LAOS

LAOS

The day I thought about Laos

In the garden while plucking the rose

And when in Laos I had a Beerlao

I had the feeling, Bravo!!!

For tummy I had khao niaow

And tummy said wow wow

When I went searching the and saw no ocean

River Mekong showed me islander Laotian

You can understand that I'm really bad at versification by this attempt at a poem on Laos. Laos is a Communist republic whoch is a landlocked country where you will find about 4000 islets thanks to the Mekong. Recent modificatiom is that Laos is a land-linked country rather than lanlocked as it links its neighbours for shorter fistance travel.

The Laotians like the stucky rice called khao niaow and call themselves the children of sticky rice. Beerlao is one of the best beers ever produced in the world, whereas Lao-lao is one of the cheapest whisky available in the world. The aftermath of Vietnam war and American bombings is that many unexploded bombs is the most bombed country in the world cause regular unprecedented accidents till today.

The Laos has a great biodiversity and the 4 day Thakek Loop is an important bike ride route for adventurers bexause of the scenic beauty and must do in Laos.

I have some beautiful postcards received from Laos which are quiet unique.

 My first card ever from Laos from dear  Brendan shows Phuthat Stupa  of Muang Xay, Oudomxay Province, Lao P.D.R.  Oudomxay is The Heart of Northern Laos.

Postmarked on 12/11/2019 at Sissatanak District, Vientiane

The second card sent by Fran show Laotian tribes, the minorities. Laos consists of Highland and Lowland tribes. Highland tribesmen are minority.

Laotian minorities

Postmarked 14/11/2019 at Luang Prabang

Thr third card was sent to me by Marie which shows a picture highlight map of Laos. Really lucky one.

Postmarked at Luang Prabang on 18/11/2019

MYANMAR

MYANMAR

Old Burma, new Myanmar is an Asian country which has a long story to tell. It is the country of surprises, right from the government to the roads. But everything happens really quick here. Myanmar always faces criticism all over the world, first because of the Junta, then Rohingyas. Aung San Suu Kyi is a famous personality in Myanmar and internationally who is one of the strongest women I have heard about and admire.

But Myanmar is a unique country. The way people dress (longyi) and how the time changes (+6:30 GMT). The Kingdom of Bagan is a famous tourist area in Myanmar. Thingyan, the Water Festival is a festival you can't miss over here. 

My friend Tun sent me the beautiful card I have from Myanmar. It is postmarked in Yangon. My postcard shows a picture of a landmark location in Arakan region now renamed Rakhine which is historic.

Rakhine Picture

Postmarked at Yangon on 10/02/2020

IRAQ

IRAQ

When I hear Iraq, it's the numerous wars and violence and Sadaam Hussein that comes to mind. But lets not talk about that. These are sensitive issues about their great country. This is a country that was ancient so called Babylonia , Mesopotamia etc. The so called Tower of Babel might have been built here, so the place from where people started speaking different languages according to the Bible. These are just my assumptions and I haven't done much research about it.

So what makes Iraq special? Babylonia was once upon a time a great kingdom. Their descendants might have migrated to Europe and became so called Britons and Irish. Dance is an important art form among Iraqis. An example is hacha'a. The traditional music of Iraq is Makam which is based on Arabic poetry.  Consanguineous marriages are part of tradition here. Many of the nation's symbols and traditions can be traced to antiquity like the beekeeping tradition. Cuneiform, the oldest known writing system developed in Iraq.

Essam, the good Samaritan sent the beautiful card I have from Iraq which says "Greetings from Iraq".

• Beautiful postmark

CAPE VERDE

CAPE VERDE

Cape Verde is an island nation of the coast of West Africa which derives its name from Cap-Vert peninsula of West Africa. The islands were uninhabited upto the 15th century before the Portuguese discovered and colonized them as per history. On the flag of this nation you can notice a circle of 10 stars symbolising the 10 islands in the archipelago of which only 9 are inhabited.

