August 2018 - Sneak Peek

Figure 1. Kenya Uganda
Tanganyika, Scott 49, 53, 68
and 80.
754 AMERICAN PHILATELIST / AUGUST 2018
Philatelic Travels
Let Your Stamps Do the Hiking, Climbing and Paddling
NOEL DAVENHILL
Many members of the American Philatelic Society – especially topical collectors
– derive pleasure from visiting natural attractions featured on stamps
from the United States, Canada and favorite vacation destinations further
afield. But when you, like me, reach an age when even climbing stairs can be quite
daunting, you may no longer be able to continue these strenuous activities.
Eschewing other media – from printed material to film and television to the internet
and travel blogs – your quest for adventure is at your fingertips within your favorite
hobby.
Countries seeking visits (aka an economic boost) from adventurers and vacationers
in these modern times have worked with their postal agencies in recent years to promote
their special sights and sites on stamps. [See sidebar, page 757.]
Many of these could be quite easy for a modern stamp collector to hunt
down and add to their topically themed Travel Stamp Album. But, I – who do
not collect these modern items – prefer a little more of a specific challenge.
I want to do my exploration via stamps from my pre-1971 albums of former
colonies and British overseas territories that feature natural wonders, including
mountains, waterfalls, lakes and rivers. There were an amazing number
of these stamps created long before the phrase “ecotourism” was created and
most should be available at reasonable prices.
Photographs and written information about images shown on stamps
are available via the internet from the comfort of your home by logging on
websites such as Wikipedia, Pinterest, YouTube, etc. Brief or more detailed
YouTube video presentations enable viewers to walk or hike to all waterfalls,
lakes and rivers and to participate in mountain climbs, where appropriate, accompanied
by a professional guide.
It is important to understand that whereas scenes on stamps issued many
decades ago show little change, almost all have been affected by enormous
advances in tourism. Walking trails, visitor centers, fast food outlets, guided
walks and climbs, accommodation and other commercial operations
are now present almost everywhere.
Our tour commences in East Africa where the continent’s
two highest peaks – Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,340 feet) and Mt.
Kenya (17,057 feet) – are seen from different perspectives on
several Kenya Uganda and Tanganyika stamps, sometimes abbreviated
as KUT [Figure 1]. Mount Kenya’s multiple peaks
are clearly visible on two stamps. An image of Murchison
Falls (Scott 130) fails to adequately reflect this awe-inspiring
spectacle. There is only one view on several identical stamps
of Kenya’s Lake Naivasha and of massive Lake Victoria, which
encompasses all three territories.
An image of Mlanje Mountain, the stunning background
to a tea estate in Nyasaland [Figure 2], is featured on several
stamps. At a height of 10,000 feet, this favored climbing venue
towers over surrounding plains. Two different views of a tranquil
Lake Nyasa are seen on several stamps.
Mahetsunyane Falls, Basutoland [Figure 3], the highest
Figure 2. Nyasaland, Scott 74 and 75.