The Kuwait Towers

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One of the most distinct architectural expressions in the Middle East. Designed by a Swedish architectural firm and opened in 1979, the largest of the three towers rises to a height of 187m, and house a two-level revolving observation deck, gift shop and café.

The lower globe on the largest tower stores around one million gallons of water.

The middle tower is also used for water storage, while the smallest tower is used to light up the other two. The design is excellent, being both very modern and very Arabic at the same time.

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From a set of 19(!) stamps: 50Th anniversary of Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic development.

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Islands of Honduras: Cayos Cochinos

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 “Forget Pirates of the Caribbean – the sand-dusted islands that float off the coast of Honduras are the real deal. In their heyday, the islands of Roatán, Utila and Guanaja were home to 5000 cutthroats, brigands and buccaneers, including the infamous Henry Morgan (aka Blackbeard). These days, the Bay Islands are better known for their beaches, diving an  laid-back tropical vibe.“

The Cayos Cochinos (Hog Islands) is a small archipelago off the northern shores of Honduras. The islands are a Marine Protected Area and the coral reef here is part of the world's second largest coral reef system known as the Meso-American Barrier Reef.

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(right) A 2012 stamp to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relationship between Honduras and Korea.

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Mosque of Hala Saltan Tekke, Cyprus

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Islam was introduced to Cyprus when Uthman the 3rd Caliph conquered in 649. Muslims lived over the whole area of Cyprus but since the1974 events they are now concentrated in Northern Cyprus. Until 1974, Turkish Cypriots (the Muslim community of Cyprus) made up 18% of the whole islands population. Today there are an estimated 264,172 Muslims based in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus.

The Hala Sultan (Umm Haram) Tekke stands next to the salt lake just south of Larnaca and is one of the first sights you see heading out of the airport.

 

Stamps

From a set of 3 stamps about Tall Ships, Galleon (issued 2011).

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Traditional Vietnamese fishing

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Vietnam has a long coast of 3,444 kilometers. With its long coastline, Vietnam has an active fishing sector. There are many fishing techniques or methods for catching fish. Fishing techniques include hand gathering, spearfishing, netting, angling and trapping.

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(left) From a set of two stamps, issued 2012. Plumeria Obtusa,  also called Frangipanis have large white flowers with broad oval petals and golden center. In Vietnam quite popular flowers because they are easy to grow and they are often planted in the temples and shrines.

(right) Ao Dai is Vietnam's traditional dress, which was first designed over hundred years ago. It finally became Vietnam ladies' current formal dress, usually worn in formal events, festivals and is now a popular uniform for girl students.

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Jeita Grotto | مغارة جعيتا

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The Jeita Grotto is made up of two limestone caves, upper galleries and a lower cave through which a 6230 m long river runs. The caves are situated 18 kilometres north of the Lebanese capital Beirut. It was one of the 28 finalists of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.

The Jeita Grotto is a popular recreational show cave and a major tourist attraction. It hosts approximately 280,000 visitors per year.

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The largest island from Germany: Rügen

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Rügen is Germany's largest island by area. The island has been one of Germany's most favored travel destinations for centuries and counted luminaries like Sigmund Freud and Albert Einstein among its regular guests.

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(left) The Jasmund National Park is a nature reserve in the Jasmund peninsula, in the northeast of Rügen island. In 2011 the beech forest in Jasmund National Park was added to UNESCO World Heritage List.

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Puerto de la Libertad, El Salvador

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El Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador.

“Puerto de la Libertad, the dynamic port town of La Libertad, located in the coastal crease of La Libertad state in El Salvador, is emerging as one of Central America’s best surfing destinations for international travelers.”

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(left) “Villa Palestina”, issued 2008.

There is a sizable population of persons of Palestinian heritage who live in El Salvador. During the Ottoman Empire, the Christians of Bethlehem sent the young people of the community to other countries, in order to prevent them from being drafted into the army. Some of them reached El Salvador, and today there is a community there of 70,000 Palestinian Christians.

