamp. E Ana...stvarno bi trebalo...ali zasad držimo se norveškog plana :D

 

Smaug The Magnificent

Smaug is the primary antagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel The Hobbit - he is a powerful, intelligent, malevolent and fearsome dragon who invaded the Dwarf kingdom of Erebor 150 years prior to the events described in the novel. A group of 13 Dwarves mounted a quest to take the kingdom back, aided by the wizard Gandalf (on the stamp) and the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins. 

What a card! Dragons have always been among my favourite fantastic creatures, and it makes me kind of sad that they are really relentless and dangerous. Thanks so much Adrienne :)

Map Of Uganda

This great card was received about a year ago, many years after my first cards from Uganda. The combination of the map, flag and view highlights is the best. Also very happy about the stamps! Thanks so so much Grace :))

Map Of Antigua

The 2nd time my friend visited Antigua he sent me this wonderful map card :))

The tree on the stamp is mesquite - is one of the most expensive types of lumber in the U.S. A mature tree can be milled and sold for thousands of dollars. It was a very popular type of wood used by early Spaniards to build ships; but is now used most commonly for high end rustic furniture and cabinets.

Zion National Park, USA

Ah the nature of the northern american continent...All I could do is sigh when seeing this amazing view. One of the reasons I've decided to get a drivers licence at the late age of 38 is the thought of going on a road trip in North America, to see the things buses and trains don't take you to...thank you Elena for this inspiration.

Zion National Park is located in the Southwestern United States, near Springdale, Utah. A prominent feature of the 229-square-mile (590 km²) park is Zion Canyon, which is 15 miles (24 km) long and up to half a mile (800 m) deep, cut through the reddish and tan-colored Navajo Sandstone by the North Fork of the Virgin River. 

Guided horseback riding trips, nature walks, and evening programs are available from late March to early November. There are also free shuttle-bus services available for the Zion Canyon road.

UNESCO - Jesuit Block And Estancias Of Córdoba, Argentina

The Jesuit Block in Córdoba, heart of the former Jesuit Province of Paraguay, contains the core buildings of the Jesuit system: the university, the church and residence of the Society of Jesus, and the college. Along with the five estancias, or farming estates, they contain religious and secular buildings, which illustrate the unique religious, social, and economic experiment carried out in the world for a period of over 150 years in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Another thanks to Ruben, this time for his homeland unesco :)

UNESCO - Hatra, Iraq

I have received this postcard a few months before the news reported about a horrific destruction of this treasured place...It is just devastating how history can disappear right before our eyes, and for what...:(( Thank you Hasanain for this card, I truly appreciate it, and hope for better years to come, here there, everywhere.

A large fortified city under the influence of the Parthian Empire and capital of the first Arab Kingdom, Hatra withstood invasions by the Romans in A.D. 116 and 198 thanks to its high, thick walls reinforced by towers. The remains of the city, especially the temples where Hellenistic and Roman architecture blend with Eastern decorative features, attest to the greatness of its civilization.

UNESCO - Sangiran Early Man Site, Indonesia

Sangiran Early Man Site is situated about 15 kilometers in the north of Solo town in Central Java, Indonesia, covering an area of 5,600 hectares. It became famous after the discovery of Homo erectus remains and associated stone artifacts (well-known as Sangiran flake industry) in the 1930s. There is a very significant geological sequence from the upper Pliocene until the end of Middle Pleistocene by depicting the human, faunal, and cultural evolutions within the last 2.4 million years.

Thanks goes to Shinta, who even included matching stamps and cancellation, and to Dionisus, great additions guys :)

 

UNESCO - Garamba National Park, DR Congo

Garamba National Park is located in the north-eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in the transition zone between the dense tropical forests of the Congo Basin and the Guinea-Sudano savannas. It contains the last worldwide population of the northern white rhinoceros, endemic sub-species of Congolese giraffe and a mixed population of elephants, combining forest elephants, bush elephants and individuals demonstrating morphological characteristics common to the two elephant sub-species. It is also characterized by an exceptionally high level of biomass of great herbivores as a result of the vegetation productivity of the environment. 

Huge thanks to Mike, for the new country, unesco card and endangered species, all in one :)

Sooty Albatros, South Georgia And The South Sandwich Islands

Thanks to Ruben who arranged this card for me, the beautiful albatros (apparently flying over South Georgia Islands heh :)) Sent from King Edward Point research station, de facto the capital of the islands. Last reported estimated population was 30. 

