Passengers ride on a bus near the Capitol in Havana, Cuba on 5 November 2001.

I’ve always used photography as a way to intensify my experience while moving through the world. The camera is an excuse to look harder, a license to go places I wouldn’t normally find myself. I made several trips Cuba between 2001 and 2003, with only a Leica, a 35mm lens and a backpack full of Tri-X film. These photographs are a reminder of my experiences, of the wonderful and kind people I met, of the sights, smells and feelings I encountered in this land full of mystery and energy.