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A postcard from Transnistria | Pridnestrovie

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Transnistria is a breakaway territory located mostly on a strip of land between the River Dniester and the eastern Moldovan border with Ukraine.

Since its declaration of independence in 1990, and especially after the War of Transnistria in 1992, it is governed as Pridnestrovie, a sovereign state with limited recognition.

The Republic of Moldova does not recognise the secession and considers the territory to be part of Moldova's autonomous region of Stînga Nistrului ("Left Bank of the Dniester").

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From a set of two stamps to commemorate Olympic Games LONDON 2012: Cycling sports.

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Archeoligical site Nora, Sardinia | Sardegna

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Sardinia is Italy's second largest island (after Sicily) and the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (after Cyprus). Numerous prehistoric castles, villages, temples and tombs dot the countryside.

Nora is an ancient Roman and pre-Roman town placed on a peninsula near Pula.

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A label.

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Jvari Monastery | ჯვარი, ჯვრის მონასტერი from Georgia

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Mtskheta, located approximately 20 kilometers north of Tbilisi is one of the oldest cities of the country of Georgia. Due to its historical significance and numerous ancient monuments, the "Historical Monuments of Mtskheta" became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.

Jvari Monastery (Monastery of the Cross) in Mtskheta is amongst the most significant monuments of Georgian Christian architecture.

(source: wikipedia)

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Europa stamps 2009, Astronomy.

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Bassin La Paix Waterfall, Reunion Island

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Réunion is a French island with a population of about 800,000 located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, about 200 kilometres south west of Mauritius, the nearest island.

Bassin La Paix means pond of peace. It certainly looks like a peaceful place.  

Stamps

Réunion uses French stamps. The stamp on the right is from a set of 4 stamps, a joint issue with Hong Kong. Raymond Duchamp-Villon Le Cheval (1876 – 1918) was a French sculptor. His famous brother is Marcel Duchamp.

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The Islands of Guernsey

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Guernsey, officially the Bailiwick of Guernsey is a British Crown dependency in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy. It is not part of the UK and it is not part of the European Union. Guernsey has its own stamps and currency, and while British pounds can be used on the island, Guernsey pounds cannot be used in the UK.

“A heady mix of stunning scenery and the best of contemporary living, Guernsey is the perfect destination. Inspiring walks along the cliff paths, rambles through the rural interior or lazy days on the island’s beautiful beaches, Guernsey has it all.”

The postcard pictures three islands of Guernsey: Sark, Guernsey and Herm. Alderny is the fourth island.

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From a set of six Europa stamps, themed visit…: Bluestone Bay, Alderny.

Thx John!

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A postcard from Tasmania

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Hobart is Tasmania’s harbour capital, located in the south-east of the state at the foot of majestic Mount Wellington. The city was settled in 1804 by Lieutenant Governor Collins and grew rapidly as the clearing house for British and Irish convicts. At that time it was known as Van Diemens Land. Britain finally ended all transportation of convicts to the colony in 1853. In 1855 the colony officially became known as Tasmania.

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From a set of six stamps about road trips. This one is picturing Phillip Island, where Little Penguins parade from beach to sand dunes at sunset each eve.

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Vietnam Water Buffaloes

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The water buffalo is common in the southern regions of Vietnam. It is a large black animal with huge curving horns. The buffalo are domesticated and peasants use them as draft animals.

By comparison, the people are small, some hardly taller than their animals. Yet even the littlest child can lead a buffalo about by means of a metal ring in the animals' nose. To see them ambling slowly down the road, urged on by the occasional slap of a stick, you would think them the most gentle and peaceful of animals.

But, on 14 May 2012…

Rampaging water buffalo wreaks havoc in Vietnamese village

A water buffalo injured 10 people in central Vietnam while rampaging down crowded streets, across a river and through a house before being gunned down at a kindergarten, an official said Monday.

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From a set of two stamps celebrating Friendship Year between Laos and Vietnam. On the stamp we see the One Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi and That Luang stupa in Vientiane- plus the national flowers of Vietnam (lotus) and Laos (champa).

