Philippine Freshwater Sea Snake

Also called Garman's sea snake or Lake snake (Hydrophis semperi), its a rare species of venomous sea snake found only in a single lake - Lake Taal - on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is noted for being one of two known species of sea snake (and the only one in its family) that is known to be found almost-exclusively in freshwater (the other one is Crocker's sea snake native to the Solomon Islands). Locally it is known as duhol.

At first you wonder where the head is! When I swapped for this card I still had no idea how unique this snake is. Many thanks to Isabel! 

Jeepney Of The Philippines

Jeepneys are the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They are known for their crowded seating and kitsch decorations, which have become a ubiquitous symbol of Philippine culture and art. Jeepneys were originally made from U.S. military jeeps left over from World War II - when American troops began to leave the Philippines hundreds of surplus Jeeps were sold or given to the Filipinos, who stripped them down and altered locally.

A dear friend is travelling the world with her work and surprises me with postcards - like this one :)

 

Philippine Fauna

New lizard and new cute animal for my collections, thanks to Isabel :)

Varanus salvator (water monitor lizard) is a large lizard native to South and Southeast Asia. Water monitors are one of the most common monitor lizards found throughout Asia, and range from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India to Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, and various islands of Indonesia, living in areas close to water.

Tragulus napu (greater mouse deer)  is solitary and nocturnal. It uses small trails through thick brush in the forest. It was thought to be regionally extinct in Singapore until it was rediscovered on an offshore island in 2008. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest.

UNESCO - Rice Terraces Of The Philippine Cordilleras

 

 

The Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras is an outstanding example of an evolved, living cultural landscape - for 2000 years they have followed the contours of the mountains in the remote areas of the northern island Luzon, expressing sacred traditions and a delicate social balance of Ifugao ethnic group.

The inscribed property consists of five clusters, two of which can be seen here - the Batad and Bangaan terrace clusters. I think these views are absolutely amazing, and I have Jan to thank for them :))

UNESCO - Historic Town Of Vigan, Philippines

Established in the 16th century, Vigan is the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. The city of Vigan is situated on the west coast of the island Luzon, facing the South China Sea. Its one of the numerous Hispanic towns that are characterised by a unique architectural fusion of Philippine building design and the typical colonial European constructions - which is one of the reasons why it is enlisted as an whs unesco site.

Calesa is a Philippine horse-drawn carriage, mode of transport introduced by the Spaniards in the 18th century. This one is adorned for the annual calesa festival. Behind it is The St. Paul's Cathedral, a burial place for the great Ilocano poet Leona Florentino.

Thanks to private swap with Jeff :)

No stamps, but sometimes this kind of cancellation is interesting too ;) Only sometimes though! :D

The Philippine Eagle

This handsome bird of pray is thePhilippine Eagle - also known as Monkey-eating Eagle! It is the endemic species and declared the national bird of the Philippines. Sadly its critically endangered, mostly due to deforestation. It can grow to 1-meter length, and is generally considered one of the rarest and most powerful birds in the world!

I really like its proud look :) Thank you Maria/smurfrevolt for this great card!

Basco Lighthouse, The Philippines

I better show all my cards from the last batch as the new one is coming tomorrow - i am always so excited when the mail comes from the land! I have done lots of tagging recently so i know there will be many great new cards to post here :)))

I got this lighthouse card via private swap with superfluffy - thanks Steph! I do love lighthouses, they are usually surrounded by a stunning setting - or they simply look imposing and strong; our guides to a safe haven. Here accompanied with the classic Philippine jeepney :)

Basco lighthouse is situated in Batanes, the northernmost province of the Philippines. The province is composed of 10 islands and is 162 km north of the Luzon mainland (190 km south of Taiwan). The photos i've found online are quite stunning, reminds me a bit of Scotland!