CANARY ISLANDS - La Laguna

Thanks to Noelia for the card.

"San Cristóbal de La Laguna (commonly known as La Laguna) is a city and municipality in the northern part of the island of Tenerife in the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, on the Canary Islands (Spain). The city is the third-most populous city of the archipelago and the second-most populous city of the island. La Laguna's historical center was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. In 2003 the municipality started an ambitious Urban Plan to renew this area, that was carried out by the firm AUC S.L. (Arquitectura Urbanismo y Cooperación). The city was the ancient capital of the Canary Islands. La Laguna lies right alongside the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, thus the two cities and municipalities form a single large urban center, linked by tram."

MOROCCO - Greeting from Moroc

Great card from Morocco. Thanks Sava for sending card from your travel.

ALGERIA - Amman

Thanks to Kader for the card.

SOUTH AFRICA - Queen

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

I must be very lucky today to receive a card from Central African Republic from official Postcrossing. The card show Quebec but Esther enclosed MS from CAR.  It is nice to introduce new country in my collection.

Central African Republic is country number #164 in my list.

"The Central African Republic (CAR) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the south, the Republic of the Congo to the southwest and Cameroon to the west. The CAR covers a land area of about 620,000 square kilometres and had an estimated population of around 4.6 million as of 2016."

Queen Elizabeth II

 Thanks to Richard for the card.

LIBERIA - A Child husking a Coconut

Another card shows children husking coconut in Liberia. Happy!

LIBERIA - Model Shirley Barclay

Yeayyyy....at last new country to add to my collection. Liberia one of the most difficult country to get came as country #160.  These 2 cards was from my Boss who travelling there on business trip.

SOUTH AFRICA - Isimangaliso Wetland Park

Thanks to Gaynor for the swap.

"iSimangaliso Wetland Park (previously known as the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park) is situated on the east coast of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, about 275 kilometres north of Durban. It is South Africa's third-largest protected area, spanning 280 km of coastline, from the Mozambican border in the north to Mapelane south of the Lake St. Lucia estuary, and made up of around 3,280 km2 of natural ecosystems, managed by the iSimangaliso Authority."

MALAWI - Sunset over Lake of Malawi

My first card from Malawi, country #156, thanks to Theresa.

ETHIOPIA - Coffee Ceremony, Fasil Castle and Nyangatom Tribe

Thanks to Solomon for these wonderful Ethiopia cards, sadly it all unwritten. Anyhow, I enjoy all the cards.

Coffee Ceremony (Ethiopia)

A coffee ceremony is a ritualised form of making and drinking coffee. The coffee ceremony is one of the most recognizable parts of Ethiopian culture. Coffee is offered when visiting friends, during festivities, or as a daily staple of life. If coffee is politely declined then most likely tea (shai) will be served.

17th Century Imperial Fasile Castle (Gonder)

Fasil Ghebbi is located in the Amhara National Regional State, in North Gondar Administrative Zone of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the fortress-city of Fasil Ghebbi was the residence of the Ethiopian emperor Fasilides and his successors. Surrounded by a 900-m-long wall, the city contains palaces, churches, monasteries and unique public and private buildings marked by Hindu and Arab influences, subsequently transformed by the Baroque style brought to Gondar by the Jesuit missionaries. Source

Southern Ethiopia Gnangatom

The Nyangatom tribe women wear a lot of different beads on their necks, which they never ever take off. As a young girl, she gets her first strand of beads as a gift from her father and for all the years of her life she adds more and more. Sometimes you can see a woman who wears up to 6-8 kg of beads! Source

REUNION - Le Cirque de Salazie Trou de Fer

Thanks to Virginie for the wonderful card of Trou de Fer, Salazie.

"The Trou de Fer ("Iron Hole") is a canyon on Reunion Island, off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The primary river flowing through the gorge, which is up to 300 m (1,000 ft) deep, is the Bras de Caverne River, a tributary of the Rivière du Mât. The canyon has two distinct parts: a large crater, which is fed by six prominent waterfalls, and a narrow slot canyon at its outlet, which constitutes most of the canyon's length. The canyon starts at the waterfall of the Bras Mazerine stream and after some 1.4 - 1.8 km from the left side joins the main Bras de Caverne stream. The Bras de Caverne River enters the canyon with a waterfall about 200 m (660 ft) high. This drop is usually dry or has very little water, but between that and the next, 180-metre (590 ft) drop, springs feed the river, which drops over this then drops over a final 300-metre (1,000 ft) undercut cliff into the Trou de Fer in a narrow plume of water."

TANZANIA - Baobab Sunset Tarangire

View of Baobab tree sunset at Tarangire. Thanks to Harrison for the card.

"Tarangire National Park is the sixth largest national park in Tanzania after Ruaha, Serengeti, Mikumi, Katavi and Mkomazi. The national park is located in Manyara Region. The name of the park originates from the Tarangire river that crosses through the park, being the only source of water for wild animals during dry seasons. During the dry season thousands of animals migrate to the Tarangire National Park from Manyara National Park."

