Snail-mailers around the globe: Peru

For the next interview of this series we have Lu, we've been friends for a couple years now and she's actually my "postcrossing pupil" so it's very cool to have her for this second interview! 

In what snail-mailing activities do you take part?

Postcard swapping and pen-paling 

How did you became a snail-mailer?

It was actually because of you, I saw you were getting a lot of gifts and postcards from your pen-pals and asked about it. You introduced me to the postcrossing world.

For how long have you been doing this?

Almost a year.

Can you show three of your favorite postcards and make a little explanation on why you like them?

This is one of my faves because of the color it has, I love how the sky turns purple and the illumination helps to highlight the Brandenburger Tor and the nearby buildings. 

I fell in love with the design and the "rainbowish" colors that decorate it 

I like this one because of the view it gives me, mixing the colors of the postcard, makes me wanna go there so bad. It's a must next time I'm in Italy again.

How much does it cost to send a postcard in your country?

The cost of sending a postcard in Peru is 5.50 Soles, about 1.61 € 1.38 £ and $2.14 USD atm.

Do you have any theme collections? If you do, why are you collecting them?

I have a little Hamburg collection, because it's my favorite city in the whole world and like the hamburgers say... it's the most beautiful city in the world. Besides it, I don't have any specific theme collections, sometimes I like being surprised.  

If you are into pen-paling, from which countries do you have pen-pals from?

Germany.

Have you discovered any destination you'd like to travel to thanks to a postcard?

Yeah, Boracay in the Philippines and Calabria in Italy.  

Please share a few facts about other countries you've learned thanks to postcards or letters:

• That Maribor in Slovenia was 2012's European Capital of Culture.
• The Palace of Culture and Science is the tallest building in Warsaw with a height of 230.5 m. 

A few fun/strange/surprising facts you'd like to share about your country?

• The potato is originally from Peru and we produce over 3000 varieties
• We have one of the new 7 wonders, Machu Picchu
• Peruvian food has 468 different registered typical dishes 
• The oldest newspaper in South America is El Peruano, founded by Simon Bolivar in Lima in 1825
• The Plaza de Acho is the second oldest bull ring made in the world. It was built in the days of viceroy Amat in 1766

In your opinion, what is it that makes sending postcards and letters through snail-mail special?

Considering that we live in a  time where communication around the world has turned so easy and fast with the Internet and some old habits have been replaced or have disappeared because of new technologies, sending letters or little packages, waiting for them to arrive gives you a different feeling about communication. I mean is not the same receiving a picture from someone's trip on your smartphone than in a little envelope, or a box, opening it, the expectation of what is it going to be. That's the feeling that makes, at least in my opinion, snail-mailing so special. 

Muchas gracias Lu!

La Marijaia

La Marijaia is the symbol of "La Semana Grande de Bilbao" (which is the main festivity in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain), it was designed by the artist, Mari Puri Herrero in 1978.
The basque name Marijaia would mean "Lady of the parties" in spanish and it tries to portrait a woman with the traditional basque look, her arms are up in signal of optimism and dance.
Every year a Marijaia is elaborated and during the whole week of the festivities she's located on the balcony of Teatro Arriaga. On the last day she's burned as a way to saying good bye to the festivities after nine days.

It definitely sounds like a lot of fun!

Gracias Benjamín!

Wroclaw

I really love this card because I love constructions with bricks and I have an obsession with photos featuring doors.

Wroclaw is a large undiscovered gem of a city in southwestern Poland in the historic region of Silesia. It boasts fascinating architecture, many rivers and bridges, and a lively and metropolitan cultural scene. Like many cities in Central Europe, it is a city with a troubled past, having seen much violence and devastation. Prior to the Second World War, Wroclaw (Breslau in German) was the capital of the German province of Prussian Lower Silesia. It returned to Poland when, after the War, the Soviets moved the German/Polish border westward to the Oder/Neisse Line. Wroclaw was almost completely destroyed during the end of the War as the Red Army fought its way into Germany towards Berlin, being declared a "Fortress City" by Hitler. However, it has been wonderfully restored and can now be counted amongst the highlights of Poland and of all Central Europe. Wroclaw is the 2016 European Capital of Culture. 
This photo is from Ostrów Tumski, the oldest part of the city.  

*Source

Dziekuje Sebastian! 

