COOK ISLANDS

This lovely card came to me from Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, a territory of New Zealand, and shows some of the atoll's stunning reefs and marine life

ICELAND

Iceland has a wide variety of landscapes, including many waterfalls, due to high precipitation and rugged terrain, such as stark canyons

Iceland: stamps

These lovely stamps franked the card above, and show landscapes, marine fauna and the fishing industry of Iceland

CURACAO

This colorful card arrived a few days ago, and is my first card from the newly autonomous island of Curacao, which separated from the Netherlands Antilles union in late 2010

Curacao stamp

166c this lovely stamp features a cherubfish, and is one of the first issues of Curacao, which had previously shared stamps of the Neth. Antilles

ANGOLA

This card is the only one I have ever received from the central African country of Angola, and shows a peninsula near the capital, Luanda, with its South Atlantic coast and beaches

Angola: stamp

Intl rate: this stamp was affixed to the card above, and shows local decorative pottery from Angola

FIJI

This lovely card shows flora and avifauna of Fiji, including the plumeira, red ginger, heliconia and Masked and Red Shining Parrots.

HONDURAS

This card shows the 140 foot leap of Pulhapanzak Falls, highest in Honduras, a country also known for the classic Mayan city of Copan, with its artistry and lush vegetation.

COSTA RICA

This lovely card shows the Resplendent Quetzal, one of the showiest of species of the Central American tropics. It was once revered as sacred by the ancient Maya, who used its plumes in ceremonial dress