#97 - The First Card of 2010!

One of my goals this year is to complete this project; 97 countries down and only 166 more to go!
The first card of 2010 comes from Elie in Lebanon, with a view of The Grand Serail.
It's the headquarters of the Prime Minister of Lebanon. Built in 1853, it has 430 rooms.
One for every day of the year, and then some!

#96 - A Hondurian Hummingbird....

There are 42 different species of hummingbirds native to Honduras...This one is a Fork-Tailed Emerald Hummingbird.

I had the pleasure of seeing two in my backyard this summer. They move so fast that it took me a few seconds to realize what I saw! Hopefully I'll see more this summer, otherwise I'll just have to fly down to the Honduras to see some up close. Thanks to Ali's aunt for sending me this card :)

And I believe this is the last card for 2009. Here's hoping that I can get this project finished by the end of 2010. Thanks to everyone that's helped so far; we're saving one family, one postcard and one net at a time. Muchos gracias todos! Besos!

And I'll make the last donation of 2009 before the year is over :P

#95 - Le Le & YingYing

Le Le and YingYing are two panda bears gifted to Hong Kong by the Chinese government.


That's a pretty cool gift if you ask me. I wish China would give us some panda bears. I mean, look at them..they're cute and furry....and they got those little tiny ears....plus they're funny.

Thanks for the card Iris!

#94 - Pur Vida!

Costa Rica is known for many different things; coffee plantations, bananas, tropical rainforests, amazing biodiversity, volcanoes, black sand, pineapples..and a ton more...BUT

Costa Rica is one of the MOST impressive country in the world when it comes to environmental action. According to the Environmental Performance Index which evaluates a country's environmental policies & actions, Costa Rica sits 1st in the Americas (North and South) as the top Green nation. They're aiming to be the first country in the world to be carbon neutral by 2021.

The Costa Ricans seem to take their motto, "Pur Vida" or "Pure Life", very seriously. The rest of us could learn a thing or two from them.

Thanks Annette; you're a lucky gal to be living in such a beautiful place...

#93 - Got Mountains?

The first card of November :) One of my eBay buyers followed the link to my blog and decided to send a card from Tajikistan. Maria is originally from Australia and moved to this Asian country about 10 years back.

Tajikistan is a landlocked country; China to the East, Afghanistan to the South, Uzebekistan to the West and Kyrgyzstan to the North. It's mostly a mountainous region as you can see here; mountains make up for 90% of this Republic.

Tajikistan is a developing country though with all these mountains, they should build some fancy ski resorts and get the tourists in there....

I tried to figure out which region this card is showing but considering the fact a) the back of the card has no description and b) 90% of the country is covered by mountains...I think I'm out of luck.

#92 - Smile, you're on camera!

Camels are such funny creatures. They're somewhat ungraceful (have you ever seen a camel rise from its sitting/resting position? It's completely akward).

But you have to admit, they're silly and cute in their own way. Look at this guy smiling on the corner of the card; can't help but fall in love with that silly grin.

These camels are hanging out at Palmyra which was a key city in ancient Syria and is the location of many historic remains....Thanks Farah!

#91 - The Market of Tunis

Welcome to Tunis, Tunisia! This is a typical market that you can find in many North African countries. Narrow, maze-like streets in high-walled compounds...

Feten says this type of market is every shoppers dream; a place to find one of a kind & unique handmade goods.

Look closely at the card; see those heart-shaped things? Baskets? Boxes? Anyone know what they are?

#90 - Mobile Tailor Boy

Here's a young man working as a mobile tailor in Nigeria. Abbas tells me they're common and that you see them all over Lagos State.

I love the idea; walk to work, grab a coffee and by the way...could you hem my pants?

Abbas used this funny stamp on the card; quite frankly I only thought that kinda thing happened in India!

#89 - Winelands of the Cape

Isn't the view stunning? Say hello to Stellenbosch, South Africa!

The city lies a the foot of the Cape Fold mountain range creating a climate which is ideal for growing grapes. The industry produces 1 billion litres of wine every year :

One of the best wines from this region is the Cabernet Sauvignon. I guess I have to make a trip to the liquor store to check it out for myself ;)

Thanks Carien!

#88 - And I thought India Had Alot Of Languages....

Jeannie from Papua New Guinea tells me there are 800 indigenous languages and 1000 different dialects in her country. In fact it has the highest number of languages in the world, more than any other country.

This island nation is one of the most diverse places in the whole world, linguistically, culturally and biologically. It's believed that dozens, maybe even hundreds of species remain undiscovered in the forests of this country. .