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A postcard from New Caledonia | Nouvelle Calédonie

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New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean. The population is 252,000. The capital of the territory is Nouméa.

Third largest island in the Pacific after Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, New Caledonia is only 1,500 km east off the coast of Australia. Seeing this "terra incognita" in 1774, the British navigator James Cook found a similarity between the mountainous terrain of the Grande Terre and his native Scotland, whose former name was "Caledonia." Kanak are the indigenous Melanesian inhabitants of New Caledonia.

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From a set of two stamps issued 2008 picturing the Diahot river, which is the longest river of New Caledonia.

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Sunset at Jaco Beach, Costa Rica

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Jacó is a coastal city in Costa Rica's Puntarenas province. Jaco Beach, south of Puntarenas is a sanctuary for surfers and fun-lovers! Jaco beach is also one of Costa Rica’s Top Ten Beaches.

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(top) From a set of seven stamps about national parks and national wonders of Costa Rica: Rio Celeste.

(bottom) From a set of two stamps (2007) picturing the front and back of the Nobel Peace Prize medallion. Commemorating the Esquipulas II accords in which Óscar Arias Sánchez helped bring peace to Central America.

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The Citadel of Raymond de St-Gilles from Tripoli, Lebanon

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Tripoli is the largest city in northern Lebanon and the second-largest city in the country. Situated 85 km north of the capital Beirut.

The Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles, is one of the largest and oldest military fortresses in Tripoli. It takes its name from Raymond de Saint-Gilles, the Count of Toulouse and Crusader commander who started its construction on a hilltop outside Tripoli in 1103 in order to lay siege to the city.

The postcard shows Tripoli in better days. This is happening Tripoli these days.

                                                    

“TRIPOLI, Lebanon — Firing assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, Lebanese gunmen clashed in street battles Monday as sectarian tensions linked to the 14-month-old uprising in Syria bled across the border for a third day.

At least five people have been killed and 100 wounded in Lebanon's second-largest city since the gun battles erupted late Saturday, security officials said. Residents say differences over Syria are at the root of the fighting, which pits neighbor against neighbor and raises fears of broader unrest that could draw in neighboring countries.”

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Elephants Terrace from Angkor Thom, Cambodia

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The Terrace of the Elephants is part of the walled city of Angkor Thom, a ruined temple complex in Cambodia.

Angkor Thom, the last capital of the Khmer Empire, was a fortified city enclosing residences of priest, officials of the palace and military, as well as buildings for administering the kingdom. The 350m-long Terrace of Elephants was used as a giant reviewing stand for public ceremonies and served as a base for the king's grand audience hall.

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1st anniversary of the inscription of the Temple of Preah Vihear on the World Heritage List (UNESCO), July 7, 2008 – July 7, 2009.

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This is post nr 500!!!
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The river Thames at Westminster, London

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“On the edge of the Embankment, to the right of the pleasure boats, is the Royal Air Force War Memorial. Westminster Bridge is in the middle distance, with the Houses of Parliament on the right and St Thomas’s Hospital on the bank of the river.”

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From a set of 6 stamps to celebrate the bicentenary of Charles Dickens birth, featuring best-known characters. On this stamp Mrs. Gamp from the novel Martin Chuzzlewit.

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A tropical beach from Dominican Republic

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The Dominican Republic lies about 800 miles/1,280 kilometers southeast of Miami and is bordered in the Greater Antilles chain by Cuba to the West, and Puerto Rico to the East. The island of Hispaniola, which the Dominican Republic shares with Haiti, is the second-largest island in the Caribbean.

Palm trees dot the landscape, and Punta Cana is one of the most beautiful areas of the Dominican Republic. The many resorts located in Punta Cana include large number of new resorts that include spas, casinos, an amazing selection of dining options, on-site weddings, kids' clubs and swimming pools.

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To commemorate the 50th  anniversary of the Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (Mother and Teacher Pontifical Catholic University). The university was established on September 9, 1962 and it has become the country's top institution of higher education.

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