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sub-Saharan Africa Topics specific to sub-Saharan Africa. (Includes all countries South of 17 degrees latitude)
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  #1  
Old 28 Aug 2010
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Question Sending postcards from......
So it's now been brought to my attention that I am required to send postcards to all my dearly beloved and family members. I have tried reasoning with them but in short they want me to try. I'm sure I'll find out so don't panic if nobody knows.

So two questions:
  1. What is the state of the postal services on the east side? Will I just be throwing money paper & ink away by trying to send a letter/postcard?

  2. Are postcards even a thing that happen, outside side of our civilized world?

I look forward to whatever replies come, I'm sure they'll be great!
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Old 28 Aug 2010
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Have you considered online greeting cards ??

Go onto moonpig.com etc, pay your £2 and have them sent a greeting card with a nice "hi, im in keyna" message inside !!
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Old 28 Aug 2010
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Originally Posted by *Touring Ted* View Post
Have you considered online greeting cards ??

Go onto moonpig.com etc, pay your £2 and have them sent a greeting card with a nice "hi, im in keyna" message inside !!
I dont think that will give the same feeling.

@neil:
postcards would be available wherever there is a post office.
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Old 28 Aug 2010
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I enjoy sending mail when I'm travelling, and there's no way I'll ever be able to send my Gran an online greeting card, so I've sent quite a few postcards along the way. The price and delivery time varies a lot between countries, and a big factor is where in a country you post from (best from a big city not remote village), but so far everything has arrived.

Best so far has been Tanzania, postcards sent from Dar to UK arriving within 2 weeks. Worst probably Namibia with a letter and cd of photos taking 3 months to get to UK.

Postcards are available all over the place. If you're sending parcels you need your own packaging and tape and maybe even glue for the stamps.

In general I think go for it, people love getting mail from strange places.
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  #5  
Old 28 Aug 2010
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Printer
A photographer in a Namibian pub showed me something cool and through this idea I've aquired a small postcard printer which runs off 12volt...!

Canon CP-220 Compact Photo Printer - Review - photo.net


I'm only pottering about Europe for a month so it's probably a bit too big to take on an African tour but the ability to frequently send postcards with me and the bike in them will be cool for the recipients. Much better than a boring 'Wish you were here' landscape. I run with a canon camera but there's other printers which will run any format.

Hope this helps
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Old 28 Aug 2010
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Originally Posted by geoffshing View Post
A photographer in a Namibian pub showed me something cool and through this idea I've aquired a small postcard printer which runs off 12volt...!

Canon CP-220 Compact Photo Printer - Review - photo.net


I'm only pottering about Europe for a month so it's probably a bit too big to take on an African tour but the ability to frequently send postcards with me and the bike in them will be cool for the recipients. Much better than a boring 'Wish you were here' landscape. I run with a canon camera but there's other printers which will run any format.

Hope this helps
Oh don't give him ideas Geoff !! He's already bringing more electronic, photo, computer, video equipment than the LWD crew !
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  #7  
Old 28 Aug 2010
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That's the price you pay Neil! Your rellies want a bunch of cards that'll upstage the usual Torremolinos or Corfu ones that their neighbours get. If you're depending on them to back you up with spare part shipping or any other stuff, get those cards in the post
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Old 28 Aug 2010
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Great!
Thanks for all your great replies. I'll take on board about sending from cities. I had not thought about that. How about, putting postcards inside envelopes, or is that just a waste of stationary?

As for the printer, yeah maybe when they make a campervan bike that weighs less than 30KGs and consumes less than a solar powered calculator. It's a nice idea, if you're doing a road trip in a car.

Ed: I'm carrying 2 small cameras, and a netbook that we're sharing. Stop whining
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Old 28 Aug 2010
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Originally Posted by Neil View Post
Thanks for all your great replies. I'll take on board about sending from cities. I had not thought about that. How about, putting postcards inside envelopes, or is that just a waste of stationary?

As for the printer, yeah maybe when they make a campervan bike that weighs less than 30KGs and consumes less than a solar powered calculator. It's a nice idea, if you're doing a road trip in a car.

Ed: I'm carrying 2 small cameras, and a netbook that we're sharing. Stop whining
Can you carry my TT soap dish ??
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  #10  
Old 29 Aug 2010
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Can you carry my TT soap dish ??
I really should think about packing... I know I said this yesterday but we've still got 2 days.... seems a waste of time doing it early
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