The capital city is Praia located in the island of Santiago. Santiago, Fogo and Santo Antao get a lot of rainfall whereas Sal, Boa Vista and Maio see almost no rainfall. Cidade Velha is a town south of the island of Santiago which is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also the first European colonial outpost in the tropics. Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau were a joint country till 1980.

I have two beautiful cards from these islands sent from two beautiful different cities in two different isalnds. My dear old friend Maria sent me the first card being an FOTW Cape Verde postmarked at Porto Novo on the island of Santo Antao which is really lovely.

FW Cape Verde

Postmarked at Porto Novo on 11/11/2019

My friend Anna sent me the other card which I designed which shows a view from Forte Real de Sai Filipe located in Cidade Velha in Santiago postmarked at Praia, Santiago. Lovely card it is.

A view from the fort at Cidade Velha

Postmarked on 06/02/2020 at Praia

MALDIVES

MALDIVES

Maldives is a group of many small islets located close to the equator in the Indian Ocean. The beaches here are of coralline origin which is rare and indeed splendid. India and Maldives are related a lot. But not just India, the people of Maldives are a mix of Asian, African and Arabian origin. Maldives is a dream holiday spot but beware of the sun as the rays come at 90 degree angle. The Maldivian Dhoni, the traditional boat  is similar to the Arabian Dhow and made up of coconut tree wood in most cases as coconut trees are there everywhere on the islands. 

Maldives is the lowest lying country in the world at 1.5 metres above sea level. Bodu Beru is a traditional music in Maldives which reflects its relationship with East Africa. My only card from Maldives was sent by Emily and shows the Maldivian flag. The Maldives flag has various symbols and symbolic colors : Green for peace and the national Coconut Tree, a White Crescent for Islam and Red for the blood of their fights for independence. 

Maldivian Flag Postcard

Postmarked 12/11/2019 in Male

BURUNDI

BURUNDI

Burundi is a tiny African nation bordering Rwanda, Tanzania and Democratic Republic of Congo. The people of this nation have seen a lot of conflicts, coups, overthrown governments and civil wars. The literacy rates are low here and the crime rates are high. Poverty is highly prevalent here. But let's look at what makes them unique. Burundi is a nation which has clung onto the African custom of drinking beer through straws. Both modern and traditional beer is drunk through straws. When a cow dies, the meat is eaten and the horns are planted in the soil near the house which is considered a sign of good luck by the Burundians.

Cattle in Burundi are considered a sign of health, happiness and prosperity. A typical Burundian greeting "Amashyo" translates as "May you have Herds of Cattle". What is special for the philately world. Deo is a famous person among our community who caters to the need of philatelists around the world. Both Deo and Holger, a respected German cover collector sent me my one and only card from Burundi which is FW Burundi from Holger's vacations. Really love it.

FOTW Burundi

Postmarked Service Philatelique, Burundi on 16/01/2020

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS

Turks and Caicos islands are a British Overseas Territory in the Carribbean comprising the larger Caicos islands and smaller Turks islands. The name Turks is believed by some to be derived from Pirate as it was a pirate area and pirates were called Turks. The islands are famous for the high quality salt it produces and exports. There are so many salt water pools with handmade dividing walls here. Caicos Conch Farm is the only existent Conch Farm in the world. Middle Caicos is home to the world's largest Blue Hole. There are a lot of unexplored underwater cave systems on the islands.  

I have tried my luck with postcards from these prestty small islands. They have a post office at Providenciales but the officials I guess are to lazy to put on the cancellation. Three postcards I received and all 3 had no cancellation which is pretty upsetting. However I haven't given up yet as years ago I received a cover postmarked neatly as Providenciales

My friend K. sent me my first beautiful postcard from Turks and Caicos and it is a beautiful card but the postmark didn't appear on it as mentioned earlier.

 

The below two cards were sent by my beloved friend Jen but unfortunately they weren't postmarked as well. However I'm proud of this rare country in my humble collection and that too 3 cards so far.