Fox & Deer

I got this curious card from Czech Republic, is from a bakery in Prague called Fox & Deer.

They sell homemade pastry and the place looks very cozy! For sure I'll male a stop there whenever I finally get to make the trip to Czech Republic that's still on my list. 

You can check out their website here 

Dekuju Nastassia!

Fantastic Mr. Fox

I got this other card from the Roald Dahl series by the Royal Mail along its matching stamp (You can read about my other Roald Dahl card here) this time Fantastic Mr. Fox!

Another of my favorite stories, Fantastic Mr. Fox was first published in 1970 and tells a story about a fox that steals from three farmers.
On 2009 an animation movie was made with the story and I thought it was pretty brilliant and cute, so if you haven't read the book or watched the movie I highly recommend them.

Here you have the trailer of the movie:

Thank you very much Nat!

The Singapore flyer

This is a very special postcard because id the first swap I've made through this blog! (: 

On the postcard we can see "The Singapore flyer" 

Singapore Flyer is the world’s largest observation wheel. Standing at a stunning 165m from the ground, the Flyer offers you breathtaking, panoramic views of the Marina Bay, the island city and beyond. There’s also a wide range of shops, restaurants, activities and facilities. 

And I found this list of 10 Reasons to visit:

*It's the world's largest observation wheel

*It's the only place to see Singapore's magnificent cityscape 

*You'll get to see a video technology that is Asia's first 

*You'll get to feast on famous local dishes

*You can get to enjoy and iconic drink on an iconic attraction (Apparently they are talking about the Singapore sling)

*You'll get to experience a 6D motion ride (Wow!) 

*You'll experience urban nature

*You'll be able to experience Singapore's first real flight simulator 

*Your toes will be tickled by fish (That sounds interesting) 

*For some good Feng Shui (They say this because there's 28 capsules with a 28 people capacity and the figure of 28 means double prosperity)

I've ridden the London Eye and it was pretty neat so if I ever get to go to Singapore for sure I'll book a trip on the Flyer! 

*Source

Thank you Spencer! 

Snail-mailers around the globe: USA

Katelin is from Florida in the US, she has a really cool blog and she's addicted to Instagram like I am, we met each other on Postcrossing and she was kind enough to accept making the first interview for this series!  (:

In what snail-mailing activities do you take part?

I love to swap postcards, send letters to pen-pals, collect souvenir magnets and other souvenirs from different places, collect used stamps and collect airmail stickers.

How did you became a snail-mailer?

I started when I joined Postcrossing. It’s how I ended up with such a large postcard collection and so many pen-pals!

For how long have you been doing this?

About two years, although I can’t remember the exact date.

Can you show three of your favorite postcards and make a little explanation on why you like them? 

 I love this card because I’m a big fan of Dolly Parton and I was so happy to get this card since Dolly cards are rare.

I haven’t seen the movie yet but this card is just so cool.

I've never seen snow. This card was sent to me as a surprise and I really love the scenery.

How much does it cost to send a postcard in your country?
Small postcards are 33 cents, larger cards and letters are 46 cents. International cards and letters are $1.10

Do you have any theme collections? If you do, why are you collecting them?
I have too many theme collections. I collect: Anne Geddes, Trains, Snow, Watercolor, Yellow, Holidays, Theme Parks, Zoos and Aquariums, 50 states, Trolleys, Pugs, Birds, Pigs, Cats, Frogs, Hot Air Balloons, Ireland, Sea Life, Russian Art, Tulips, Volkswagen, etc. etc. etc!

If you are into pen-paling, from which countries do you have pen-pals from?
I have pen-pals from India, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Israel, Ireland, Spain, Australia, Brazil, Egypt, Hong Kong and some of the US states.

Have you discovered any destination you'd like to travel to thanks to a postcard?
Huh. Good question. I received cards from a place that I have never heard of in the US. It’s called “Eureka Springs.” I really love small towns so the pictures on this card made me curious to check it out!

Please share a few facts about other countries you've learned thanks to postcards or letters:
I can’t remember all the facts, but I do know that I've learned about countries that I never knew even existed, like Belarus.

A few fun/strange/surprising facts you'd like to share about your country?
Well, I’ll share some things about my state instead. 

