After leaving St. Kitts, I flew to Puerto Rico. The airplane needed an annual maintenance review and I must admit, it was good to be on US soil for a brief stop. I’ve never been so happy to see Wal-greens, Wal-mart and the Western World. Though I love the opportunities that I’ve had, the people that I’ve met and the incredible awareness that the trip has brought to my country, you can imagine how taxing a year of traveling and financial struggle can be. It feels good to know that there are only five countries left.
Archive for the ‘Flight News’ Category
Visit to Antigua and Barbuda
On April - 18 - 2010
Despite the fact that it is now the rainy season in the Caribbean (raining cats and dogs day and night), my flight to Antigua was fantastic! I was able to complete two interviews on the first day, with the Antigua Sun and the Daily Observer. The next day I did a radio interview with the Observer and also met with the local television station, ABS, who interviewed me live.
My stay on this island was very brief, yet through the rain I was able to see some of its beauty and wish to return here in the future. These islands are believed to be formed by volcanoes and inhabited as early as 2400 B.C. However, it was only recently, in 1981, that they became independent of the British Commonwealth.
Visit to Saint Kitts and Nevis
On April - 15 - 2010
Off to St. Kitts and Nevis. As with many other Caribbean Islands, this country was associated with the British until recently (1983). In 1998, Nevis attempted to pass a referendum to separate itself from St. Kitts, but did not gain enough votes for it to pass. Hon. Sam Terence Condor and Ms. Kaye Bass (the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Senior Foreign Service Officer) were kind enough to offer me their time for a meeting. Ms. Bass was extremely knowledgeable about our independence and she actually showed me the governments file on Kosovo and it’s contents. She suggested that, since Belize already recognizes our independence, it would be beneficial for them to bring it up as an agenda item at the upcoming meeting of the CARICOM Foreign Ministers. Next stop, a brief stop in the U.S. Territory of Puerto Rico and then five countries left to visit until the mission will be complete!
Visit to Dominica
On April - 11 - 2010
DW_A3143 – audio interview with Nester Phillip from The Chronicle
DW_A3144 – audio interview continued
DW_A3145 – audio interview final
Landing in Dominica was a challenge as the runway runs directly along the beach and square in between the sea (which wouldn’t be so great to land it) and the mountainous terrain of the island (also not so great to land in!). This may sound beautiful and indeed it is. However, the steep approach needed for landing does not match up well with the strong crosswinds created by this environment.
Once on the island, my day in Dominica was very productive. I was able to meet with two newspapers – the SUN and the Chronicle. The local television station, Marpin 2K4, was able to get some great footage at the airport. They were all very helpful and knowledgeable about the history of Kosovo and wanted to present some quality coverage of our mission.
The Ministry of Foreign Relations were also very receptive and admitted that our independence is a ‘work in progress’ and that they are watching the situation closely.
As with the other Caribbean Islands, I continue to be impressed with the friendliness of the people and their knowledge of our country. On the way out of the country, the airport employees admitted that they enjoyed watching the television coverage of our great mission.
A brief stop at Martinique
On April - 11 - 2010
I have been mesmerized by the beauty of this amazing planet. Each country seems to match the beauty of the previous one and I have very much enjoyed my time flying over magical waters of the Caribbean.
After my stop in St. Lucia, I was on my way to Dominica. Though nothing is every as easy as it seems. It turns out that I needed to make a stop on the island of Martinique due to Dominica not having any AVGAS at the time, which I may have already mentioned is a higher-octane gasoline utilized by aircrafts.
I was grateful for the stop, as a quick walk around town made me feel a sense of being closer to home and was very soul fulfilling. As it was a weekend, (not much press or political meetings can take place as you can imagine), I was able to enjoy some of my favorite foods on this French-inspired island. A nice French baguette, along with a few cheeses, some cream, dried meats, pickles, French cakes and an Orangina were very satisfying treats as during a brief picnic in a local park. The food tasted so good that it matched the scenery as it is not often that I have been able to indulge in such delightful treats. I was the happiest man on earth!
Visit to St. Lucia
On April - 9 - 2010
A short flight later and I am landing on St. Lucia. I can’t believe the difference in both geography and climate. This island appears more mountainous than the previous ones I’ve landed on and is also volcanic. It is raining here today, though the local people assure me that it was dry here just a few weeks ago. What a difference a few weeks of rain make! It reminds me of when I was in the jungles and rain forests in places like Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela. I quickly fell in love with the food available here – mangoes, coconut trees and acres and acres of bananas. The capital city, Castries, is a beautiful location as well. From here I am able to view cruise ships as they stop and allow vacationers to visit this gorgeous place on their way to other picturesque locations.
