A Cricket Postcard from a Non-Cricketing Nation USA

With the vibes of ICC 2019 Cricket World Cup in the air, today I would like to share one of my favourite postcards with you from my collection.
The gorgeous postcard shows a beautiful assortment of logos of the Cricket Boards which are members of International Cricket Council (ICC). More interestingly, the postcard is sent from USA, which is one of the Non-Cricketing Nation or at the max can be called as a Least-Cricketing Nation.

It is commonly believed that the game of cricket is played in the Commonwealth Countries or more simply speaking, it is played in the countries that have once been under the influence of the British Empire. The postcard definitely shows cricket board logos of BIG Cricket Playing Nations like Australia, England, Pakistan, India, South Africa, West Indies, etc but also displays logos of countries like France, Spain, Norway, Lesotho, Botswana, Czech Republic, Danmark, Saudi Arabia, etc.
In total the postcard shows the Logos of about 95 different countries.

The back side of the postcard shows a nice variety of 9 different stamps of United States of America, including the Olympics issues of 1976 and 1980 and even one stamp from 11th Winter Games Sapporo 1972. One stamp of Coral Reef shows the Finger Coral in Hawaii, while another one shows Salem Poor - Gallant Soldier from the US Bicentennial stamp issue with the title "Contributors to the Cause ..."

Voortrekker Monument - Pretoria, South Africa Postcard with crafts stamps

The Voortrekker Monument is located in the city of  Pretoria in South Africa. This massive granite structure is prominently located on a hilltop, and was raised to commemorate the Voortrekkers who left the Cape Colony between 1835 and 1854.

On 8 July 2011 the Voortrekker Monument, designed by the architect Gerard Moerdijk, was declared a National Heritage Site by the South African Heritage Resource Agency.

The sender sent the postcard with 5 beautiful stamps. These stamps were issued as a 16-stamp set on 27 October 2010 under the topic of "Crafts".

Bulgaria issued pre-stamped postcard on 50 Years of Pakistan-Bulgaria Friendship 2015

A magnificent collector item for the collectors of Pakistan-related or Bulgaria-related philatelic items. Bulgaria issued a pre-stamped postcard on 22 June 2015 on the eve of "50 Years of Friendship between Pakistan and Bulgaria".

Thanks a lot to Alex in Bulgaria for sending this beautiful limited edition postcard - written and stamped from Bulgaria on 19 April 2017.

 The 0.40 (Bulgarian Lev) pre-stamped design on the postcard with first day cancellation.

 This coloured design was printed on the bottom left corner of the postcard. The text in Bulgarian says "50 Years of Friendship between Pakistan and Bulgaria".

The stamp used on the postcard shows a mushroom - Russula Virescens. It is the highest denomination stamp from a set of 4 mushroom stamps issued in 2014.

Above pic shows the written text on the back side of the card, written on 18 April 2017.

The above Bulgarian text (Printed vertically in the center of the card) reads: "Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Post" (As per Google Translate)

Jordan - UNESCO Postcard - Um Er-Rasas

A magnificent postcard posted direct from Jordan featuring a UNESCO World Heritage Site - Um Er-Rasas. It is one of the 5 UNESCO sites from Jordan.

 Most of this archaeological site, which started as a Roman military camp and grew to become a town from the 5th century, has not been excavated. It contains remains from the Roman, Byzantine and Early Muslim periods (end of 3rd to 9th centuries AD) and a fortified Roman military camp. The site also has 16 churches, some with well-preserved mosaic floors. Particularly noteworthy is the mosaic floor of the Church of Saint Stephen with its representation of towns in the region. Two square towers are probably the only remains of the practice, well known in this part of the world, of the stylites (ascetic monks who spent time in isolation atop a column or tower). Um er-Rasas is surrounded by, and dotted with, remains of ancient agricultural cultivation in an arid area.

The two stamps used for postage include:-

• Right side stamp in the photo shows the Ruins of Arc de Triomphe. Initially the stamp was issued in 2003 for a value of 25 Fils, however it was later surcharged for 80 pt in 2009.
• The fox stamp on the left is with a face value of 30 pt was issued on 25th August 2009. It was one of the set of 5 stamps.

Upper Svaneti, Georgia - A UNESCO World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site postcard from Georgia for my UNESCO Collection - Upper Svaneti.
Preserved by its long isolation, the Upper Svaneti region of the Caucasus is an exceptional example of mountain scenery with medieval-type villages and tower-houses. The village of Chazhashi still has more than 200 of these very unusual houses, which were used both as dwellings and as defence posts against the invaders who plagued the region.