TRISTAN DA CUNHA

Today, the card that I ordered from Tristan Da Cunha post office finally arrived. Postmarked on 25 June 2015 and arrived on 5 August 2015, it didn't take long to reach me. I am happy to check off  British overseas territory from my missing list as territory #147.

"Tristan da Cunha, colloquially Tristan, is both a remote group of volcanic islands in the south Atlantic Ocean and the main island of that group. It is the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world, lying 2,000 kilometres  from the nearest inhabited land, Saint Helena, 2,400 kilometres  from the nearest continental land, South Africa, and 3,360 kilometres from South America. The territory consists of the main island, also named Tristan da Cunha, which has a north-south length of 11.27 kilometres and has an area of 98 square kilometres, along with the smaller, uninhabited Nightingale Islands and the wildlife reserves of Inaccessible and Gough Islands.

Tristan da Cunha is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha. This includes Saint Helena and equatorial Ascension Island some 3,730 kilometres to the north of Tristan. The island has a population of 259 as of July 2015."

TRISTAN DA CUNHA - Settlement of Edinburgh

And this second card shows Tristan Da Cunha Settlement; Edinburgh of the Seven Seas, Potato Patches, Welcome sign & 1961 Volcano.

"Tristan da Cunha is an archipelago of five islands in the southern Atlantic Ocean, the largest of which is the island of Tristan da Cunha itself and the second-largest the remote bird haven Gough Island. It forms part of a wider territory called Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which includes Saint Helena and Ascension Island.

This archipelago, 2500 km)from the continents of Africa and South America, is one of the most remote inhabited places on earth and was a stopping port or shelter for journeys from Europe to the Far East."

TANZANIA - Children with a catch of rays, Uroa Bay, Zanzibar

Amazing cards arrived in my mailbox today, happy day!.  The first card is from Tanzania and this would be my first written and stamps card from the country. I have had one from Zanzibar but it was a blank card so I am happy to get this.

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Just have to share what Abir wrote on her card.

"When you visit Zanzibar, it is impossible to miss all the fishing boats, fishermen nets and rods sailing into the ocean and fresh coconut water.  The children perform acrobats afterschool by the ocean outlining the Island.  As I walk through stone town, I am welcomed by its magical jumble of cobbled alleyways.  A beautiful historical town filled  by the aroma of street vendors, burning incense and the sound of the call to prayer roaming the streets.  Zanzibar's rich cultural melange come to life: Arabic-style houses with their recessed inner courtyards rub shoulders with Indian-influenced buildings boasting omate balconies and latticework and bustling oriental bazaars alternate with street-side vending stalls."

Thanks a lot Abir for the awesome card and great information!

TANZANIA - Maasai's dancing, Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Abir second card shows the Maasai's dancing.  She wrotes that, "Tanzania mainland is full of rich cultures, tribes and traditions.  Scientists have proven that the beginning of mankind and life of the universe all started here! One of the world's oldest tribes are the Masai, a nilotic ethnic group of semi-nomadic people. They are fierce warriors who have preserved their customs and traditions as well as language."

Thank you so much Abir!

NAMIBIA - Swakopmund Mole and surroundings

What a nice card from Namibia showing Mole and its surroundings area. Thanks to Marlinda for the swap.

"In 1899, architect FW Ortloff's sea wall - better known as the Mole - was intended to enhance Swakopmund's poor harbour and create a mooring place for large cargo vessels. Unfortunately, Mr Ortloff was unfamiliar with the Benguela Current, which sweeps northwards along the coast, carrying with it a load of sand from the southern deserts. Within less than five years, the harbour entrance was choked off by a sand bank and two years later, the harbour itself had been invaded by sand to create what is now called Palm Beach. The Mole is currently used as a mooring for pleasure boats. " from here.

MOZAMBIQUE - Greeting from Vilanculos

Thanks to Carlos for yet another beautiful card showing Moçambique !

"Vilankulo (or Vilanculos) is a coastal town in Mozambique, lying in the Vilanculos District of Inhambane Province. Vilankulo is named after local tribal chief Gamala Vilankulo Mukoke, and some of the "bairros" (suburbs) are named after his sons. During colonial times the name was changed to Vilanculos since the Portuguese do not use the letter K much, and commonly use the 'ssh' sound of the S. At independence the name was changed back to Vilankulo – with a K and no S. Today the district is called Vilanculos and the town Vilankulo, and many residents have Vilankulo as their last name."

SWAZILAND - Malolotja Nature Reserve

New country in my list, country #143 is Swaziland.  Thanks a lot to Carlos for the card of Malolotja Nature Reserve.

"Malolotja Nature Reserve covers 4,447 acres (18,000 ha) of mountain wilderness on Swaziland's north western border with South Africa. The park includes Ngwenya Mountain, Swaziland's second highest mountain (1829 m), and Malolotja Falls which drop 292 feet (90metres), the highest in Swaziland.  Habitats include short grassland to thick riverine scrub, bushveld and Afromontane forest."