Palestine # 219 in Collection

Another one postcard day at the mailbox. But it is a good one , a new addition to my collection. The card is from Palestine # 219 in my collection. The card shows The Grotto of the Nativity. This Grotto enshrines the site where Jesus is said to have been born. The silver star in the center , marks what actually is thought to be the exact location of the birthplace of Jesus of Nazareth. The card was sent by Husam , who lives in Bir Zeit , from where the card was posted. Bir Zeit is a Palestinian town on the outskirts of Ramallah in the central West Bank. Husam used a 2003 commemorative stamp featuring Al-Azhar University in Gaza. It was 1 of a set of 3 featuring universities. Thanks to Husam. He sent a couple of cards earlier, but they never arrived. I certainly owe him a big thank you for keeping at it until one got through.

It's certainly great to add a new country or stamp issuing entity to my collection. With 219 in hand , that leaves just 47 more. I rank Palestine up there with DPRK North Korea in difficulty in adding to a collection. I never thought that I would have a card mailed to me from either of these places, so I figure that the most difficult one now will be from Somalia. Rumor has it that there are a few other African countries that have limited or no Postal Service. So far though I have done pretty good with Africa.