The property occupies the upper reaches of the lnguri River Basin between the Caucasus and Svaneti ranges. It consists of several small villages forming a community that are dominated by the towers and situated on the mountain slopes, with a natural environment of gorges and alpine valleys and a backdrop of snow-covered mountains. The most notable feature of the settlements is the abundance of towers.

The beautiful stamp used on the back of the postcard was part of the set "Cultural Heritage of Georgia". The complete set was issued in a souvenir sheet of 4 stamps. The stamp shows "Golden Necklace, II-III Century AD". The stamp is of 2.0 Georgian Lari (GEL).
The postcard has been postmarked from Telavi, Georgia.

Faroe Islands Postcards - Unspoiled Beauty at it's peak

Faroe Islands was another one of my missing list cards. An absolutely breath-taking scenery, which is truly untouched and unspoiled by the mankind, is the hallmark of Faroe Islands (Called as Foroyar in Faroese language).

The postcards shows a view of the Gásadalur Village It is a village located on the west side of Vágar, Faroe Islands, and enjoys a panoramic view over to the island of Mykines. Gásadalur is located on the edge of Mykinesfjørður, surrounded by the highest mountains on Vágar. The total population of Gásadalur Village is 18 only.

Following stamps have been used on the postcard:-

• 7 KR (Faroese Krona) stamp was issued in 2006. It was a part of a set of 3 definitive stamps. This stamp shows Svorugota.
• 12 KR (Faroese Krona) stamp was one of the stamps from a set of 4 Stamps issued in 2010, under the title - "The Faroes - Under the Sea". All the stamps had the photos taken by the famous Faroese photographer Ingi Sørensen.  

Cameroun Postcard - A Rare Card to have in collection

Republic of Cameroun is one of the rare countries in the postcard world. I received this beauty posted directly from Yaounde - the Capital City of Cameroun.
Cameroun is a country in Central Africa - bordered by Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Republic of Congo.

The postcard shows "Young Dancers" in a festival in Bamenda - a city in North-Western Cameroun. Thanks to a nice friend J. D. Juneja, who was living in Republic of Congo and posted this postcard during his trip to Cameroun.

Although no postage stamp was used while sending the postcard, however the beautiful and clear postmarks on the back of the postcard compensated for that. Probably a postage fee of 200 Central African Francs (FCFA) was used to send the card. The rectangular red postmarks by CAMPOST were used while posting on 5 August 2016 at the Yaounde Post Office.

The round black stamp with date in red colour was used on 8 August 2016, while departing from Cameroun.

Only a true postcard collector can understand the value and rarity of this postcard ;-) Isn't it?

Monaco - Monte-Carlo View Postcard - Beautiful stamps and a Lovely Quote

A beautiful postcard from one of the slightly smaller country - Monaco, a tiny independent city-state on France’s Mediterranean coastline known for its upscale casinos, yacht-lined harbour and prestigious Grand Prix motor race, which runs through Monaco’s streets once a year.

Monte Carlo is host to most of the Circuit de Monaco, on which the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix takes place. It also hosts world championship boxing bouts. Monte Carlo is one of Europe's leading tourist resorts. 

Two stamps have been used on the postcard for postage:-

• The first stamp on left side was issued in 2010 to commemorate "Larvotto Marine Reserve". It has a very small denomination of 0.02 €. The stamp design shows Pinna Nobilis, common name for the noble pen shell or fan mussel. It is a large species of Mediterranean clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Pinnidae, the pen shells. It reaches up to 120 cm of shell length. 
• The stamp on the right side was issued at the eve of "Youth Olympics - Lillehammer, Norway" in 2016. Norway Flag is also shown on the stamp along with players taking part in Skiing, Figure Skating and Bobsleigh. The event took place from 12-21 February 2016. The stamp is of 1.25 € denomination. 

The quote written on the back side of the postcard:
"Be careful what you wish for, 'cause you just might get it!" ~~~ Quite a true quote in fact ;-)

My Favourite Postcard - Pakistan Flag Card from United Nations Headquarters in New York

Today I am sharing one of my favourite and most-beloved postcards from my collection.
The postcard shows the National Flag of "Pakistan" - The Most Beautiful Country in the World!

The country name is written twice on the front bottom of the card ... with the United Nations emblem in the centre.
In fact the postcard has been bought from the United Nations Headquarters Souvenir Shop in New York by a very dear friend Nan on my special request.

