Travel Postcard: March 2009

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Gozo, Malta

My first postcard from Malta reached to me yesterday.

Thank you to Domenique,
" Hello and greetings from small island of Malta. It shows one of the smallest islands in the maltese archipelago , around it are great diving areas."

The postcard, showing the Fungus Rock - Dwejra Bay of Gozo.

Gozo, meaning “joy” in Castilian, is the second largest Island of the Maltese archipelago, with a population of approximately 30,000.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Going Underground with Moscow

The Moscow Metro (Russian: Московский метрополитен, Moskovskiy metropoliten), which spans almost the entire Russian capital, is the world's second most heavily used rapid-transit system.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Taj Mahal

Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the seven wonders of the world.

Taj Mahal was built by a Muslim, Emperor Shah Jahan (died 1666 C.E.) in the memory of his dear wife and queen Mumtaz Mahal at Agra, India. It is an "elegy in marble" or some say an expression of a "dream." Taj Mahal (meaning Crown Palace) is a Mausoleum that houses the grave of queen Mumtaz Mahal at the lower chamber.

Taj Mahal was constructed over a period of twenty-two years, employing twenty thousand workers. It was completed in 1648 C.E. at a cost of 32 Million Rupees.

(Thank you to Kasinath for sending me one of the 7 wonders of the world to me)

Friday, March 27, 2009

Wroctaw, Poland

Ksenia ( Orange_dreamer) send me this postcard in one of Round Robins ~ Slavic Countries RR Special Group 25.

The postcard showing the Centennial Hall in Wroctaw, which is a UNESCO site.
According to Ksenia, it was built about 1911-1913, but is a good example of modernism.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Map Postcard of Palawan, Philippines

Picture from the left , row 1 : El Nido , Arreceffi Island, Honda Bay
row 2 : Diving in Tubbataha Reefs ; Local fishermen on offshore of Busuanga Island
row 3 : Coron Island

Picture from the right, row 1 : Sunset over Palawan
row 2 : Batak Tribe ; Jeepney, public transportation in Palawan
row 3 : Underground river ; 1667 Spanish fortress in Taytay

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Saguaro Sunset

My colleague , Valerie gave this postcard to me, she have extras.
Thank you.

The majestic Saguaro cactus soars against a dramatic desert sunset.
The saguaro cactus blossom is the Arizona state flower.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Multiview of Asmara, Eritrea

Thank you to Mansour willing to swap postcard with me from Eritrea.

" This picture depicts a multiview picture of Asmara's art-deco buildings build back in 1930s. It's the makor art-deco structures in Africa to which lucky enough, there are still intact Bennito Mussolini, nearly century ago, was quoted as lagina that he would built Piccola Roma in Africa ~ Asmara "

Eritrea is located in North East Africa.

ASMARA (Asmera) ~~ Eritrea's capital is situated on the eastern edge of Eritrea's highland plateau. Asmara enjoys a great climate, clean and picturesque streets, attractive palm trees, and a reputation as one of the safest, calm and alluring capital cities in Africa. The name is derived from Arbaete Asmara which literally means, in the Tigrinya language, "the four (villages) are united".

Friday, March 20, 2009

PFF : Vintage Taiwan Map Postcard

I receive this heavy cardboard postcard from Chiou-Wen from Taiwan.

The special about this postcard is ...it's a Game Board , some sort like a 'Treasure Map'.

Dun forget to visit to Postcard Friendship Friday

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Puerta de Toledo, Spain

According to Aurora,

" Toledo's Gate is the main monument of my city, Ciudad Real. My city used to be walled some centuries ago and this is the northern fate and the only part of the wall that exists nowadays. "

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Latvia

" The Blackheads House ; The National Opera ; The Convent Yard ; Three Brothers ; A view from the Dome Square ; The Dome Cathedral ; St.Peter's - Paul's Orthodox Church ; The Powder Tower ; St.Peter's Church"

I was so excited when I first receive the FIRST Postcard from Latvia.
Thanks to Catherine willing to swap postcard.

