My wife Marilyn and I are both avid cyclists, she's retired and I'm freelancing as a content provider, shooting video primarily for bike groups and record companies. Being from Edmonton Alberta, we know how long a winter can be and how nice it is to get away to the warmer climes.

Last year we biked Vietnam, this year we have set our sites on Cuba. We want to see the country as it exists before it's opened up to business with the United States. Changes in relationships with the US will have a profound effect on the Island.

It's our first opportunity to do a totally unsupported international trip. We've spent a lot of time riding in Southeast Asia but have always employed a person or group to get our stuff to the next town or city. This time we're heading off for ten weeks of travel with our bikes in a suitcase and our possessions in panniers. We will be biking in central Cuba then Mexico.

We bought used Bike Friday New World Tourists and are leaving with a sense of adventure. These bikes fit into standard Samsonite "airport legal" suitcases, so we will avoid overage charges during our travels.

Our plan is to arrive in Matanzas, ride to Varadero, take a bus to Sancti Spriitus then ride back to Varadero through Trinidad, Ceinfuegos, Playa Giron up then through the centre. From there, we take the Hershey train to Havana where we plan to do some more unassigned riding. Stay Tuned!

I will be shooting the trip using a DJI OSMO MOBILE stabilizer attached to my bicycle. A nerdy thing to do but I hope it will bring a clarity to the video, as I think it's a golden opportunity to show something most of us would not otherwise witness.

We leave on January 8, 2017.