Flying for Kosovo

My original flight goal was to leave Mauritania early enough to avoid darkness upon arrival in Senegal.  As usual, the pre-flight nonsense set me back a few hours and quite a few Euros – the fuel people in Nouakchott dragged their feet for three hours and ended up costing me an arm and a leg.  As a result, I landed in Dakar ‘after hours’, meaning that the runway lights had to be turned on, costing me another 130 Euros.  Welcome to a pilot’s life.  After landing though, it was quite interesting to me that I did not have to through questioning in the terminal, even though I was coming from another country.  I’m not sure if this is a good or bad thing, considering that safety and security are so important nowadays, but it sure did help shave some time off of my routine and get a great night’s sleep.

I owe a big thank you to my friend M.r Saliou Ndiaye, who was quite familiar with the big city of Dakur and brought me to all of the media houses with no problems or hesitations (because of this, I was able to meet with them all quite quickly).  I have lots of respect for this man, who is very down to earth and quite friendly.  He was kind enough to drive his own car, which had a personality all its own.  I was unable to see out the passenger side of the front window and I was never sure at any time if we would make it to the next destination or not.  Especially given that I could not for the life of me figure out how to open and close the passenger door by myself.  No worries, my friend Mr. Ndiaye, as kind as he was, offered to close it for me each time.

The interviews were quite successful,  My sincere thanks to Mr. Ousmane Mangane, who took much care and pride during our interview and was excited that it would be shown on WALF-TV (a national station); Mr. Abdoul Aziz Agne who wrote an excellent article for the newspaper Walf Fadjri; and the entire team and Le Soleil.  I was excited to be introduced to their team and met each and every one of them.  Mr. Ali Diouf was wonderful and took time to do a detailed interview with me (along with his co-worker Mr. Jean Pires Dos Santos who was sitting next to us and also participated during the interview).

The people that I have met here in Senegal have lots of respect for the solidarity that we have shown them.  Many times at the airport, the police and border guards were very appreciative to know that the people of Kosovo had lots of respect and appreciation for them.  These moments are an exciting part of my journey.

Senegal is very dry right now and seems to be struggling economically like the past few countries that I’ve visited.  It appears that they are trying very hard to improve their living conditions.  The people are quite nice and friendly to me and I am noticing more and more languages being spoken and slight differences between ethnic groups the further through Africa that I travel.

Wal Fadjri

Wal Fadjri PDF

Le Matin PDF

Le Soleil PDF

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After our last post, James had an unexpected delay caused by a missing fuel cap.  With the help from a great mechanic, Baali, another cap was obtained in a town one hour away (though it took over a day to transport it back to Laayoune).

This morning, James finally arrived in Nouakchott, Mauritania after an 8 hour flight (over 5 of which were in the dark).  The current goal is to stay two days before flying to the next country, which is Senegal.

Le Quotidien de Nouakchott

Le Quotidien de Nouakchott Newspaper

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I hope you all are doing well. Flight went well 06h 30 minutes flight. I took lots of picture while approaching this place, though once on the ground, the environment prevented me from taking many more.  It looks very nice from above surrounded by sand everywhere (most of the landscape here is desert).  I plan on leaving the Western Sahara for the capital of Mauritania the day after tomorrow.

Seeing the vastness of the Sahara Desert is something that I have been dreaming of for a long time.  I was absolutely fascinated when I set my eyes on this great landscape for the first time.  The beauty of our planet has a lot to offer to humanity.  The many picturesque landscapes (mountains, rivers, oceans, deserts, etc.) that dot our planet all have something to offer to humanity.  These landscapes are something to really be happy and proud of what we have.
Though the landscape is phenomenal, the Western Sahara has had some political difficulty in recent years in regards to its own independence.  In fact, I was certainly surprised upon arrival to find police and military on nearly every street corner.  After spending a few days here, I quickly learn why this is the case.
This country has a long history of occupation, first by Spain and then by Morocco. And, though it has been formally recognized by various countries around the world, there is also recognition from other countries of it being part of Moroccan territory.  Regardless of the facts at hand, I learn quickly that there has been a long struggle here of it’s people fighting to be an independent nation.
The Western Sahara people are absolutely amazing.  They are very friendly, family oriented and dedicated to taking care of their own people.  It soon became clear to me that many people here share a common vision.  That is, to be independent and have their own identity.
One interesting side note is that I quickly learned that people here do not enjoy their picture taken at all.  So I promptly put my camera away and opened my ears to their stories.  I’m glad that I did because I ended up making many good friends here during my short visit and learned a tremendous amount of information about these wonderful people, their history and their ongoing struggle.  I will make sure to come and visit them again in the future.
My next flight is to Nouakchott,Mauritania, which will be a very long flight through the vast and empty African desert.

