The sender took this photo himself on a camping trip to Kolukkumalai. All the green are tea plantations.  Thrissur is a city of 315 000 people, but a part of a metropolitan area with 3.7 million people. It is known as the Cultural Capital of Kerala. There are cultural traditions that date back centuries. The Thrissur Pooram is an annual Hindu temple festival. It attract upwards of a million people.  The Maharaja of Cochin (1790-1805), Sakthan Thampuran, came up with the idea of the Thrissur Pooram. 

 

The sender writes that she just attended the Arizona Renaissance Festival last week. She says her favourite part is when the actors joust "to the death" complete with brawl and fake blood. She comments "even the queen attends!" The Arizona Renaissance Festival runs from mid winter to early spring every year since 1989. It takes place at Gold Canyon, east of the Phoenix metropolitan area. The fictional village of Fairhaven is open Saturdays, Sundays, and President's Day Money.  At the festival there are daily jousting tournaments, a birds of prey display, games of skills (axe throwing, archery), and a feast. There is an artisan marketplace - an outdoor arts and crafts market located throughout Fairhaven.  There is a petting zoo, comedy routines, sword swallowing, a live mermaid exhibit, and Renaissance themed foods. Visitors are welcome to wear costumes and costumes are available to rent. The Arizona Renaissaince Festival is on 2 00,000 m 2  and averages about 25...

Tianjin is home to the Dule Temple  獨樂寺, which dates back to 984. The origins of the temple date back to the early Tang dynasty (618 - 907). The gate of the temple is the oldest part of the structure. 

A beautiful card of a tree with cherry blosoms, or something similar. There are some Chinese characters in the corner. I think they are a poem.