DR Congo: A Real-Posted Postcard from Democratic Republic of Congo - A Jewel in My Collection

Finally I managed to take a short trip to Kinshasa - the Capital city of Democratic Republic of Congo. Dozens of friends had requested me to send a postcard or a cover from DR Congo but I could not send many because of very expensive postcards and enormously costly postage. In fact I could manage to send only two postcard - one to myself and the other one to a friend in Caribbean.

I bought this beautiful postcard from a book shop near 30th June Avenue or Independence Avenue. The postcard costed me US$5 each. The back of the postcard reads "Bonobos,  espèce endemique de RD Congo protégé par la loi" in French language meaning "Bonobos, DR Congo endemic species protected by law". The bonobos are found in a 500,000 km2 (190,000 sq mi) area of the Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Central Africa.

The experience in the Post Office was even more strange. The lady at the counter in General Post office in Kinshasa told me that postage for each postcard is US$5 but she didn't have stamps for the same value. Language barrier was pretty difficult to cope with as the lady spoke French only and not a word of English. The only stamps that she had were the two pasted on the postcard. The posted stamps are of 245 Congolese Francs only which turns out to be around US$0.25, so I had to pay US$5.25 for the postage.
After receiving the postcard, I did try to find a postmark or some sign of US$5 that I paid to her but could not find any sign. Any how, it is really a precious jewel to find a real-posted postcard from DR Congo.
I do have some other UNESCO postcards from DR Congo that I brought from there. I shall be posting their scans on the blog in coming days. If you are interested in getting any of them, you can leave a message below with your facebook ID or email contact.
Have fun ..... Happy Collecting!

Origami Planes and White Marble Horse from France

I received this postcard from France and have absolutely no clue about the place.

The postcard was sent by Didier Roux from France.

Two pretty amazing stamps were used on the postcard.

• The top one is a machine stamp showing 3 different paper planes made by Origami. It is an airmail stamp from France (circa 2002). In France, stamp machines (machine which delivers computer stamps) deliver a small bill (size of a stamp) with a origami plane.
• The second stamp shows a beautiful white horse. It is one of the Horses 12v s-a in Booklet. There are two writings on the stamp. After a little research, they are as: "Lettre Verte" meaning "Green Letter" and the second writing says, "Le Boulonnais" meaning "The Boulonnais", which is a breed of horse, also known as "White Marble Horse", and just by the first look at the horse, it is definitely a white marble horse.

Does anyone reading this knows which place is shown on the postcard???

Yakovlev Yak-3 Aircraft from Russian Federation

The amazing postcard from Russian Federation shows a flying Yakovlev Yak-3 Aircraft used by Soviet Air Force in World War II.

Yakovlev Yak-3 (Russian language: Яковлев Як-3) was a World War II Soviet fighter aircraft. Due to it's robustness and easiness to maintain, it was much liked by pilots and ground crew alike. It was one of the smallest and lightest major combat fighters fielded by any combatant during the war, and its high power-to-weight ratio gave it excellent performance. It proved a formidable dog-fighter. Many pilots considered it a superior aircraft to the P-51D Mustang and the Supermarine Spitfire. After the war ended, it flew with the Yugoslav and Polish Air Forces.

Top speed: 655 km/h

Length: 8.50 m

Wingspan: 9.19 m

First flight: 1943

Introduced: 1944

Retired: 1945

The postcard was sent by Victoria from Siberian city Tyumen as an official Postcrossing postcard bearing the ID: RU-1064906 (BTW, she has uploaded a similar but different postcard on the Official Site ;-) )
Four stamps have been used on the postcard along with a puppy sticker for my kids.

• The stamp on the top-right features another beautiful aircraft - Petlyakov Pe-2. It was a Soviet dive bomber aircraft used during World War II. It was regarded as one of the best ground attack aircraft of the war and it was extremely successful in the roles of heavy fighter, reconnaissance and night fighter. The stamp is a part of Aviation 4v set issued in 2011.
• The two stamps at the bottom show a polar bear and it's baby & a horse with it's offspring. These two stamps are part of a beautiful 5 stamp set Wild Life 5v, issued in 2006.
• The stamp on the top-left side shows a wild rabbit and it was issued as a part of a set of 15 definitive animal stamps in 2008.

Thanks a lot Victoria for a lovely postcard and such amazing stamps!

Snow White from Russia with lovely animals stamps

Snow White has always been one of my favourite Disney Princesses. Receiving this official Postcrossing postcard really made my day brighter and shinier.

I received this lovely postcard from Natalia in Russia.

The postcard also featured an official Disney Logo at the back side.

Two different stamps were used to post the card, which were a part of a series of 15 stamps issued as a Definitive Series in 2008. You can see the complete series of these definitive animal stamps from Russia here.

