Below is the first of my photos and writing about my trip to Cuba. I will continue to share about all 10 days of the trip, during which time we explored much of the island, visited many urban farms and gardens, and got to know quite a few Cubans.

Also, please remember that Cuba’s experiment in peak oil is entirely due to U.S. policy and our blockade and embargo on Cuba. I urge you to please, please write your Congresscritters and President Obama to remind them that the U.S. blockade of Cuba is an outdated and senseless policy and it is utterly inhumane to the Cuban people.

Day 1: Havana

Our journey to Cuba truly began as we boarded Cubana airlines flight 153 from Cancun. Although we were still in Mexico, the Russian signs adorning the plane were the first hint that we were headed for a Communist country (and for that matter, one that America does not trade with). Later, others told me that the name of the plane’s model was “The Yak.” Other than that, I did not expect this flight to be any different than any other flight. As we began to taxi, I saw smoke rise from the floor a few rows ahead of me. Shit. What was going on, and why was no one paying attention? Should I call a flight attendant? The girl next to me, also a member of my tour group, told me that the mist (not smoke) was normal. She had been to Cuba once before. Apart from the mist at take off and landing and of course the Russian, there was nothing that made the flight seem particularly different or Cuban.

Customs in Cuba was a breeze – for me. I waited in line, showed my passport, let them X-ray my bags, picked up my luggage from the carousel (which was unbearably noisy in a fingernails on chalkboard sort of way), answered a few questions about myself and my visit to Cuba (My name, my profession, and my hotel in Cuba) and that was it. “Welcome to Cuba,” said the customs agent. I looked flustered, thinking he said “Why come to Cuba?” and tried to think how I could explain the difference between Cuban and American agriculture in Spanish. “Welcome to Cuba,” he repeated, smiling, and gestured towards the door. So, with my two rolling bags (one full of donations to Cubans), I went through the doors and entered Cuba. The only unique thing I noticed were the car tires on the luggage carousel. I guess in most countries you can just buy tires if you want tires and you don’t need to bring them with you as checked luggage on the plane.

The whole Cuba diary series: Day 1: Arrival in Havana Day 2: Pinar del Rio Day 3: Havana, Cienfuegos, and Villa Clara Day 4, Part 1: Villa Clara to Sancti Spiritus Day 4, Part 2: Sancti Spiritus Day 5: Sancti Spiritus to Havana Day 6: Ration Books Day 7: Reflections After One Week in Cuba Day 8: A Photo Tour of Havana Day 9, Part 1: Urban Farming in Havana Day 9, Part 2: Urban Farming in Havana Day 10: Notable People I Met in Cuba Day 11: A Havana’s Farmers’ Market Cancun: Don’t Let Cuba Become the Next Cancun

Bonus Diaries: Cuban Cars Cuban Houses State Propaganda

From My Fellow Traveler, Canadian Journalist Jennifer Cockrall-King: The Gardens Are Greener Over There… In Cuba A lesson from Cuba: Farmer-to-Farmer Movement, traditional knowledge sharing How’s the Food in Cuba, You Ask?: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3