South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI) is a British overseas territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote and inhospitable collection of islands, consisting of South Georgia and a chain of smaller islands known as the South Sandwich Islands. South Georgia is 165 km long and 1 to 35 km wide, and is by far the largest island in the territory. The South Sandwich Islands lie about 700 km southeast of South Georgia.

There is no native population on the islands; the present inhabitants are the British Government Officer, Deputy Postmaster, scientists, and support staff from the British Antarctic Survey who maintain scientific bases at Bird Island and at the capital, King Edward Point, as well as museum staff at nearby Grytviken.

Postmaster you say..?! I have been reading about the postmistress vacancy on Antarctica, now this sounds interesting too :)

The light-mantled sooty albatross is a small albatross in the genus Phoebetria; it breeds on several subantarctic islands,  has a loud shrill voice that is trumpet-like, and feeds mostly on  of squid and krill. 

Karst Hill Landscape Of Vang Vieng, Laos

This is the first postcard I've sent from Laos...we have just left the paradise called Si Phan Don (4000 islands) and had to stop in Pakse town on our way to Vang Vieng. We were having coffee in a very laid back 'restaurant' in a private house, there were postcards but no stamps, so the (most probably) lady owner said just leave it with me i'll go to the post office for you. And she did! I wasn't sure about it until I received this card, paid a bit extra for the service but was worth it :))

Vang Vieng (Lao: ວັງວຽງ) is a tourist-oriented town in Laos in Vientiane Province about four hours bus ride north of the capital. The town lies on the Nam Song River. The most notable feature of the area is the karst hill landscape surrounding the town.

The place is very tourist-oriented and is teeming with backpackers (many of them keen to do inner tubing pissed as hell) really not my cup of tea, but the landscape is truly amazing and I was willing to go just to finally try riding in a balloon - pricewise and placewise it seemed like a now-or-never moment. I do have a fear of heights and I'll probably never do it again, but I do not regret it! Here a pic:

Aurora Borealis In Lapland, Finland

I usually see postcards with green northern lights, seeing this one made me wanna have it instantly! Shame about the scratches left by the sorting machine :/ The matching stamp is a delight, thank you Marko!

I had such big plans about seeing Aurora Borealis this winter...but I went to the United States instead. Its a bit of a miss because in the last few years the lights were at their activity peak, which means they were visible even at the more southern places than usual. I speak in the past tense even though the winter is not over yet, because I know I won't be able to go see them before October, or November...but surely they'll still be on display for me at that time, so no probs :)

Adamstown, Pitcairn Islands

Ohoh I have completely forgotten to show a new country - received a year ago! Many many thanks to Susan for arranging this card for me :)

The Pitcairn Islands are a group of four volcanic islands ( Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie, and Oeno ) in the southern Pacific Ocean that form the last British Overseas Territory in the Pacific. They are spread over several hundred miles of ocean and have a total land area of about 47 square kilometres (18 sq mi). Only Pitcairn, the second largest island measuring about 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) from east to west, is inhabited by the descendants of the Bounty mutineers and the Tahitians (or Polynesians) who accompanied them, an event retold in numerous books and films. Amazing!

This view shows Adamstown, the only settlement on, and as such, the capital of, the Pitcairn Islands. It has a population of 56, which is therefore the entire population of the Pitcairn Islands - the hamlet currently holds the record for being the smallest capital in the world. It has access to television, satellite internet, and a telephone. The main means of communication is still the ham radio. According to Google Maps, the only named road in the capital is called "The Hill of Difficulty".

UNESCO - Bardejov Town Conservation Reserve, Slovakia

A perfect Unesco card from a wonderful postcrosser - thank you Mirka, receiving mail from you is a delight!

Bardejov is a small but exceptionally complete and well-preserved example of a fortified medieval town, which typifies the urbanisation in this region. Among other remarkable features, it also contains a small Jewish quarter around a fine 18th-century synagogue.

The town’s surviving urban plan, with a regular division of streets around a spacious market square, is an indication of European civilization from the 13th to 14th centuries.

 

UNESCO - Gulf of Porto: Calanche of Piana, Gulf of Girolata, Scandola Reserve, France

How satisfying to have a complete Unesco site that comprises different views! All thanks to Catherine, who sent me this complete set. Beautiful nature I'd love to see one day.

The nature reserve, which is part of the Regional Natural Park of Corsica, occupies the Scandola peninsula, an impressive, porphyritic rock mass. The vegetation is an outstanding example of scrubland. Seagulls, cormorants and sea eagles can be found there. The clear waters, with their islets and inaccessible caves, host a rich marine life.