Note:  On November 7th, 2010, Morocco and Polisario began informal talks regarding the situation in Western Sahara.  Around this time, violent clashes between Moroccan security forces and Western Sahara protesters ensued, resulting in conflicting reports on the number of casualties.

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Friends:
Once again, I have been pleasantly surprised upon arrival to a new part of the world.  Getting here was tough because we had to order the Visa from Geneva,Switzerland, who made sure to tell us that it was a process that would take at least 2 wks.  My visit to Agleria actually turned out to be a pleasant experience and I received much better treatment than what I had initially expected

Seeing this country from above seemed very nice and the fuel here was quite cheap compared to places like Italy and Greece.  The only thing I knew prior to visiting, was that this country had its own civil war in the 1990’s.

My first stop was Annaba.  The people I met here during my brief technical stop were a great indication of what I was to find in the capital.  After reaching the airport in Algiers, it was nice to meet with friendly faces and border guards who had a great sense of customer care and satisfaction.  The friends that I met during my stay here have really helped me maintain a positive attitude in this country.

The capital of Algiers is a beautiful city with beautiful French style architecture (Algeria only gained independence from France in 1962).  Getting around here was easy and the food was awesome.

Meeting intellectuals like my good friend Lamia Tagzout, a journalist from the El Waton newspaper (who wrote an excellent article about our mission and the people of Kosova) is also something that surprised me.  Caring people like her who take things very seriously and try to make sure that something good will come out of our mission here in Africa was an experience above and beyond what I expected.

Hassan Gherab, from the journal La Tribune, was also an individual that I will remember for many years to come.  His efforts in publishing a great article about our country Kosova are to be commended.  Additionally, two new friends (Adjadj Belkacem and Samir Hamitouche) with the Arab newspaper Echourouk interviewed me and made sure to ask very intensive questions before inviting me out for a traditional lunch at a local cafeteria.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs were quick to respond to my request to meet on such short notice and Fouad Bouattoura, Director General of the Protocol, took time with me to explain Algeria’s position on Kosova.

This great country and its people will always be remembered and I hope to return here someday soon.

La Tribune

El Watan

El Watan PDF

City DZ

Echorouk Online

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I have to admit something to you all: I just don’t like flying anymore on a single engine airplane over open water but, I guess the love for your country is bigger than I thought.  Anyway, I will be over land for a long period of time now.  Flight to Tunisia went well over 3 hours with lots of headwind, which kept me standing still over water much longer than I would have liked.  But now that I am on the African continent, I must admit it feels amazing…   After Africa, the only continent I will have left to conquer will be Antarctica!
Something else that I must admit to you: I was wrong again, having perceived Tunisia differently before I came here.  After landing, I got the greatest reception (and this time, free of charge!)  Our friends at the handling company FAST (First Aviation Services of Tunisia) and supervisor Chamek Haider gave me a quick briefing about Tunisia and helped find a taxi for me with absolutely marvelous customer care reception.  He gave me his card and told me to call him 24/7 if needed.

Hospitality in Tunisia is great so far and, of course, there is more to be discovered later during my week stay.  The taxi driver brought me to several hotels, making sure that I found just the right one and one that was within my budget.  Hotel Belvedere was my choice which also had a great team working there.

For the next few days, I have been running around trying to find the media and going to visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Again, GREAT! Reception at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tunisia.  I was able to meet with the Director of Protocol, despite no arranged meeting in advance.  I hand delivered a letter that was given to me by our own Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The first newspaper that I contacted was Le Quotidien, where I was introduced to Lotfi TouAtir, Redactor in Chief – a great human being who was knowledgeable about Kosova.  He was glad to receive me in his establishment and soon after he called over Sameh Meftah, an excellent journalist. She interviewed me, making sure to take time throughout the discussion to make sure that nothing was missed.

Sameh became my friend and a friend of our entire nation of Kosova and our people.  She wanted to make sure that something great would come from my visit to Tunisia.    The article came out wonderfully and was republished by other online media.  It was also discussed on the local radios!  Another kind-hearted person, Melek Lakdar, from the Tunis Hebdo newspaper was also ready to share an article about the people of Kosova.  So I am pretty confident now that the great people and government of Tunisia have the most current and latest news about our country and our desire to be independent.

My friend Sameh then introduced me to her wonderful family and friends.  They made sure that I was comfortable everyday while I was in Tunis, not forgetting the great dinner invitation by her family, which will never be forgotten.  Her mother made excellent homemade couscous, which will be remembered for many years to come.  That kind of hospitality is hard to find these days, but I am so blessed to have been the recipient of it so many times throughout my travels.