A 'Lost' Zebra in Kenya

Zebra is one of my favourite animals. It is everything from being cute, innocent and cuddly to being an amazing sight in the wild.
This beautiful postcard shows a 'lost' zebra in the wilderness of Kenya. Kenya probably has the largest population of zebras in the world.

Amazing Fact: Like human finger-prints, no two zebras have the same pattern of  stripes on their skin and these stripes can be used as their biometric identification too.

Liberia: Bat Snoozing in Sapo National Park, Sinoe County

Another beautiful postcard from Liberia showing a tired bat snoozing in Sapo National Park (As mentioned on the back of the postcard). It is an official postcard issued by Liberia Ministry of Posts & Telecommunications (Also mentioned at the back).

Sapo National Park is a national park in Sinoe County, Liberia. It is the country's largest protected area of rain-forest and its only national park, and contains the second-largest area of primary tropical rain-forest in West Africa after Taï National Park in neighbouring Côte d'Ivoire. Agriculture, construction, fishing, hunting, human settlement, and logging are prohibited in the park.
Sapo National Park is located in the Upper Guinean forest ecosystem, a biodiversity hotspot that has "the highest mammal species diversity of any region in the world", according to Conservation International.
The postcard was brought for me by one of my sweet brothers Adeel, during his stay in Liberia, as a part of UN Peace Keeping Mission.
What do you think about this lovely postcard?

Fighting Elephants - Beauty of Kenya

Here is a beautiful postcard from Kenya showing the rich and exotic wild life of the country.

The postcard shows two African Elephants fighting like humans ;)
I have posted a couple of other postcards from Kenya with elephants in past that you can see here and here.
"Beauty of Kenya" postcard is definitely very eye-catching but I wonder why they are fighting. Are they fighting for something big like a piece of land or may be something smaller like a bag of peanuts? Or may be they are doing "Trunk Wrestling"!
What do you think???

Gujjar Nomads of Kaghan Valley

Gujjar Nomads of Kaghan Valley in Pakistan travel towards southern areas in harsh winters of the valley and move back towards Babusar Pass in the start of spring to feed their herds.

I am always astonished to see how much area they travel during the year. In fact, they travel thousands of miles on their feet along with their goats, sheep and cows, Sometimes they also get help from donkeys and horses but that help help is primarily aimed at carrying the luggage.
Kaghan valley is a magnificent grazing area for cattle and during brief summers, the sheep and goats grow a lot because of healthy food and pleasant atmosphere. The primary area for grazing for Gujjar Herders is near Babusar Pass, in the grounds of Gitidas. It is about 11,000 feet above mean sea level and is lush green during summers.
I wonder whether the goats and seep get slim after taking a long walk back before winters, any ideas?

Finland - The Land of Thousand Lakes

Hi Pals!
I have brought a beautiful postcard from Finland to share with you. This interesting postcard is made by Finnish Association of Nature Conservation and shows one of the thousand beautiful lakes in Finland. Finland is known as "The Land of Thousand Lakes".

The stamp used on the postcard is also very unique. It is an Odd-Shaped Stamp from Finland, where the Finnish flag is waving out of the perforation of the rectangular stamp. The stamp was issued in 2006.

The monogram of Finnish Association for Nature Conservation is a seal which can be seen on front top-right corner of the postcard and is also water-marked at the rear of the postcard. 

"It is the largest non-governmental organization for environmental protection and nature conservation in Finland. Its objectives include the promotion of sustainable production and consumption patterns and the protection of biodiversity."

Thanks a lot Marika for sending me this nice postcard!

Tent Pegging in Pakistan

Today I would like to share a gorgeous postcard from Pakistan. It is a card showing the popular horse sport of "Tent Pegging". The photo on the postcard shows the display of tent-pegging at the National Horse and Cattle Show, Lahore.

As per Wikipedia, Tent Pegging is defined as, "Tent pegging (sometimes spelled "tentpegging" or "tent-pegging") is a cavalry sport of ancient origin, and is one of only ten equestrian disciplines officially recognised by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports. Used narrowly, the term refers to a specific mounted game with ground targets. More broadly, it refers to the entire class of mounted cavalry games involving edged weapons on horseback, for which the term "equestrian skill-at-arms" is also used."
You can read more about Tent-pegging here.

De-Listed Omani UNESCO World Heritage Site - Arabian Oryx Sanctuary

Today I would like to share another stunning postcard with you. Here I have a UNESCO World Heritage Site from one of its kind Site. I say so because the card depicts views from Arabian Oryx Sanctuary from Oman and the site was de-listed from the UNESCO List in 2007. It is one of the only two sites de-listed from the UNESCO Site List.  The other one was Dresden Elbe Valley in Germany which was de-listed in 2009.

