#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. .

Time for the Scond Donation

Alright, it's time to make our second donation! As of October 2nd, I have received 87 postcards.
In the first donation, I donated $325 for 67 postcards.

Let's do the math: 87 - 67 = 20; I received 20 postcards since my first donation. That means I have to donate: $5 x 20 = $100

Before Donation Total: $1032.34

After Donation Total: $1132.34

As of today, October 2, 2009, we have raised $435 for Nothing But Nets! YAHOOO! I have about 10 different postcards promised from various countries; I'm hoping by the end of October I have another $100 to donate.

Thanks again everyone! Only 176 countries to go :)

- Trupti xo

#87 - Janitzio Island

Janitzio Island can be found in Lake Patzcuaro in the state of Michoacan; the area is famously known for its fishing industry. In the centre of the island you can see the statue of Jose Maria Marelos, a rebel who led the Mexican War of Independence.

For those of you following my efforts and my blog, can you believe it took this long to get a card from Mexico?! HUGE thanks to Jerry & Susan and especially Kathy; muchos gracias!

Another Week...No Postcards :(

We've officially hit a brick wall. The postcards were flying in earlier this summer but now they are rare and slow...

I'm hoping that someone stumbles upon my blog from some random place or location and decides to send a card. Such as Matt in Trinidad; he just found my blog while surfing the internet and decided to send me a card.

Are there any more Matt's out there? I hope so!

All I know is that I can't give up and walk away now. As of today I have received 87 postcards. That's $435. That's 43 mosquito nets for 43 African families. We've already helped a small village! So we can't stop now, many more people to help.

For those of you wondering, I'll be making the second donation on September 30th, complete with proof of donation. Let's hope I get a few more cards to bump up the totals!

Hugs,
Trupti

P.S. I'm on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/truptispostcards

#86 - Guia Lighthouse

The Guia Fort in Macau consists of a chapel and lighthouse. The lighthouse was completed in 1865, making it the oldest lighthouse in the Far East.

If you look closely at the image, you might be able to see the Portuguese flag flying to the left of the ligthhouse; that's because they settled in this area sometime in the 16th century and maintained control of Macau until 1999.

#85 - Surf's Up!

Surf's up...in Africa? Yup! Cape Verde is an island country on the Western coast of the African continent.

Cape Verde was discovered and settled by the Portuguese in the 15th century and it wasn't until 1975 that the country acheived it's own independent status.

Thanks to Gilles who sent me this card during his vacation and thinking about Nothing But Nets!

#84 - Petra

Petra is home to one of the most impreesive archaeological sites in Jordan, featuring rare rock-cut architecture.

It was built by the Nabataeans around 100 BCE.

Petra is not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but according to Sara, it's also one of the New Seven Wonders Of The World.

#83 - St. Stefan

St. Stefan or Sveti Stefan, is a beautiful island resort in Montenegro. It stands on the cliff of a rocky island with roofs red like rubies. A sand isthmus looking like a stem connects it with the land.

It used to be extremely exclusive, attracting celebrities (Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Boris Becker to name a few) until the breakup of of the former Yugoslav Federation.

Thanks Ana!

#82 - Northern Coast of Trinidad

Like all other Caribbean islands, Trinidad is a gorgeous country with lush palm trees and beautiful beaches.

What sets Trinidad apart is their unique culture; the island consists mostly of people with ancestry in Africa and India. So you have this fusion of cultures which leads to some very awesome food if I must say. Speaking of food, I''m yearning for some good roti....

A big thank you to Michael!

#81 - Sigiriya Rock

This massive rock can be found in Sri Lanka. Known as Sigiriya Rock, it is the site where a fortress was built in the 5th century AD.

The site has elaborate resevoirs, gardens and other features, including frescoes which are similiar to those found in the Ajanta caves in India. (Similiar style and theme).

This unique tourist attraction is also a World Heritage Site.

Thanks to Amila for sending card #81!

#80 - Vaduz Castle

Woohoooooooooo! Card number 80 from Daniela! She took a spontaneous trip to Liechtenstein and sent me this gorgeous view of the Vaduz Castle in...where else? Vaduz!

The Vaduz Castle is home to the prince of Liechtenstein and the "Liechtenstein princely family". The current prince is Hans-Adam II.....his full name?

Johannes Adam Ferdinand Alois Josef Maria Marko d'Aviano. Imagine writing that on a postcard!

#79 - Unsko-sanski Region.....

As you can tell, the cards have slowed down but I'm still determined in my goals. My buddy Željko recently took a trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina and sent me this card from Unsko-sanski. It's the most western part of the country and famed for ducks.

Actually I'm just kidding ;) I tried to find more information about the Unsko-sanski region in B&H, and luckily I found their tourist website...which was written in Bosnian...or maybe it was Croatian...or perhaps Serbian.

Regardless, the point is...I couldn't read it and so now I know just as much about Unsko-sanski as I did yesterday: zilch. Nada. Rien. Nothing.

So if you know something about this region in B&H, please feel free to post it in the comments section; you'll be more helpful than Google!

#78 - Images of Uganda

I met Richard on eBay; he's a funny guy with a huge personality. That was enough to like him but then I learned about his organzation, the Kennair Educational Foundation. Please check out his website; you will be inspired.

In short, their aim is to provide youth with educational and vocational skills; you know what they say, education is the key to success!

Richard recently went to Uganda to work on his foundation and took a minute to send me this card. Gracias!

#77 - Marrakechian Medina

Woohoo! A card from Morocco; thanks Judita & Duson! Now, I know the card says "Medina" but the card is actually from Marrakech.

A medina is typically found in old French Arab cities; it's a walled area, narrow, and maze-like streets. They're generally well preserved with cultural monuments, mosques, and even palaces. Beautiful and brightly coloured, they're usually a huge tourist draw. I know I want to go there!

#76 - Diamond Falls & Botanical Gardens of....

St. Lucia! Thanks Shae! This tropical paradise can be found in the Caribbean, in the Lesser Antilles. Like many other Caribbean nations, it is a small very small island with a very small population (130,000).

What's fascinating to me? St. Lucia is home to TWO Nobel Laureates, therefore it can claim the distinction of being the nation with the most such honorees per capita in the world.

What are these people drinking?!

#75 - The Emerald Isle

Received this wonderful map card of Ireland yesterday courtesy of Meg!

It shows all the wonderful cities and towns in Ireland including Limerick. I wonder if people from this town are talented poets....wouldn't it be cool to live in Limerick and have your address written as one?

That would be bananas.

Come to think of it, Ireland has given the world ALOT...

U2
Leprechauns
Shamrocks
Guinness

And of course....Colin Farrell

#74 - Roskilde Cathedral

The Roskilde Cathedral in Denmark was built in the 12th and 13th centuries. It's the first Gothic style church to be made of bricks in Europe.

Roskilde Cathedral has been the main burial site for Danish monarchs since the 15th century. As such, it has been significantly extended and altered over time as individual rulers have added multiple burial chapels.

Thanks to Christina for sending the first card of August :)

#73 - Bom Dia!

From here til the end, I suspect that cards will be more difficult to get/find/receive. But you know what they say, where there's a will, there's a way :)

I received this Portugal multiview from Maria who I've known for a year through postcrossing. This view shows (starting from the top left) the Old University in Coimbra, the canals of Aveiro, the Pena Castle at Sintra and a beach in Algarve.