Chile: Aymara women and Llama

The Aymara or Aimara people are an indigenous people in the Andes and Altiplano regions of South America. Approximately 2.3 million Aymara live in northwest Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.

The llama is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since the pre-Columbian era. In Aymara mythology, llamas are important beings. The Heavenly Llama is said to drink water from the ocean and urinates as it rains.

Thanks to Hernan. He has used

Left        2021     Antarctic Nation                          Taken from set of two

Top        2014     50 years of Nuclear Energy         Taken from Set of 2

Center    2013    Cartography, Map of Santiago     Taken from set of 6       

Chile: Artillería Funicular Railway

The Ascensor Artillería is one of the 16 funicular railways located in the Chilean city of Valparaíso. It links the "plan" (flat area) of the city with the Artillería hill, and is privately owned. The line runs all year.

Thanks to Hernan. He has used four attractive stamps on the card. 

1. Extreme right     2021    Antarctic Nations                                   one from set of 2

2. Blue stamp        2014   50 years of Nuclear Energy in Chile       one from set of 2

3. Top center         2013    Cartography, Map of Santiago                one from set of 6

4. Left                   2018   Christmas                                                 one from set of 5

SriLanka: Cave Temple, Dambulla

Dambulla is the largest and best-preserved cave temple complex in Sri Lanka. The rock towers 160 m over the surrounding plains. There are more than 80 documented caves in the surrounding area. Major attractions are spread over five caves, which contain statues and paintings. These paintings and statues are related to Gautama Buddha and his life. There are a total of 153 Buddha statues, three statues of Sri Lankan kings and four statues of gods and goddesses. The latter include Vishnu and the Ganesha.

Thanks to Ms Pritika. She has used two stamps. One on the right is 2024 stamp on '150 years of UPU'and one on the left is taken from set of 8 on SriLankan Flowers showing Schumacheria Alnifolia.
This flower is endemic to SriLanka and critically endangered.

Slovenia: Julian Alps

The Julian Alps are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretch from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav, the highest peak in Slovenia. A large part of the Julian Alps is included in Triglav National Park.

Thanks to Dr Kiran Acharya who visited Slovenia. He has used one stamp from set of 4 on Lilies.The stamp shows Madonna Lily.

Switzerland: Musuem of Design, Zurich

The Museum of Design, Zürich is a museum for industrial design, visual communication, architecture, and craft in Zurich, Switzerland. The museum is part of the Department of Cultural Analysis of the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). The museum's four extensive collections (Poster, Graphics, Design and Applied Art) are of international importance.

 Thanks to Dr Kiran Acharya who was visiting Switzerland. He has used a definitive from Dawn by Nature series with airmail attach label. The stamp features Old world Swallowtail butterfly.

Singapore: Botanical Gardens

The Singapore Botanic Gardens is a 165-year-old tropical garden located at the fringe of the Orchard Road shopping district in Singapore. It is one of three gardens, and the only tropical garden, to be honoured as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 Thanks to Poornima who was visiting Singapore. 

Singapore : Bird Paradise.

Bird Paradise is an aviary located in Mandai, Singapore. Opened on 8 May 2023, it replaced the Jurong Bird Park and forms a part of the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, consisting of the Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, River Wonders and the upcoming Rainforest Wild Park.

 Thanks to Ms Poornima J for sending it from Singapore. She has used 2024 one stamp from set of 4,  on Jurong Lake Gardens. The stamp features The Guest House.

Taiwan: Scops Owl

Scops owls are typical owls in family Strigidae belonging to the genus Otus and are restricted to the Old World. Scops owls are colored in various brownish hues, sometimes with a lighter underside and/or face, which helps to camouflage them against the bark of trees. Some are polymorphic, occurring in a greyish- and a reddish-brown morph. They are small and agile, with both sexes being compact in size and shape. Female scops owls are usually larger than males.

 Thanks to Ms Maicy.

Rwanda: Nyungwe National Park

This serial property represents an important area for rainforest conservation in Central Africa. The property is home to intact forests and peat bogs, moors, thickets and grasslands, providing habitats to a highly diverse flora and fauna. The Park also contains the most significant natural habitats for a number of species found nowhere else in the world, including the globally threatened Eastern Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii), Golden Monkey (Cercopithecus mitis ssp. kandti) and the Critically Endangered Hills Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus hillorum). There are also 12 mammal and seven bird species that are globally threatened, and with 317 species of birds recorded, Nyungwe National Park is one of the most important sites for bird conservation in Africa. In 2023 it was inscribed as world Heritage Site.

Thanks to Ms Karolyn. She has used 2010 stamp on basket weaving from Art and Culture series. My first card from Rwanda.

Belgium: St Nicolo's Church and St Bavo's Church, Ghent

St. Nicholas Church is a Roman Catholic church, as well as one of the oldest and most prominent landmarks in Ghent, Belgium. Begun in the early 13th century as a replacement for an earlier Romanesque church, construction continued through the rest of the century in the local Scheldt Gothic style (named after the nearby river). Typical of this style is the use of blue-gray stone from the Tournai area, the single large tower above the crossing, and the slender turrets at the building's corners.

Saint Bavo's Cathedral, also known as Sint-Baafs Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Ghent, Belgium. The 89-metre-tall Gothic building is the seat of the Diocese of Ghent and is named for Saint Bavo of Ghent. It contains the well-known Ghent Altarpiece, also called the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb.