I was very pleased with the outcome of my meeting with Rufus George Bousquet, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. He is a very busy man and I very much appreciate the time he took to meet with me. He relayed that the government is aware of our independence and supports it 100 percent. He stated that it’s a matter of meeting in the Cabinet and sending us a formal decision. His view is that we deserve independence after everything that we’ve been through and is looking forward to establishing diplomatic relations with our country very soon. He also suggested meeting with their Ambassador to the United Nations.
I want to give a huge thank you to all of the welcoming media in this country: Anne Edwards was a great help in getting things rolling for my interview with DBS television; Sherlana Ernest and her editor Victor Marquis at the Voice newspaper were very knowledgeable, enthusiastic and showed great admiration for our country; and Mr. Jason Sifflet with the Star newspaper was very passionate about writing a great article about my beautiful country of Kosovo. Jason, your previous travels to Eastern Europe made me feel much closer to completing our mission upon the initial meeting. Bless you all and your beautiful country.
Visit to Barbados
On April - 7 - 2010
Next stop: Barbados. For a quick second upon landing I thought that I had landed back in the USA – there were no landing fees or navigation charges in which to deal with. This is quite contrary to my experiences with airports thus far. Rest assured, however, that there were fees to pay! In almost every country that I’ve visited there are fees: fees for landing, fees for parking, fees for leaving, etc. Barbados is no different. In this country, it was $50USD for and ‘entry’ number and another $50USD for an ‘exit’ number – conveniently available on-line of course. I guess we can’t have everything in life. It is during these times that I have to remind myself of the many priceless gifts and hospitality that I have experienced during this mission.
The white sandy beaches here are beautiful and I soon see why Barbados was ranked third (by the United Nations Development Index in 1996) in terms of quality of life among 160 developing countries. On this island that is only 21 miles long by 14 miles wide, there are many tourists and the local people are welcoming. The media showed great interest in publishing and transmitting news about Kosovo’s independence and The Ministry of Foreign Affairs here is quite aware of our recent independence. Ms. Natalie Cox was very knowledgeable about our country and the position we are gaining in the world. She promised to bring our request to the higher powers of this beautiful nation. Let’s hope their decision will come soon.
Visit to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
On April - 7 - 2010
The next stop is St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a country made up of over 30 islands. I am blessed to have viewed with my own eyes the beauty that these islands have to offer. I am sure that if I was able to stay longer I would have no problem finding many relaxing and enjoying things to do. The international airport is also in a very nice location with very friendly people to help you and similar to Grenada in that it was really easy to clear customs and immigration and put my plane ‘to rest’ for the visit.
Since this country is located in the Caribbean Sea, it is square in the pathway of many hurricanes. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan devastated these islands. The first countries to offer aide in the aftermath were Cuba and Venezuela. Both of them sent money and laborers to help with reconstruction and neither of them recognize Kosovo’s independence. This may make it difficult for St. Vincent to formally recognize our independence since both Cuba and Venezuela are in close geographical proximity and also so substantial in regards to available resources.
On the other hand, this country is a member of regional political and economic organizations such as the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), CARICOM (an organization of 15 Caribbean nations and dependencies whose focus is on economic integration and cooperation of those countries and coordination of their foreign policy), United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organization of American States (OAS), and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). Most importantly though, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has chosen to recognize Taiwan instead of the People’s Republic of China.
While I was there I was able to conduct interviews with two newspapers and a television broadcasting company which promised to transmit our interview to several islands in the Caribbean. The media was very responsive and understood the importance of gaining formal recognition as a country as it was only recently (October 27, 1979) that they themselves had gained independence from England. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs opened their door wide as well. The Hon. Sir Louis Straker, Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Council of Ministers and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Commerce and Trade for St. Vincent and the Grenadines was happy to meet with me and through our discussion I learned that there are forces here that support our independence – including a a school friend of Sir Straker who has asked him many times to recognize our independence. Eliot Angle, the people of Kosovo thank you for providing consistent reminders to your friend. Sir Straker also recommended that our the government invite all of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the OECS states to Kosovo for discussions. Sir Straker’s Permanent Secretary Mr. Andreas Wickham and the Director of Foreign Policy and Research, Maxwell Charles also offered their valuable time and thoughts on the topic. As usual, I wish I had more time to for discussion with these men and more personal time to experience and learn from their beautiful country. I appreciate the honesty and openness that I have received and am very hopeful, as I was assured that the topic of our independence would be brought to the forefront of their governmental discussions.