Three beautiful stamps are pasted at the back for posting ... with the United Nations postmarks on them. The three stamps feature the following UNESCO World Heritage Site Stamps:-

• Ayutthaya, Thailand - 2015
• The Great Wall, China - 2013
• Lednice-Valtice, Czech Republic - 2016

Indeed a beauty to have it in my collection!

May Allah Almighty bless Pakistan with ultimate peace and prosperity! Aameen!

Sri Lanka: Dambulla Cave Temple

Received this beautiful multi-view card from Sri Lanka some time ago. Dambulla Cave Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also known as "The Golden Temple of Dambulla"!

 You can see some interesting details about the Dambulla Cave Complex by visiting the link here.

Three gorgeous stamps have been used on the postcard. Sri Lanka has improved it's stamp designs in the last few years a lot. I really like the scouting stamp at the right-most position. It's extremely proportionate and lovely design.

• The right most stamp was issued in 2016 at the eve of "World and Sri Lanka Cub Scouts Centenary 1916-2016" and was of 10 Sri Lankan Rupees denomination.

• The stamp in the center is a part of a set of 10 stamps issued on Solar System in 2014 and shows the Sun. Denomination is 7 Sri Lankan Rupees. It was the cheapest stamp in the set.

• The Greater Flamingos stamp on the left side is a part of 4-stamp set issued by Sri Lanka on World Wetland Day and the birds are shown in Chundikulam National Park.

Northern Cyprus Postcard with an awesome EURO 2016 Stamp

Northern Cyprus is one of the harder countries to find in the world of postcards.
Northern Cyprus is the Turkish part of the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, divided between Turkey and Greece since the late–20th century. The beautiful island is famous for it's serene beaches, majestic Byzantine castles and ancient ruins. The capital city, Nicosia (Lefkoşa), has an old town enclosed by Venetian walls. Its Gothic Selimiye Mosque was once a cathedral, and Buyuk Han is a 16th-century Ottoman caravanserai (inn) turned arts center.

The photo featured on the postcard shows a view of  Kyrenia Harbour. Kyrenia Harbour is a small harbour but a charming, fascinating place, to find the calm ambience, soothing atmosphere, beautiful views and stunning surroundings. The harbour is filled with yachts and boats, and the landscape is somewhat dominated by the fascinating Kyrenia Castle.

The stamp used on the postcard was a part of a set of 2 stamps issued on the occasion of EURO 2016 Football Cup. EURO 2016 was held in France from 10 June - 10 July 2016 and Portugal won the tournament.

Uganda - Murchinson Falls

Another one of the postcards posted last year by me to my dad, while I was travelling through Uganda. Murchinson Falls is number 3 on the list of top 10 scenic places of Uganda.
I bought this postcard from a shopping mall in Kampala along with many others.

Murchinson Falls National Park is about 300 kms NW of Kampala. Murchison Falls National Park is Uganda's largest national park. It measures approximately 3,840 square kilometres (1,480 sq mi). Together with the adjacent Bugungu Wildlife Reserve and the Karuma Wildlife Reserve, the park is part of the 5,308 square kilometres (2,049 sq mi) Murchison Falls Conservation Area (MFCA).
In Murchison there are four of the "Big Five". Cape buffalo, elephants, lions, leopard are best to be seen in the northern part (above the Nile). Due to excessive hunting and poaching, rhinos became extinct by 1983, but were re-introduced into Uganda in 2005 by Rhino Fund Uganda. White rhinoceros are now being bred again in the 7,000 hectares (27 sq mi) Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary, which is located 70 kilometres (43 mi), south of the park. Their mission is to reintroduce small herds of rhinos (around five at a time), whilst retaining a nucleus breeding herd in the sanctuary. MFCA and adjacent Bugondo Forest reserve contain 76 Species of mammals as well as Uganda's largest population of Nile crocodile.
You can see the official website of the park here.

The stamp used was issued in honour of Ugandan athlete Stephen Kiprotich, who won a Gold Medal at Men's Marathon in London 2012 Olympic Games.

Switzerland - Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Having received a previous postcard of Disney's Princess Snow White from Russia before, today I am sharing another postcard of Snow White posted from Switzerland by Alexia. This beautiful postcard was sent as an official Postcrossing postcard and was a lovely surprise. My kids really loved the princess and the cute dwarfs.

The postcard was sent using a stamp showing a bird - Red Kite (Milvus milvus). It is one of the stamps from a set of two stamps issued by Helvetia in 2009.

Thanks a lot Alexie for this hand-picked postcard.