Some facts that I learned about Latvia

i) Latvia is a small country on the Baltic Sea with ancient history and traditions.

ii) There are about 3000 lakes in Latvia. Most of them are rather small. Approximately 40 % are located in Eastern part of Latvia.

iii) Latvia has a 494 km long white, sandy Baltic Sea coastline.The Baltic Sea is one of the most recent and shallowest seas in the world. The deepest point (470m) is to the north of Gothland. The Baltic Sea is a typical inland sea with about 250 inflowing rivers. Therefore, it has the least salty water in the world.

iv) 80% of the world's reserves of amber are found in the Baltic Sea region.

v) In 2004 the Republic of Latvia joined the European Union - a family of 25 nations.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Mid Wales, England

Map Postcard from Mid Wales, UK.

In Mid Wales there are two national parks (Snowdonia and Brecon Beacons), over 75 miles of coast along Cardigan Bay, the highest waterfall in Wales, and a green landscape with more sheep than people!

Thank you to Phillippa (from Aberystwyth)

Monday, March 16, 2009

Qatar

Wind Tower

Landscape Sand & Rocky (Khor Al Udeid)

Thank you to my colleague, Haw to bring me the postcard from his workplace.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Bird of paradise

Thank you to Marni Zainodin for send me such awesome postcard.

Heliconia is a genus of about 100 to 200 species of flowering plants native to the tropical Americas and the Pacific Ocean islands west to Indonesia. Common names for the genus include lobster-claws, wild plantains or false bird-of-paradise.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Open the gate to your heart

Altered Postcard

Friday, March 6, 2009

Postcard Friendship Friday ~ Hi from San Diego

I'm not from San Diego .

However, I wish ....

this postcard will cheer up your days !!

St Petersburg, Russia

Saint Petersburg is in Russia’s Northwest Federal Region and is the world’s largest northernmost city.

The Historic Centre of Saint Petersburg and Related Groups of Monuments constitute a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Map Postcard from Estonia

Horray !!! I finally receive a postcard from Estonia.
My previous 3 postcards (in an envelope) from Elina is missing during transit.
She is so kind to send me another one in 'naked'.

Estonia is the smallest of the Baltic countries. However, its presence felt in the region with its lovely seaside towns, quaint country villages and verdant forests and marshlands, all of which set the scene for discovering many cultural and natural gems.

Yet Estonia is also known for magnificent castles, pristine islands and a cosmopolitan capital amid medieval splendor. It's no wonder Estonia is no longer Europe's best-kept secret.

* the Baltic Sea countries - countries that have access to the Baltic Sea: Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Sweden.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Zulu , South Africa

Thank you to Denise to send me such beautiful, colourful & rich in tradition's postcard of Tribal Life of Zulu.

The Zulu are the largest South African ethnic group of an estimated 10-11 million people who live mainly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Beauty of Su-ao Port, I-lan, Taiwan

Beautiful scenery postcard from Ilan .

Thank you to Mei-Yu Ho.

Ilan is the first major town one encounters heading south down Taiwan's east coast.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Wood postcard of Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

Topkapi is the largest and oldest palace in the world to survive to our day. In 1924 it was turned into a museum at Atatürk's request. Situated on the acropolis, the site of the first settlement in Istanbul, it commands an impressive view of the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. The palace is a complex surrounded by 5 km of walls and occupies an area of 700,000 sq. m at the tip of the historical peninsula.

* Thank you to Epigonion's comment ~~ His name is Atatürk not Atatiirk.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Wood postcard of Blue Mosque, Istanbul

Istanbul's imperial Mosque of Sultan Ahmet I (Sultan Ahmet Camii) is called the Blue Mosque because of its blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior, mostly on the upper level and difficult to see unless you're right up there with them.

The cascading domes and six slender minarets of the Sultanahmet Mosque (better known as the "Blue Mosque") dominate the skyline of Istanbul.

In the 17th century, Sultan Ahmet I wished to build an Islamic place of worship to rival the Hagia Sophia, and the mosque named for him is the impressive result. The two great architectural achievements stand next to each other in Istanbul's main square, and it is up to visitors to decide which is more impressive.