Visit to Grenada
On April - 6 - 2010
It is now after Easter and I have spent a very productive weekend on the island of Grenada. I knew I would be in good hands there when, upon arrival, the air traffic controller wished me a pleasant stay in her country. What a difference a warm welcome can make. Within ten minutes my aeroplane was secured and I had cleared immigrations and customs and was on my way to town.
Like Trinidad, this country is very hot and very dry. Despite suffering tremendously from hurricane Ivan in 2004 and hurricane Emily in 2005, the country looked very neat and well kept. The people I met in town matched the welcome that I received at the airport. Since many tourist come here, they are used to providing a high level of service and comfort. What I wasn’t prepared for, however, was the further welcome I was about to receive.
After speaking with the media and Simon Andrew, a friend to the people of Kosovo, a meeting was organized with Mr. Peter David, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This particular meeting would prove to be very memorable as it happened on Easter and Mr. David was so kind as to welcome me into his father’s home to spend the holiday with his extended family. An added bonus was that the Minister of Tourism was there as well. Words cannot express how honored I am to have spent this Easter in the presence of such a warm and welcoming family. Grenada has won my heart over and I will always be filled with gratitude for the treatment that I received there. This country has truly reminded me of how we as humans should treat each other and the great things that can happen when we do.
On the business side, Minister David promised that he will do everything possible to make sure that the topic of Kosovo’s independence will rise to the top of the agenda. Again, I can’t thank this country and it’s people enough for all of the opened doors that they have shown me.
Visit to Trinidad and Tobago
On April - 5 - 2010
Progress is being made and I am on my second island stop in the Caribbean. After many hours of flying over water, I was glad to see land again. Upon reaching the island, I also noticed that the island has lots of wildfires. After landing, I quickly understood why. In addition to temperatures being 91°F / 33°C, it is also the drought season here which means that it is also very dry. Despite the wildfires, I was still able to view parts of this beautiful island.
Though the international airport of Trinidad presented a few challenges and was unlike Aruba, the people of Trinidad are wonderful. My stay here was short, but I was able to speak with the local press (See article The Trinidad Guardian). Upon return to the airport, it took about six hours of waiting around for paperwork and permits, etc. to be completed. I am now ready to fly to my next stop, which is Grenada.
Visit to Aruba
On April - 5 - 2010
After facing many challenges getting out of South America, I have now made my way into the Islands of the Caribbean. What a welcome I received in Aruba. As soon as I walked into the FBO (Fixed Based Operations) building (which was even air-conditioned!), I was struck by the level of hospitality that I am used to and so dearly missed. I will remember forever being greeted by the office workers offering me an ice-cold Coca-Cola. Thank you Aruba. My joy in reaching a world that I am used to cannot be expressed in written words.
Aruba is a beautiful island with wonderful people. Even though I was far away from home, the hospitality of the Arubian people made me feel welcomed right away. The great people at The Morning News opened the doors to their home right away and made me feel extremely comfortable there. I wish that time wasn’t such an issue during this trip. Otherwise, I would have enjoyed spending much more of it on this beautiful island with blue oceans, beautiful sandy beaches and such welcoming shores.
The media in Aruba showed great interest in Kosovo’s issues. They were very pleased to know that someone from a country as far away as Kosovo thinks of them and respects their contributions.
Thank you to Aruba and it’s warm and welcoming people. May we meet again in the future.
The mission continues with the third phase
On April - 1 - 2010
Dear friends, brothers, and sisters:
I am proud to announce to all of you that the third and final phase of our mission “Flying For Kosovo” has started in Aruba and the Caribbean islands. It has been a great pleasure having all of your support during my entire mission. Your energy, moral and financial support has kept me going for the past several amazing and unforgettable months. I have learned a lot from each of you individually. Without all of your support and encouragement it would have been impossible to accomplish such a journey.
I am sure our mission will serve its purpose and life will continue. However, the tremendous amount of education and awareness that we have raised for Kosovo and its people and the knowledge that we have each learned in this mission is priceless. I have to admit and face something to all of you. I was very ignorant before I started our mission as far as the magnitude of difficulties I would face and all of the ‘red tape’ associated with flying to and within each individual country. Growing up in Switzerland and the USA has given me a wide perspective of the world, but this mission has taught me that each country is individual and unique and that, often times, things are done very different than what I am accustomed to. Many times it has taken me 3-10 times more energy and financial burden to get anything done.
No matter how many difficulties I have faced, continuing the mission has been my first and most important priority. The people that I have met in each country have been wonderful. I have learned so much from all of you. Your daily presence will be missed, but memories will never cease to exist. My heart is filled with gratitude for the kindness that I have received from everyone. May higher powers bless all of you and thank you again from the bottom of my heart for all your contributions small or large.
Your dear friend,
James Berisha