Tunisia is a beautiful country, with a beautiful landscape and great food, which  I have noticed is offered by excellent and hospitable people.  What more could you want in life?  Everyone that I was able to talk with in Tunisia already knew about Kosova very well and also about our history.  I was wrong again, prejudging a country before ever even visiting it once to experience it firsthand.

Our next country is Algeria, and the routine keeps going….

Ansa Media

Le Quotidien PDF

Tunis Hebdo

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James is currently in Malta.  Today he had several interviews for local newspapers and will soon depart for Africa. He is awaiting the landing permit for Tunisia, which will be his next destination. James still needs your help and support for the fulfillment of this very important initiative!  Show your support and become a part of lobbying for Kosovo!

James has made it to Malta after five very difficult, long and expensive days in Greece.  He was able to get one newspaper interview in Greece, though their media was somewhat hesitant to address Kosovar concerns.  He was able to meet with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs though and they were somewhat receptive.  After multiple attempts to make it all the way to Malta (part of the issue is that many airports in Greece don’t carry AVGAS, which is necessary for the plane), James was able to make a few stops in Italy before finally landing in Malta.

During this phase of the mission, it is very important to have your ongoing support.  Many African countries are themselves dealing with issues similar to ours.  Therefore, working with the local media, aviation regulations and governments may be much more challenging than the South American and/or Caribbean portion of our mission.  Your support means so much to Mr. Berisha!

From James himself:

Landing in Malta was easy and joyful.  Upon approach, I was able to take some great pictures of this beautiful island.  I had been wanting to visit here for a long time now.

The ATC air traffic controllers were very friendly. Those are the first people who reflect their country’s friendliness by how well they cooperate with the pilot.   Based upon this first experience, I will be happily give them Euros for their friendly and cooperative service.

After landing we were great-ed by friendly staff of the airport and in no time we were on our way to the hotel. Here in Malta, people speak either English or Maltese, a language that I never heard before. For the next few days, we were able to speak with the media and visit parts of this beautiful island, which is loaded with tourists from around the globe.  This gorgeous island’s economy is very much concentrated in tourism, so they tend to cater to outsiders and take care of them. They are very customer-service oriented and are there to help at any moment.

The architecture of this beautiful country is great, the hotels are very
nice,cleanliness is great and people are amazingly friendly. Restaurants are full everywhere.  Boardwalks are so busy that it is difficult to walk at times.  It appears that anyone could afford a vacation here as everything seems to be within a budget and not extremely expensive (no $5 hot chocolates here!).  The temperature here is also very pleasant.

Here, the AVGAS has been the cheapest that I have paid in months (this helps make up for the expensive price that I paid in Greece).  The airport fees were also very reasonable, making the entire trip nothing but good memories!

The journalists and everyone I came in contact with here were happy to know that the people of Kosova have lots of respect for them!

The next country is Tunisia.  This will be my first landing and Flying for Kosovo’s first touchdown on the continent of Africa.  My journalist friend from Macedonia Mr. Jusufi, will be leaving me here in Malta.  So, starting in Tunisia, I will be on my own.

Africa, here we come!

Times of Malta

IT-Torca

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I did not like being 07:15 hours over cold water and next to polar bears in a single engine plane, but thankfully we survived. The landscape of Greenland is absolutely breath-taking and this place is by far one of the most fascinating places I’ve visited on earth. Flying over the icebergs, glaciers, cliffs and fjords of this country was absolutely breath-taking! We met some nice German friends here and found out together that prices here are pretty expensive. AVGAS is $17USD a gallon. Though beautiful to fly over, this country is one of the most expensive fueling stop that I’ve made on the entire mission.

Next stop is Iceland and then Europe.

From Detroit, it took 14 hours and five stops to fly to Goose Bay,Canada, the last airport in Canada before heading over the ocean to Greenland. I enjoyed most of the flight though, flying over 1000+ miles of Canadian countryside was beautiful. As we got closer to Goose Bay, the weather began changing and we entered into colder Arctic temperatures where it began snowing. Tomorrow, we are hoping to get an early start to Narsarsuaq,Greenland. I will be traveling with my friend Durim Elezi, who works with Illyria newspaper – it will be nice to have some company.

Ladies and Gentleman,

I would like to announce that I have made it back to the United States.

I can’t tell you how great it was to be back on US soil – and what a greeting we received. I’d like to thank our friends in Florida who gave me the royal treatment upon arriving. Augustin Shqalsi and Arben Mucollari greeted Nail and I with great conversation and fine dinners and Richard Nikezic gave us a tremendous nights sleep in the finest room is his hotel, along with other forms of assistance.