 Thanks to Ms Tani. 

India: Postcrossing Meetup, Dehradhun

Dehradun is the capital  and the most populous city of the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Dehradun is located in the Doon Valley on the foothills of the Himalayas nestled between Song River, a tributary of Ganges on the east and the Asan River, a tributary of Yamuna on the west. The city is noted for its picturesque landscape and provides a gateway to the surrounding region.

 Thanks to Ms Tripthi. She has used two Indian definitives featuring Tilak and Subhas Chandra Bose. Note the Permanent Pictorial Cancellation of Philatelic Bureau, Dehradun.

Australia: Bendigo

On October 31, 2019 Bendigo joined 65 cities around the world who have been newly admitted to the Creative Cities Network. Bendigo has been designated as a creative city of gastronomy – recognising all the exciting things happening across our city and region in food and beverages, culture and sustainability.

Thanks to Ms Helen. She has used 2018 stamp on Beautiful cities (1st series) showing Melbourne. This stamp is for international post only.

 

France: Paris Olympics

The 2024 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held from 26 July to 11 August 2024 in France, with several events started from 24 July. The United States topped the medal table for the fourth consecutive Summer Games and 19th time overall, with 40 gold and 126 total medals. China tied with the United States on gold (40), but finished second due to having fewer silvers; the nation won 91 medals overall.

 This is a lottery card I won. Thanks to Ms Blondevero. She has used 2024 stamp from booklet featuring a floral art by Raou l Dufy.. A set of 12 stamps was issued.

Vietnam: Hội An

Hội An is a city on Vietnam’s central coast known for its well-preserved Ancient Town, cut through with canals. The former port city’s melting-pot history is reflected in its architecture, a mix of eras and styles from wooden Chinese shophouses and temples to colorful French colonial buildings, ornate Vietnamese tube houses and the iconic Japanese Covered Bridge with its pagoda.

Thanks to Dr Kiran Acharya who was visiting Vietnam. He has used three stamps issued in 2020 featuring Chua Cau, Chau Cau or Japanese bridge is footbridge with a temple atop. 
 

Maldives: Coral Reef

The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, is an archipelagic state in South Asia, situated in the Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 750 kilometres from the Asian continent's mainland.

 Thanks to Jacksy and Maya for sending this from Maldives. My first card from Maldives. They have used a stamp showing a fish called Moorish Idol.

France: Cordouan Lighthouse

Cordouan lighthouse is an active lighthouse located 7 kilometres at sea, near the mouth of the Gironde estuary in France. At a height of 67.5 metres, it is the tenth-tallest "traditional lighthouse" in the world.

Thanks to Mr Maud. The stamp on left is an definitive featuring Frances famous representation of Liberty, Marianne. On the left is a stamp taken from set of 12, issued in 2021, showing Lapin Crotins. Raving Rabbids is a video game franchise spin off from the Rayman series.

Canada: St John's , Newfoundland

St. John's, a city on Newfoundland island off Canada's Atlantic coast, is the capital of Newfoundland and Labrador province. Its harbour was settled by the British in the 1600s. Downtown is known for its colourful row houses. Above the city is Signal Hill with walking trails and the site of the first transatlantic wireless communication, Cabot Tower, which commemorates John Cabot's discovery of Newfoundland.

Thanks to Mr Glen Moores. On the left is a stamp issued in 2022 to commemorate platinum jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II . The se-tenant stamp on the right, issued in 2021, is on Bluenose, Centenary.
 

USA: Great Smoky Mountains

Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. The sprawling landscape encompasses lush forests and an abundance of wildflowers that bloom year-round. Streams, rivers and waterfalls appear along hiking routes that include a segment of the Appalachian Trail. An observation tower tops Clingmans Dome, the highest peak, offering scenic views of the mist-covered mountains.

Thanks to Ms Carilyn. On the left is Black Heritage stamp issued in 2022 featuring Edmonia Lewis. Admonia Lewis , also known as "wildfire", was an sculptor. The dog stamp on the right is taken from set of 4 from Military Working Dog series,and features the breed, Dutch Shepard. The stamp was issued in 2019. The bottom Forever stamp is on Star Wars and is taken from set of 10. The stamp shows Star Wars Droid R2 D2. 
 

Italy: San Gimignano.

San Gimignano is an Italian hill town in Tuscany, southwest of Florence. Encircled by 13th-century walls, its old town centers on Piazza della Cisterna, a triangular square lined with medieval houses. It has a skyline of medieval towers, including the stone Torre Grossa. The Duomo di San Gimignano is a 12th-century church with frescoes by Ghirlandaio in its Santa Fina Chapel.

Thanks to Ms Serena. She has used 2019 stamp on film director Sergio Leone who has directed many Western movies  featuring Clint East Wood. Most famous was The Good the Bad and the Ugly.
 

USA: Taliesin Studio

Taliesin, sometimes known as Taliesin East, Taliesin Spring Green, or Taliesin North after 1937, was the estate of Welsh American architect Frank Lloyd Wright. An extended exemplar of the Prairie School of architecture, it is located 2.5 miles  south of the village of Spring Green, Wisconsin, United States, the 600-acre  property was developed on land that originally belonged to Wright's maternal family.With a selection of Wright's other work, Taliesin became a listed World Heritage Site in 2019, under the title, "The 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright".

Thanks to Ms Laura. She has used a 2022 Forever stamp featuring African Daisy.