One more card from Kuwait!

Today I received one more card from wonderful Huda! Card depicts some part of the commercial areas in Kuwait city. Around this area the old souk/market is situated, as well as the street which leads to many government ministries. Also there can be found most of banks and companies' offices. This area was in past full of houses.

Thanks a lot, Huda!

Big 5 from Tanzania!

Have you ever heard about Tanzania? Below you can see some general information.

Location: East Africa

Capital: Dodoma

Population: 41,892,895

Official languages: Swahili and English

National anthem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsZ5YtXn4C8 (Tanzania shares it national anthem with South Africa and Zimbabwe. It’s titled “Mungu Ibariki Afrika” (God Bless Africa))

Wildlife, beaches, islands, ruins, Mt Kilimanjaro (the highest point of Africa), friendly people, fascinating cultures – in Tanzania you will find all these. Tanzania has the largest concentration of wildlife animals per square kilometer, with more than 4 million wild animals and representatives of 430 species and subspecies.

I received this postcard from a friendly person Roland. Roland lives in Cologne but due to his job, he is working very often overseas, even for a longer period. At the moment of writing there was winter in Tanzania, but not a winter like in Europe. 28-32 degrees, sometimes a little bit of rain.

This wonderful postcard shows the so-called "Big Five". Leopard, lion, buffalo, elephant and rhino are among the most deadly mammals in Africa. The term was invented by big game hunters because each animal was so difficult to catch.

Thanks a lot for the postcard, Roland!

Historical Legacy of Oman!

Asalam daykum! This postcard arrived from a distant wonderful country Oman. Johann, a teacher, lives in Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of Oman. He finds Oman a very nice country to live and work in. He himself has been working here since August.

Oman is a country in Asia. The capital is Muscat. The population is about 2,967,717. Official language is Arabic. Oman is the oldest Arab state. The Sultanate of Oman long served as a hub on the Indian Ocean trade routes, and it has ancient ties that reach from Pakistan to the island of Zanzibar.  Today, Oman is one of the wealthiest nations on Earth. Oman is known for its oil reserves, agriculture and fishing. Oman's low-rise towns retain their traditional charms and Bedouin values remain the same.

Enjoy the anthem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIqy7Kz_cSI

Thanks a lot for the great postcard, Johann!

The Tokyo Skytree Tower from Japan!

Japan is an island country in East Asia. The capital is Tokyo. The population is about 127,288,000 habitants. There is no official languages in Japan, but there are some recognised regional languages (Aynu itak, Ryukyuan languages, Eastern Japanese, Western Japanese and several other Japanese dialects). Japan is often called the "Land of the Rising Sun". In Japanese the name of this country sounds like Nippon or Nihon. The Japanese archipelago, or chain of islands, consists of 6,852 islands. More than 70% of Japan consists of mountains, including more than 200 volcanoes. On average there are around 1,500 earthquakes every year in Japan. This ancient country has been inhabited since 30,000 B.C. Japan is a mixture of ancient culture and modern civilization.

My wonderful friend Kar from Hong Kong visited Japan. The postcard shows Tokyo, the Tokyo Skytree Tower, a broadcasting, restaurant and observation tower, the highest building in Tokyo. Besides, my friend is a cat-lover, so this postcard shows her love to this building and to cats!

The anthem is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29FFHC2D12Q

The stamp is dedicated to the International Letter-Writing Week.  Letter Writing Week is the one-week period that includes 9 October, the anniversary of the inauguration of the UPU. Nowadays the Week is a yearly event in Thailand and Japan. UPU focuses more on the International letter-writing competition for young people (established 1969) and World Post Day.

Thanks a lot for the postcard, KarKar!

2 postcards from Honduras!

The Republic of Honduras is a country in Central America (look at the postcard). The population is about 7,989,415 habitants. The capital is Tegucigalpa. Official language is Spanish. Honduras has colonial villages (Gracias, Comayagua), ancient Maya ruins (Copan), natural parks (Moskitia), and a Pacific and Caribbean coastline and the Bay Islands, with great beaches and coral reefs where snorkelling and diving are widespread. The country has one of the world highest murder rates due mostly to rampant gangs.

Enjoy the anthem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewyWW1kEPVk

The postcard shows the Cathedral of Tegucigalpa. The Tegucigalpa Cathedral, dedicated to Archangel St. Michael, the patron of the city, was built in the eighteenth century between 1765 and 1786. At the stamp you can see the Fortaleza de San Fernando de Omoa. It was built between 1759 and 1777 by Spain to protect the coast from rampant piracy. The fortress was captured in 1779 by the British during the Battle of San Fernando de Omoa. On 16 October 1779 there was a short siege and battle between British and Spanish forces not long after Spain entered the American Revolutionary War on the American side. The British forces managed to hold the fort only until November 1779.

Thanks a lot for the postcard, Wilmer!

The distillation of raki from Albania!

The Republic of Albania is a country in Southeastern Europe. The capital is Tirana. The population is about 2,986,952. Official language is Albanian. Albania is a small, mountainous country in the Balkan peninsula. Albania has a Muslim majority – a legacy of its centuries of Ottoman rule. The are a lot of thing to do in Albania. Albanian seaside is perfect. The beautiful beaches of the Ionian and Adriatic seas combined with great Mediterranean climate and delicious freshly caught seafood would make up for a wonderful holiday. Historical tours around the towns of Butrint, Gjirokaster, Berat, Durres and many others would not leave anybody disappointed. Kayaking in the Albanian Riviera or rafting on the Vjosa, Osum and the Black Drin rivers is a great way of spending a holiday.

The postcard shows the distillation of raki in the Përmeti Highlands. Raki is an unsweetened, anise-flavored Turkish alcoholic drink. It is served as an apéritif. Men are served raki, and sometimes Albanian water it down for ladies as well.

One stamp is dedicated to the 150 years of the International Committee of the Red Cross, dated 29 October, 2013. The second stamp shows Albanian boxing.

By the way, did you know, that Albania is called Shqipëria in Albanian?

Enjoy an anthem:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKNG_HxrXfQ

Thank you so much, Lydia!