MICRONESIA

       FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA

Federated States of Micronesia, known as Micronesia are a union of four groups of islands to form the island nation. On the Micronesian flag you can notice 4 stars on a blue background symbolising the unity of the 4 islands. Interestingly there is a lot of cultural difference between the 4 island hroups. The 4 island groups are Yap Islands, Chuuk islands, Pohnpei islands and Kosrae islands. The Caroline islands comprise of Micronesia and Palau. Interestingly like Marshall Islands and Palau, Micronesia uses the U.S. Dollar as currency even after independence as per a treaty. Most well educated Micronesian at working age work at the States for a living.

I was really happy when I received the below card from Micronesia designed and sent by Baby Pig with good postmarks from Kolonia, Pohnpei. It a wonderful post office there.

Map of Micronesia

Postmarked at Kolonia, Pohnpei

BAHRAIN

             KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

Bahrain is an important small country in the Arabian Gulf which is actually an archipelago of 33 islets but most of them are uninhabited. Bahrain was the country were the first oil in the Arabian Gulf was discovered in 1932. Some scholars say that the Garden of Eden is the area comprising present day Bahrain. India has good ties with Bahrain. There is 60-100 year old temple and about 6 Gurudwaras. 

The below card was sent to me by me good friend Geethu which shows the Dhow. Dhow is a Arabian boat which is part of engineering heritage of countries in the Arabian Gulf. A Dhow ride nowadays is a tourist enjoyment. Dhow means a lot to the Arabs.

Outline of a Dhow

Postmark is of 26/01/2020 at Manama

SAINT MARTIN (French Overseas Territory)

                     SAINT MARTIN

Saint Martin lies at the northern end of the the Leeward group of Lesser Antilles. The northern 2/3rds of the island comprises the French Part called Saint Martin. The Southern part is under administration of Netherlands.

Christopher Columbus is believed to have first sited this island on the feast day of St. Martin of Tours and thus the name was given. The island has natural lakes of salt. There are forest covered hills on the French Part. Saint Martin is the smallest island in the world divided between 2 countries. Although French part is 2/3rds more population is on the Dutch part.

My friend Laura sent me my only card from the French Part of Saint Martin. The postmark machin cancelled like a few other French Overseas Territory postcards I've got. That's a sad fact.

Postmarked on 30/11/2019

TOKELAU

                           TOKELAU

Aloha from Tokelau!!!

Tokelau is a group of atolls located in Polynesia in Pacific Ocean. It comprises of 3 atolls - Atafu, Fakaofo and Nukunonu. The culture of Samoa is more evident here or the opposite ( culture of Tokelau evident in Samoa). The Tokelau people are well know for their cultural beliefs especially in the field of agriculture. They are a nature loving people. The atolla of Tokelau are at risk from rising sea levels due to global warming. Tokelau is actually a self administering territory of New Zealand. They do not have an airport. More Tokelauans can be found in New Zealand than Tokelau.

Tokelau is one of the most wonderful countries to receive a postcard from. Most often it takes a long time to reach. Mine took almost 3 months which is less in terms of time taken. My friend M. sent it to me with such great postmarks. Really love it and feel proud of it. Thank you very much. It is postmarked at Nukunonu Post Office. The stamps show random views of the 3 atolls.

'Tiale manogi' - Garlands of Perfume

Postmarked  at Nukunonu Post Office on 02/01/2020

NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

    COMMONWEALTH  OF NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS

Northern Mariana Islands is a U.S. Overseas Territory in the Pacific Ocean quite near Guam. It is a collectively of 22 islets with Saipan as its capital which boasts some of the best dive sites in the world. There is a admixture of languages in the islands ranging from English to Chamorro.

The northern islets are volcanic whereas the southern ones comprise coral reefs. They were ruled successively by Spain, Germany, and Japan before they became a UN Trusteeship (administered by the U.S.) after World War II. The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) became part of the United States in Nov. 1986. Spanish cultural traditions remain strong.

