Funafuti - Tuvalu

Pacific Ocean-Tuvalu-Funafuti   Tuvalu is like a long lost friend to me. As a child I had a fascination with this country and I suspect this will be my last time here. It was amazing to get back here and see the progress the Country has made. The Pacific in general is very safe place to visit. No crime worth talking about here as there is no place to flee . I was surprised how many tourists I met here. About 6 and they were visiting to see " The least visited Country in the World " . The Power of the internet and lists. No so many of those lists I would disagree with. Funafuti is the only Island I have visited as there is is only a shipping service to the outer islands. 

Postcards are hard to find in Tuvalu. The Post Office had one of a stamp on stamp from the Definitive issue of the 1990s featuring birds. A fellow traveller from India told me where to find a postcard. So here it is. Larger then usual. The Post office had just recently got in new date stamps so here they are in clear blue ink. This Definitive issue was sold out and they had a few sets left complete , But they managed to let me get some stamps from this issue. A very friendly Post office . Tuvalu used to have a conservative stamp issuing policy. Now they issue many issues. But if you collect thematics contact the Tuvalu Post office online and they have many issues going back years available at face value. A very full selection of stamps available at the Post office/Philatelic Bureau. 

Tuvalu

We'll Funafuti , Tuvalu has always been close to my heart. It was the first island Country I wanted to visit when I began my travels back in 1980. So here I am back for the third time. It was great and as friendly as every . Tuvalu is considered by the UN to be the least visited Country in the world. 

The Post Office and the philatelic bureau are now in the same building. This was the original Bureau. 

The friendly staff of Tuvalu Post limited. They are in there new uniforms. Some staff are assigned to bureau work . 

The Counter has many stamps going back years. Now days the stamps are sent to Tuvalu from their agents in New York free of charge ,so no cost to Tuvalu. What stamps they sell from Tuvalu is pure profit. However, if they wish to have a"local " issue they have to fund the stamps . Since they cannot afford that there is very little local content in the stamps of Tuvalu. The post office mostly sells the corals definitive issue to regular post clients. There is a newer Fish definitive set, but it is now only sold as a set. However, I was able to use this set on the many covers and postcards I sent back. 

Tuvalu has just received new postmarks. These are just about to be sent to the outer islands of Tuvalu.