• Not too far from here there is the country’s smallest Post Office. It’s about the size of a shed or bedroom closet. You can buy postcards there and get their postmark. It’s interesting.
• There’s also a place called Spook Hill in Lake Wales. If you drive up to the bottom of the hill and put your car in neutral, your car will magically go up the hill by itself. I've been there before and it’s pretty neat!

In your opinion, what is it that makes sending postcards and letters through snail-mail special?
Well, I enjoy getting something in my mailbox instead of something in my email. I like the feel of the paper, the unusual stamps and each person’s unique handwriting. All of those things get lost in the technological world. And 50 years from now, I will be able to open my box and re-read these letters and remember them and the people fondly. I don’t think emails will be able to give that same feeling.

Thank you Katelin!

Black sheep postal service

A few days ago I got a mail from Justin, he has his own postcard and mailing company called: Black sheep postal service.
He offered to send me a postcard and this week my mailbox received this beautiful handmade card with awesome stamps!
You can't appreciate it really well because of the scanner but the postcard is actually gold and I'm in love with the Miles Davis & Edith Piaf stamps!

A little bit about BSPS:
Justin Kerr is the owner of this project and basically what they do is design really cool postcards that they send to whoever you like, so that way you don't have to worry about making birthday cards, holiday greetings, etc. Like their website says, they help you to stay in better touch with the people you care about.
And not only the postcards are really cool but to make it even better they pick the stamps carefully so your card doesn't get the typical "Forever US" stamps we are all tired of.

So I really recommend everyone who likes postcards to check their website, send some postcards to your friends or relatives or why not get some for yourself!
Also, apparently thanks to this Justin is now his grandma's favorite grandson so you can help him stay like that! ;)

To check out more pictures and stuff going on at their San Francisco warehouse check their Facebook

Thank you so much Justin! 

Through the mailbox presents:

I thought it would be cool to have a series of interviews with "snail-mailers" from around the world like some other blogs have (including the blog at the postcrossing official site).

I've asked a few people I've met through postcards and letters to participate in this and hopefully the first interview will be here tomorrow. After I'll try to post a "Snail-Mailers around the globe" as often as I can.

If you'd like to participate even tough we haven't exchanged postcards or anything that would be great! (:

Mail me at: lovebisquets@yahoo.com.mx and I'll send you the questions!  

Oh and I'll appreciate all the feedback about this interviews! 

Stay tuned! 

Decorated elephant

I got this card from my friend Jim who lives in Goa, India. Decorated elephants are a very important part of Indian festivals and celebrations, I love the colors!

But this card is not only special for the illustration, Jim used two stamps that are a joint issue by Mexico and India featuring traditional dances. For Mexico (on the left) we have "Jarabe Tapatío" and for India (on the right) we have "Kalbelia Dance".

Jarabe Tapatío is one of the most popular folk dances in México and it was originated in the state of Jalisco.

Kalbelia is a very popular dance from the region of Rajasthan and it's performed by a tribe with the same name.

I love joint issues! They are a really cool way to connect two different cultures through stamps (: 

धन्यवाद (Dhanyavād) Jim!

Gijón

Gijón is a coastal city in Asturias, province in northwest Spain.
The progressive modernization of the city, along with its own excellent natural conditions, has turned Gijón into a city that attracts a growing number of visitors, drawn by a good offer of culture and sports and a strong service sector. Now, at the beginning of a new century, Gijón is doing its utmost to preserve its remote historical past and to display this as an example of its touristic excellence.

The beach on the postcard is the beach of San Lorenzo, it is beautiful and full of people walking, lying on the sand, swimming. It is well equipped: toilets, showers, sunshade and hammocks for renting, nautical club, etc.
I love the colors of those "beach tents".

*Source

Gracias Llara!

Folk art critters

I really like this card, this little tiger figurines are so cute!

The postcard reads: Painted papier-mâché toy tigers. Japan, c. 1960. Girard Foundation Collection, Museum of International Folk Art, (I'd love to visit this museum, check it out!) Museum of New Mexico.
Photograph by Blair Clark

Thank you Kimberly!

Airplane from Belarus

This card was made by the Museum of Aviation Technique in the village of Baravaya on the region of Minsk and it features one piece of their collection. 

The stamp is very pretty, you can't appreciate it because of the scan but everything that looks gray is actually shiny.

Дзякую вам (dziakuiu vam) Sveta!