The card from Northern Mariana islands in my collection has a pretty nice postmark of Saipan

Postmarked at Saipan on 21/11/2019

GUAM

                                GUAM

Guam is a small Unites States Overseas Territory in the Western Specific south of North Mariana Islands. When sailors from Spain came to Guam, the native Chamorro people would run out to their ships to sell fruit, calling “Guahan!”

“Guahan” means “I have,” and it sounded like “Guam” to the Spanish sailors, who named the island after this greeting. Chamorro culture is predominant in Guam and Northern Mariana Islands. Chamorro people are Austronesian. Native Guamanians, ethnically called Chamorros, are of basically Malayo-Indonesian descent with a considerable admixture of Spanish, Filipino, Mexican, and other European and Asian ancestries. Chamorros and other Micronesians constitute about half the population.

The most interesting fact is that there are no sand in the island of Guam.The beaches are covered in coral instead of sand, and paved roads in Guam are made by mixing coral and cement.

The card from Guam was jumbo sized card and one of the biggest in my collection sent by my friend Jeremy. The card was postmarked in Barrigada which obviously is not the capital city.

Illustrated Map of Guam

 

Postmarked at Barrigada on 06/01/2020

The second card I received from Guam was sent to me by myself. It is also an awesome card.

Design: Varun Thomas Paul

Postmarked 13/02/2020 Barrigada gu Tamuning

ANGUILLA

                          ANGUILLA

Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean like the British Overseas Territory like British Virgin Islands which is only a stone's throw away from Sint Maarten. Anguilla was named after the Spanish word for eel because of its eel like shape. The island is famous for its gorgeous beaches with white sand.

The only way to travel to the island from abroad is via a ferry ride from Puerto Rico or Sint Maarten. The island has 33 beaches of white sand. There are no private beaches here. The capital is The Valley. 

My first card from Anguilla was sent by a travelling friend whose name is James. He sent me a card showing a local fishing point at Blowing Point, Anguilla. Blowing Point is home to Anguilla's ferry terminal.

A local fishing boat at Blowing Point, Anguilla

Postmarked at The Valley on 11/11/2019

The below two cards were sent to me by my enthusiastic friend Luisa on her vacations there. The designs are my own.

Postmarked at The Valley on 02/12/2019

Postmarked at The Valley on 02/12/2019

WALLIS AND FUTUNA

               WALLIS AND FUTUNA

Wallis and Futuna is a French overseas department part of French Polynesia located in the South Pacific Ocean comprising of the islands of Wallis (which is more populated) and Futuna and Alofi ( which is volcanic and I read that it has just one inhabitant! ). Interestingly the islanders have a mix of their own ancient traditions admixed with French traditions.

Wallis islanders have their culture and language strongly linked to Tonga whereas Futuna has its language strongly linked to Samoa. This is as a result of earlier influence of the islands by these countries. Wallis and Futuna islands were never colonised but decided to be part of the French Republic while maintaining its 3 kingdoms which adds a distinction to these islands which comprise of 3 kingdoms - one in Wallis and two in Futuna (Alo and Sigave ).

The 3 kingdoms as mentioned earlier still maintain the chieftain system similiar to a king. The 1st postcard I received from Wallis and Futuna shows the Kava ceremony which signifies the appointment of the new king and a tribute to the gods as per Polynesian traditions. Kava is a plant belonging to the pepper family, the roots and branches of which are prepared ceremonially in a traditional bowl called tanoa. It is a key ceremony. My friend Mike sent me the postcard postmarked at Mata'utu in December. Excellent work by the post office.

Kava Ceremony

Postmarked in Mata'utu on 23/12/2019

Mike again sent me a postcard I designed by myself postmarked at Mata'utu in January which was a nice surprise. It shows the church at Futuna. Futuna is the smaller of the islands with about 3500 inhabitants who are predominantly catholics. An island of 50 sq.km, it has 21 villages with each village having its own church. My postcard shows an unfinished catholic church located in the North Eastern part of the beautiful island of Futuna.

The  church on construction in North east of Futuna

Postmarked in Mata'utu on 14/01/2020