Free post worldwide or Galapagos Mailbox.

Mail, humanity has come up for a long time, and since ancient times the need for it never disappeared, but only increased. Correspondence is different – personal, business, state, departmental, for example, diplomatic. But free mail before meeting did not communicate. To reset the letter or a postcard in the mailbox without any brands and payment, and your departure has come safely to the addressee.

It turns out that there is such a mailbox, and with history, at least, from the XVIII century. He is now open and works. True, is far away – on the island of Florean Galapagos Islands Colon Archipelago.

Now, after centuries, it is already difficult to say with confidence who first installed it there. Some say that it was whale James Kolnet in 1793, others claim that it was before him in the XVI century.

And the story is: several centuries ago, the kitobi went to the fishery for 3-4 years. Airmasters then, of course, no was, that was the idea of ​​a smart person, who would not be, installed on the island of Florean as an empty barrel. There, the conquerors of the seas left their letters for their relatives and loved ones, and the ship, which was already sent to his native shores, captured these departures and delivered them to the destination. Naturally, only those letters were taken, whose addresses they were on the way.

Years have passed, century, the tradition has not changed, but has undergone significant changes. First of all, the kitoboes have changed on tourists, air transport appeared, but the principle has been preserved the same – leave your mail and excite to deliver the one that you on the way. Everything is possible and without any control with someone else. As they say, on conscience and enthusiasm of interested persons from a variety of corners of our planet.

Shifting three sweaty stacks of letters, but more cards, I took three addresses with me, two for Moscow and one in g. Pushkino Moscow region. He himself left two postcards – Mom to Moscow, spouse in Ryazan. What was my surprise, when a postcard in Moscow at Mom, after three weeks, lying in the mailbox! The second in Ryazan has not yet reached.

But taking three postcards on the Galapaghos, I voluntarily accepted the mission of the postman, which was to fulfill.

I did not go to Pushkino, but I just put a postcard into an envelope, carefully duplicated the address and sent it from the Moscow branch of the communication. Galapagus still on the island said that you can do and so if the city is small, then wait for the addressee to make his countryman delivered a letter for a very long time. Therefore, it’s easier to bring to Russia and fix it from there. Addresses of the regions of far from Moscow, there were such, although a little, I did not take. There were two postcards for Moscow, both addresses in the south-west. This facilitated the task. To bring and omit into the mailbox in the entrance, and if you wish, you personally have nothing easier. So it seemed ..

However, with the first address, everything happened, brought to the house, someone got out of the right entrance. After a few seconds, the news was already in the mailbox of his addressee.

With the last postcard did not happen. Arriving to the house, it turned out that the territory is under guard. Two angry and gloomy guard guards showed excessive zeal. To the entrance refused to allow categorically. Proposal to lower it in the box, was also rejected. The idea personally to them themselves transmit a simple paper unsigned leaf with their address to the stupor. At this desperate step without resolving the boss, they were not solved. Is this the joke of this business – to distribute the mail. Uncle began to call their leadership, consult how to enroll in such an extraordinary situation. On the other side of the line sounded a categorical refusal.

It would be an annoying, if this is a postal departure, reaching 12,400 kilometers to the threshold of your destination, and did not fall to your addressee. It remained only one thing – again resort to the Galapagus tip. Carefully again withdrawing the address on the envelope, I sent it to the destination from the nearest Communications Department of Russia. I hope it will come.

After all, it is impossible to be a good tradition of free mail from the Galapagos Islands interrupted. Moreover, almost all postcards from there with images of local very cute penguins, seals, flamingos, giant turtles, sea iguan and funny blunt olheshes.