Flying for Kosovo

Its name means ‘rich coast’ and I could not wait to visit this magnificent and amazing country.

Costa Rica was the first country to recognize our independence, which was a very historic moment for Kosovo. This gesture meant so much to the people of my country, that I wanted to make a brief stop here just to thank the people for recognizing our nation.

I found the people here to be amazing in every aspect. Costa Ricans are very friendly and happy people and I learned many good things during my visit to this beautiful country. One thing that I noticed was that whenever I would say thank you or “gracias”, their response would always be “con mucho gusto” or ‘with pleasure’. Also, when asking ‘how are you’, people here often respond by saying “pura vida” or ‘pure life’. That is pretty much the mood of the country.

The media coverage was awesome and we were able to do both television and newspaper interviews. Unfortunately, this time of year brings lots of rain. It took us almost a week to leave this country with our baby plane because of the intense daily rain showers– though none of us were complaining about our prolonged stay in such a beautiful setting.

Next stop is Panama

Fantastic flight coming to Nicaragua today. Initially, the airplane struggled with the climb out of Tegucigalpa. The high hills around, along with the heat and the weight of the plane (we were loaded to maximum capacity) made it difficult. Approaching Managua, the view of Lake Managua to the north was beautiful. It’s a pleasure being here again and it’s a very hot and humid day today. Mr.Spahiu was much more comfortable during this flight and it was his first lesson as a pilot.

Soon after our arrival, we met with La Prensa newspaper. We are meeting lots of wonderful people in Nicaragua and the food is great. I am looking forward to meeting with the rest of the media tomorrow

Our next country is Costa Rica which was the first country to recognize our independence and I am very excited to visit them.

Great flight from El Salvador, it’s always great to fly over beautiful rolling hills and cumulus clouds. Our friend Nail Spahiu has never before been on a small airplane like our baby Cessna 172, so he was pretty tense at first. He finally loosened up and became excited during the end of the flight. How could he not when we are flying over an amazing mountain chain with a great view landing in Tegucigalpa – a beautiful place that I am happy to be able to visit again.

It was great to see that media were at the airport already when we landed. It seems that they hang out here a lot because of the guaranteed work that comes with many government officials traveling through here daily. I must say that they were very nice to work with – having arrived late in the afternoon, we already had a radio and newspaper interview today. Tomorrow should be very busy with media interviews and I am looking forward to seeing more of this great city.

Wow!! What an amazing experience..I am having a hard time understanding why El Salvador government has not recognized the independence of Kosovo as yet with all the friends Kosova has in El Salvador.
Shortly after our arrival in San Salvador, I met with Mr. Pacolli and his team. It was a big surprise for all of us. I was happy to see Mr. Pacolli after almost 10 years. In a meantime I met with Sammy Sosa as well. Today we met with Mr. Nail Spahiu our companion in filming our mission “Flying For Kosovo”.
I would like to thank Enrique Rais for the royal treatment he gave us during our short visit to his beautiful little country. Mr.Rais’ drivers helped on brining us to the hotel. The next day, Mr. Rais organized our stay at a different hotel on his account.
Alejandro Miranda, the PR for Mr.Rais surprised me in all aspects of life. He is a true friend of people of Kosova. He gave us a tour of his town, and spent his entire day with us making sure we were well taken care. He organized a big press conference at the international airport of San Salvador. Media was extremely happy to participate in a short flight around the pattern. Looking forward to going back to El Salvador in the future.

Diario el Mundo

Guatemala is a fascinating place with a very nice topography. Flying through Guatemala is like going through the jungle, swamp, rain forrest and Swiss Alps with beautiful waterfalls. Arriving at the international airport we got an amazing view and the runway which is located in between tall buildings, deep cliffs and housing. People of Guatemala are really cordial and friendly.

Flying over the second country on the mission has been breathtaking. Looking out over the tropical forests of this beautiful land, with the Caribbean Sea to the East, gives me a feeling of great hope for our mission.

Belize is the first country on our agenda that has already formally accepted Kosovo’s independence. This small nation in Central America has won my heart by respecting our liberty. By doing so, they have chosen to accept Kosovo into the greater family of nations. I am blessed to be able to be here to thank them personally, on behalf of my family and fellow countrymen. I do just that with the media here, who admit great surprise upon learning how much Kosova’s people appreciate their little country.

Belize is truly a beautiful country. Despite being right in the line of several devastating hurricanes, the people here have managed to maintain a friendly and laid-back style. I would enjoy any chance to visit here again and wish that I was able to spend much more time learning about the diverse and vibrant culture that I have experienced.

It feels great to be on my way down here in Mexico. This country has offered me a comfortable substitute for home for the past five years. As a pilot, I have been very fortunate to fly Lear jets down here weekly and have encountered many fascinating and picturesque locations in this beautiful country. The food and the culture have helped remind me of home as well.

I’m already receiving lots of press down here, thanks to my new hero Sergio Cuadros from TV Mexiquense. Within a few short hours he had five television stations lined up to show support and learn more about our mission. I also want to thank the people of Mexico for supporting our independence – they are far ahead of their government’s recognition of Kosovo so far.

I am also grateful my new friends – Noa Rocha from Radio Zacatecas, his brother Arturo and family and a very inspirational man, Alfonso ‘Totto’ Gina from Misantla, Veracruz. I am blessed to learn about such amazing human beings in this world. Totto’s proverbs are timeless and his effect on me will not be lost. It is not often that you meet someone that triggers you to view the world from a different perspective. I am left feeling that more people should live their lives as honestly as he.

Finally, to my friends at El Diario newspaper in El Paso, TX and Cuidad Juarez, Mexico – you have been such a support to me and were instrumental in encourage me to start this mission. Thank you for helping me change history!

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