As per Wikipedia, "Oryx is one of four large antelope species of the genus Oryx. Three of the species are native to arid parts of Africa, with a fourth native to the Arabian Peninsula. Their pelage is pale with contrasing dark markings in the face and on the legs, and their long horns are almost straight. The exception is the Scimitar Oryx, which lacks dark markings on the legs, only has faint dark markings on the head, has an ochre neck, and horns that are clearly decurved. 
The Arabian Oryx was only saved from extinction through a captive breeding program, and the Scimitar Oryx, which probably now is extinct in the wild, also relies on a captive breeding program for its survival."
You can read the brief description of "Arabian Oryx Sanctuary" as described on Official UNESCO WHS here.

The stamps used on the postcard are also very beautiful.

• The $1 postage stamp on the left is a part of a set of 9 postage stamps issued in 2005 by Australian Post as the "Greetings" series.
• The second stamp on the right is a $1 stamp from the "Wild Flowers" set of 4 stamps issued in 2006. The stamp shows the wild flower - Pincushion Hakea. 
• I also liked the Australian Post Airmail Label on the Postcard. Its so graceful and artistically designed.

The Postcard was sent to me by Laurent from Postcard Interactive Company of Sydney. It is a group of very seasoned Postcard Swappers who are also running a small printing company. They specialize in publishing special thematic postcards on world-wide loved themes like UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Airports and Aircrafts, Map cards, Navy Bases, Cruise Ships, Stadiums, Lighthouses, Railways, World Animals and other similar topics. Some of the unique and very gorgeous Limited Edition covers can also be found on the site.
You can buy postcards or covers from Postcard Interactive Company of Sydney at a very economical price or even swap with them.
If you buy from the Company, they will send you the postcards without any extra postage charges - with a minimum order of only 6 postcards. I assure you that the rates of Postcard Interactive Company of Sydney are very competitive and less expensive while the quality is superb. So check them now and find your favorite postcards or covers among hundreds of items on the site.

Disneyland Postcard from USA

I have always been an avid fan of Disney Cartoons and films. Mickey and Minnie Mouse have been one of my favorite cartoons of all time. Despite having grown older, I am still a kid at heart as far as my love for Mickey is concerned. 

This is my first Disney Postcard from USA. It is sent to me by an employee of Disneyland, who has been very kind in our conversations.

Two of the three stamps used on the postcard are from zazzle.com; while the third stamp is on Scouting. Its a really beautiful stamp. The two stamps from zazzle.com feature a dog and a Mickey Mouse sketch.

It has been a very beautiful addition in my Disney Collection. Thanks a lot!

Official Postcrossing Postcard from North Carolina

A beautiful postcard from North Carolina, USA showing a romantic sunset at the coast. The back of postcard says: "From sunrise to sunset, the picturesque beauty of the coast of the Carolina's will delight you with fabulous visions".

Interestingly, the postcard is "Made in Italy". The postcard was sent to me by Vicki from North Carolina which is a Southern state on the Eastern seaboard of US.

The cool postage stamp used on the postcard features a magnificent Red Fox. I absolutely adore this nice postcard.

Did you like the postcard, stamp and post?

Kenyan Giraffe with her Child - Postcard from Kenya

A beautiful postcard from Kenya filled with motherly love of a female Giraffe for her young lad is evident. Isn't it magnificent?

Do you like Animal Postcards from around the Globe?

Elephants Postcard from Kenya

A beautiful postcard from Kenya featuring some wild elephants. Absolutely great!!!

The Land of Wild Animals - Postcard from Kenya in East Africa

A lovely postcard from Kenya. Kenyan Postcards are as beautiful as ever. I love these wild animals and adore their bravery and couage. Lion, Leopard and Rhino are definitely some of the most fearsome creatures on Earth.
I don't know why the postcard says "Jambo from East Africa". What is Jambo? Any suggestions???

#19: Kenya: King of the Beasts

A Lovely postcard from Kenya and a magnificent animal. The King of the Jungle and the Beast of the Beasts - The Lion is a superb creature of God. This lion is definitely a monarch somewhere deep in the woods. What do you say?

Postcard #15: Kenya: Elephant Family

Hi friends!

Today I have to share a beautiful postcard from Kenya with you. This is my first postcard from Kenya. The postcard shows a herd of elephants moving from one place to another. The highlight of the photo is the way mother elephant is helping her child to movr forward. Pushing the baby with her trunk to transfer her enormous strength to the baby's legs. 

By the way, I absolutely adore these giant animals. My daughters also love elephants and our visit to the zoo is always incomplete without watching these animals closely. We have a pair of elephants in Islamabad Zoo and a pair (I think) in Lahore Zoo.