EGYPT

The impressive carved stone structures of Abu Simbel lie south of Aswan on the western bank of the Nile and the complex is a World Heritage Site. It was completely relocated in the 1960s to avoid being engulfed by the waters of the Aswan Dam.

EGYPT: pyramids stamp

This airmail stamp arrived on the card above, and shows a modern plane flying over the ancient pyramids of Giza.

GUINEA-BISSAU

This lovely card is the only I have ever acquired from Guinea-Bissau, and shows the local town hall of Bolama, an imposing colonial-era structure.

Tunisia

This stunning scene in Djerba shows a serene boat being guided of the coast with an impressive local castle as a backdrop.

Tunisia: stamp

The lovely card above was franked with this incredible butterfly stamp, showing a species of Danalis. The clear cancel is from Midoun.

BOTSWANA

This card shows a baby Chacma (or Cape) Baboon, a species found in southern Africa noted for its complex social behavior. Baboon groups are very adaptable, and inhabitat a wide range of terrain, from sub-alpine areas in the high Drakensberg Range to the Kalahari Desert.

Botswana: Kingfisher

Botswana has issued some stunning wildlife sets over the years, and this issue is no exception, showing the woodland kingfisher in vivid color. This bird is a common sight throughout Sub-Saharan Africa even in coastal areas, forested streams and areas not suitable for other kingfishers.

Belize

This card shows the Jabiru, a tall (4-5 ft.) Stork found from S. Mexico to Argentina in swamps and flooded plains.

Belize: turtle stamp

30c this stamp shows the Hawksbill sea turtle, a denizen of Caribbean seas that nests on shores throughout the region

BURUNDI

This wildlife image came as my first card posted from Burundi, and shows a bull elephant and a flock of crowned cranes. Burundi is a densely-populated and landlocked country with few parks or nature reserves. It shares Lake Tanganyika with neighboring Tanzania and Dem. Rep. of the Congo.

BURUNDI: stamps

These stamps were franked on the card above and depict fungi as well as the UN's 50th anniv.

BRUNEI

I received a spectacular card last month from a trading friend in Brunei. The aerial view shows the sultan's palace and part of town in the distance. This small enclave is a Muslim country, surrounded by Malaysia on the northern coast of the island of Borneo.