U.K. activists weather pandemic in Kosovo

PRIZREN, Kosovo — U.K. climate activists Rosie Watson and Mike Elm were on an international bicycle and running tour to promote their green campaign when they got stuck in Kosovo because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Watson, 25, of Loweswater in northwestern England, and Elm, 32, of Edinburgh, Scotland, have been stranded in Prizren, a town 50 miles southwest of Kosovo’s capital, Pristina.

Since mid-March, Kosovo has been in a lockdown, with its border shut. The virus has killed at least 22 people in the Balkan nation, which has more than 500 confirmed cases, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

The couple decided against getting on an evacuation flight organized by the British government, saying they are against plane travel and that they want to continue their journey once it’s possible to do so. Their trip is low-budget, and they have had free accommodation since the start.

They are enjoying the historic cobblestone streets of Prizren, a town along the Bistrica River and the Sharri Mountains that was founded in the second century A.D. and has a medieval castle. They have also been sampling fli, a local butter pie, and have been reassured by a traditional welcome from residents.

In Prizren, they have focused on writing about their trip. Watson has a blog, as does Elm.

Watson started her blog, The New Story Run, in August from the United Kingdom, planning a two-year tour on foot to Mongolia “to tell stories of people finding a better and more equal and healthy way of living for us and the planets and tackling the climate crisis.” After running 2,220 miles, or about 10 miles per day, she has gathered a lot to write about.

Inspired by her efforts, Elm joined her in November, aiming to cycle a total of 7,450 miles, or 30 miles a day. Before getting stuck, they took different routes, but they met up time and again along the way.

Elm said he met people in Prizren trying “to improve this beautiful city by bringing more trees and green space.” Previously, he was in Zlarin, Croatia, which aims to become the country’s first island that’s free of single-use plastic.

“A better world for our children needs a better world for us right now,” Elm said.

The pandemic will encourage people to “see some of the benefits of having less cars in the city and the cleaner air, the nicer sound, the quieter environment,” he added.

When borders open, their plan is to continue their journey through Bulgaria, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and finally Mongolia.

“This virus has shown that we, and governments, have the ability to transform society and whole countries very fast — something which we need to do to avoid the impacts of the climate crisis,” Watson said.

“A better world for our children needs a better world for us right now.” — Mike Elm, climate activist