In this concluding part (for now) I am going to explain to you my final Kosovo adventure that took place way back in later 2001. The journey there had been so incredible that I had to break it down into three parts; and I am sure I missed some bits out Memories are not perfect. 

In a similar way to what I did then, I have decided to break this final Balkan adventure down into three parts as it would be overlong for a single post. 

Anyway let me get on with it...

I was pretty much done with my job in Kosovo and was getting ready to return to the UK. The children's holiday clubs had been a great success, I had helped process visas so children could visit the Albanian beach for a holiday (I mentioned this a while back in an article about the UN) and had helped facilitate some aid both to a local agricultural consortium and as part of the World Food Programme.

I already had a flight booked from Tirana - the Albanian capital for 16th October (2001), but i was still in Kosovo. I was expecting George, or one of the other senior members of the NGO I was working for to come and pick me up on or around the 6th October and especially with being a weekend. Whoever was to come I would expect them to overnight before I departed with them the next day. Nonetheless I needed to be ready and especially if it was George as he really is a person who likes to get on and not dilly-dally about.

So, by the morning of the 6th October I made sure my bags were packed and I had pretty much said goodbye and tidied up those last things that needed doing like saying goodbye to those who had become close. My expectation, based on past experience was that whoever came they should arrive by mid-afternoon. 

There was no sign by then so I went to some friends - my host family in fact who lived in a house across the yard from me - and settled in to watch the final qualifying match for the 2002 World Cup. Having thrashed Germany 5-1 a month or so before and struggled to overcome Albania just a few days later, the group was finally poised. It was in our hands, but we needed a point to avoid the playoffs. The game finished 2-2 with a last gasp free kick being scored by David Beckham being the decisive factor. It was probably the most important goal he ever scored in an England shirt and some of you might even remember it?

The match was over and there was still no sign of my lift. So with it getting on a bit, I just assumed that whoever was coming would arrive the following day.

Sunday came and went and so did Monday... still no sign...

Now, and you might have figured this out from what I have posted previously, George is a kind of no-nonsense, don't make a fuss out of nothing guy, and so I waited until the Tuesday evening to call him and deliberately played it cool, even if on the inside I was feeling a bit more than very nervous. It was now the 9th and I absolute had to catch that flight from Albania in a week's time. There was still plenty of time, but each passing day meant a significant step closer to the target date of 16th.

George answered fairly immediately and after exchanging the usual greetings and pleasantries I got down to the point of calling him. with a nonchalant, "Oh George, I was just wondering when you are coming to pick me up with my flight being next week".

Play it cool, I thought.

"Didn't you get my message?" he asked.

My heart begun to thud as a sense of dread threatened to overwhelm me. "What message?" I asked calmly to belie the growing tempest in my stomach.

"If nobody comes by Saturday [four days ago] then please make your own way back to Lezhe."

Lezhe, on the Albanian coast is the base of our organisation's operations in the Balkans.

I said something like, "Give me a day or two, but I will be there by Thursday [11th October] before it gets dark."  

Immediately after finishing the phone call went to some friends and asked if anybody could take me if I covered costs. I got the same response from everybody. 

No we can't it is too dangerous

And so, more daunted than I have ever been (even to this day) in my life I was going to have to figure it out.

I will tell you what happened next, including one of the most remarkable coincidence of my life (probably even more than Toyota Hilux incident) in tomorrow's post.

As always stay safe and well my friends

NB: The header image is not me, but gives a good representation even if I was never actually that stuck.