From Florida we flew to New York and had a great flight. It was so good to reunite with our good friends in the city – Arta Rama has been a tremendous help at Kosovo’s Consulate in New York and I was fortunate to meet with RTK New York to do a live interview. And it is always good to see friends in Washington DC at Voice of America as they have been covering our story since the beginning.

On my way to Canada I wanted to stop in Detroit to thank some supporters there. My good friend Mr. Duhani and about 10 other people greeted me at the airport! It feels so good to know that so many people support our mission.

After a great nights sleep at the Duhani house I was off to visit the great land of Canada

On our way to the Bahamas from Jamaica, we had to fly Eastbound to avoid Cuban airspace. Though even then, we were in their airspace for about 10-15 minutes, during which time I was on pins and needles awaiting the Cuban military to come after us. We also struggled with being able to communicate to air traffic controllers in both Haiti and the Bahamas. The reception was horrible and thankfully there was an American Airlines plane flying above us that was able to relay our messages to the airports below.

Our first stop in the Bahamas was the beautiful island of Great Inagua. Believe it or not, this island is known for producing salt and for the over 60,000 flamingos that reside there. Little Inagua, five miles northeast of here is said to be the home of over 35000 wild donkeys, as well as wild pigs and cows.

The local people were very nice and the teal blue waters of the Caribbean made it easy to understand why the Bahamas are such a vacation destination. Since the population of the island is only 1200, we quickly learned that there were no taxi drivers to be found and because of the island being a tourist destination, all the hotels and bed and breakfasts were well over $100US. Thankfully, we were able to meet some great locals who gave us a ride and allowed us to sleep on their couch for a small fee.

The next morning we flew over the rest of the Bahama Islands and landed in Nassau. Again, flying over the aquamarine and sapphire waters was a magnificent experience. Once on the ground, we were well aware that this was a tourist destination as the taxi from the airport to town (a few miles away) was $27.

We were able to do a few media interviews before taking a commercial flight over to Cuba (since we were unable to obtain a permit for our plane, we had no other choice). The Bahamas Tribune did an excellent article, thanks to Noelle Nicolls who was very caring and interested in learning more about our cause. Thank you also to Shenique Miller who took the time to interview us for ZNS Television.

Upon return from Cuba nearly a week later, we were able to meet with Kendeno Knowles from the JCN news (who own The Bahama News, Love97 radio station JC television) before heading to over to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to meet with Permanent Secretary Patricia Rodgers. She was very honest and friendly and mentioned that they had been getting “lots of pressure from all over” to work on the Kosovo issue. She said that they were temporarily waiting on the formal result of the International Court of Justice decision, which is expected some time this year.

The Tribune

After my own very emotional stop in Haiti, I took a quick flight back to Santo Domingo to pick up my dear friend and colleague Nail Spahiu (whom you may remember has been doing some filming throughout the trip for our upcoming documentary).  Since we had to fly back over Haiti airspace, Nail was filming as much as possible from the plane.  He could not believe his eyes when he looked down at the devastation in the beautiful city of Port-Au-Prince.  You get a much clearer picture of this from above. Overall, it was a great flight, except that Nail starts to get antsy after more than two hours airborne.

After landing, we had a hard time trying to find a reasonably priced hotel. With the help of a local taxi driver (who also charged us an arm and a leg for the ride), we were able to find a place. The next day, we are able to meet with two different newspapers and the state television station TVJ. Kimmo Matthews with the Jamaican Observer was wonderful and had lots of knowledge about Kosovo’s history. We were also able to speak with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was receptive, but did mentioned that all recommendations come from their UN ambassador in New York.

From Jamaica, we tried to get a flight permit for our baby plane to fly into Cuban airspace. Their embassy in Kingston was being difficult and, because of the US registration of our plane, we learned that they would not allow us to fly over their country. We also had no luck with the Cuban Civil Aviation Authority (who already knew about our US markings), despite a week’s worth of efforts. Welcome to the bureaucracy of some of the countries of our planet!

On a positive note, Nail and I were able to experience the delightful cuisine of Kingston. With the diverse influence of Spain, Britain, Africa, India and the local indigenous population, you can imagine that the food here is rich in both history and flavor. In the evenings, we would enjoy dinner and exciting conversations with the locals, which allowed us to share the latest news of our beautiful country Kosovo.

From Jamaica, we went directly to the Bahamas, which added another three hours of flying to our journey, as we had to fly around the Cuban airspace. As you can imagine, this detour was frustrating to myself and, of course, Nail as it was over a two hour flight experience.