My Favorite Postcards

Map of South America

South American countries and their capitals cities

Argentina (Buenos Aires)
Bolivia (La Paz / Sucre)
Brazil (Brasilia)
Chile (Santiago)
Colombia (Bogota)
Ecuador (Quito)
French Guiana (Cayenne ) France
Guyana (Georgetown)
Paraguay (Asuncion)
Peru (Lima)
Suriname (Paramaribo)
Uruguay (Montevideo)
Venezuela (Caracas)

This postcard is postmarked in 2012 from Guyana.

Mujeres Callahuayas
(Kallawaya Women)
Bolivia

Foto: Oscar Ruiz

This unused postcard is from 2013.

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The Kallawaya are an itinerant group of traditional healers living in the Andes of Bolivia. According to the UNESCO Safeguarding Project, the Kallawaya can be traced to the pre-Inca period. The Kallawaya performed brain surgery as early as 700 CE and knew how to effectively prevent and treat malaria with quinine before the Europeans.

Kallawaya doctors (médicos Kallawaya), are known as the naturopathic healers of Inca kings, and as keepers of science knowledge, principally the pharmaceutical properties of vegetables, animals and minerals. Most Kallawaya healers understand how to use 300 herbs, while specialists are familiar with 600 herbs. Kallawaya women are often midwives, treat gynecological disorders, and pediatric patients.

Laguna Verde
Potosi
Bolivia

Foto: Federico Arispe R.

This unused postcard is from 2013.

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Laguna Verde (Spanish for "green lake") is a salt lake in and endorheic basin, in the southwestern Altiplano in Bolivia. It is located in the Sur Lípez Province of the Potosí Department, at the foot of the volcano Licancabur.

Baile Potolos (Dancing Potolos)
Uyuni
Foto: Federico Arispe R.

This postcard is unused and from 2013.

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Potolo is a village in the department of Chuquisaca in the South American Andes State of Bolivia.

Uyuni:
Salar de Uyuni  is the world's largest salt flat at 10,582 square kilometers (4,086 sq mi). It is located in the Potosí and Oruro departments in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes.

Campesinos Viajando (Traveling peasants)
Norte (North) Potosi - Torakari
Foto: Federico Arispe R.

This postcard is unused and from 2013.

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Potosí is a city and the capital of the department of Potosí in Bolivia.
It is one of the highest cities in the world by elevation at a nominal 4,090 metres (13,420 ft).

Uyuni, Bolivia

Salar de Uyuni
Potosi - Bolivia

Foto: Federico Arispe R.
This postcard is unused and from 2013.

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Salar de Uyuni (or Salar de Tunupa) is the world's largest salt flat at 10,582 square kilometers (4,086 sq mi). It is located in the Potosí and Oruro departments in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes.

Bolivia
Sud America (South America)

Madre India
Santa Cruz
Foto: Federico Arispe R.

This statue / monument is to represent the courage and beauty of indigenous Bolivia.
It is unused and from 2013.

Cochabamba (Chapare)
Secado de la hoja de Coca (Dried Coca Leaf)

Fotos: Oscar Ruiz

This is unused and was bought in 2013.

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Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia that is known as the "City of Eternal Spring" and "The Garden City" due to its spring-like temperatures year round.  It was featured as a location in the story in the 1983 film, Scarface. Powerful drug lord Alejandro Sosa resided there, governed large coca plantations and owned cocaine labs where upon further refining, would be shipped to Tony Montana in Florida.

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Coca is known throughout the world for its psychoactive alkaloid, cocaine. The alkaloid content of coca leaves is low, between 0.25% and 0.77%. This means that chewing the leaves or drinking coca tea does not produce the intense high people experience with cocaine.

Cocaine-free coca leaf extract is used in Coca-Cola. Extraction of cocaine from coca requires several solvents and a chemical process known as an acid/base extraction, which can fairly easily extract the alkaloids from the plant.

Salar De Uyuni
Potosi - Bolivia
Foto: Frderico Arispe R.

This unused postcard features Jeeps, Motorcycles, A Rabbit, and Llamas.  It was bought in 2013.

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Salar de Uyuni (or Salar de Tunupa) is the world's largest salt flat at 10,582 square kilometers (4,086 sq mi). It is located in the Potosí and Oruro departments in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes Mountains and is at an elevation of 3,656 meters (11,995 ft) above mean sea level.

At the bottom right is a picture of Isla Incahuasi, Inkawasi or Inka Wasi (Inca house).  It is a hilly and rocky outcrop of land found in the middle of the Salar de Uyuni Salt Flat.

Samaipata (Santa Cruz)

Fuerte De Samaipata - Bolivia
Fotot: Federico Arispe R.

unused, from 2013
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El Fuerte de Samaipata (Fort Samaipata), also known simply as "El Fuerte", is an archaeological site and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Santa Cruz Department, Florida Province, Bolivia. It is situated in the eastern foothills of the Bolivian Andes and is a popular tourist destination for Bolivians and foreigners alike.

The archeological site at El Fuerte is unique because it has buildings of three different cultures: Chanés, Incas, and Spaniards.

Santa Cruz
Samaipata
Bolivia Sud (South) America

El Coro

unused, from 2013
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At the top of the stone hill is are 12 seats carved into the rock known as the Coro de los Sacerdotes (Choir of the Priests).
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Santa Cruz
Samaipata
Bolivia Sud (South) America

El Jaguar

unused, from 2013
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There are many animals carved into the rock at Fuerte De Samaipata. 

La Paz
Bolivia

Tiahuanacu

La Puerta del Sol
The Sun Gate

postmarked in 1979 with a Correos de Bolivia stamp