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HAVANA DIARIST

It was immediately clear that it was no ordinary flight -- when this morning, on final approach, the Bay of Pigs was visible in the distance off the right wing.

Landing in Cuba is always a feast for the eyes of an aviation buff. There are old DC-3 tail-draggers in various stages of air-worthiness. In another direction, in the shadow of the thoroughly modern, Western-style control tower, there's a Russian-made passenger jet... and all along the tarmac are the assembled aircraft in town for the summit. The Boeing Business Jet of the Government of Brunei, commercial airliners from Vietnam, Pakistan, Iran... a Gulfstream from Algeria. A DC-8, a beaten-up TriStar, an old Connie missing an engine. They're all here.

We were driven from the tarmac to the terminal in a late-model Ford Econoline van. From there, through Immigration (a smiling, pleasant, uniformed woman looked at my passport and asked, "You like New York?") and then it was onto the streets of Havana -- and the usual assortment of "land that time forgot" automobiles, right off the set of a Scorsese film: a '58 Oldsmobile, a '56 Merc, and a tricked-out, rusted-out '57 Chevy... the automobiles that were new back when the curtain came down on the outside world. (Note to Coppola fans: think of the cars lined up outside the party when Michael was driven to the airport on New Year's Eve, 1959, following "the kiss" that cooked Fredo.)

Photo caption: The control tower of Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, with a Russian passenger jet in the foreground. Photo by Subrata De, NBC News.

Not unlike the fleet of gleaming Buicks you would see at a PGA Tour event, Hyundai is the Official Automobile of the Nonaligned Summit. Seeing any kind of shiny new automobile makes the contrast to the occasional passing rusted Chevy, or ox-driven cart... even more striking.

Entering the brand new building that is serving as press center for this event, it felt like we were in a high-end lobby in the Middle East: gleaming, high-polished floors, rough rock walls. It was later explained to me that this structure was built by an Israeli, contracted by the Cubans. It's very Tel Aviv, and it's a mind-bender, but there are a lot of those here. My traveling party, per usual, consists of producers Subrata De and Jean Harper -- both women have the resourcefulness of Army Rangers and the stamina of camels. Most importantly, they are good company and great at what they do. We walked into a fully-prepared workspace and satellite transmission facility. NBC News technicians have been here for days, as have our Nightly News advance team members.

We anchored the President's press conference from Havana minutes after arriving at our makeshift studio. Andrea Mitchell and I are sharing office space with other U.S. and international networks, and I've seen old friends like Russ Mitchell of CBS News and Jim Avila, an NBC News veteran who went horribly astray a few years ago and is now with ABC. There is a CBS News technician here who I haven't seen since we were in Jordan prior to the start of the first Gulf War. When I saw him today, it was as if I had last talked to him yesterday afternoon.

Photo caption: From Havana, Brian anchors NBC News coverage of President Bush's press conference. Photo by Subrata De, NBC News.

Mary Murray is our terrific correspondent here in Havana. A fellow product of New Jersey, her husband is Cuban, and their daughter (who is serving as our office assistant today) is in med school here. Mary knows this nation thoroughly and has greased the skids for our trip here.

I just got off the phone with New York, and there sure is a lot of news back home. It may well be that despite our Havana backdrop, we are forced to begin the broadcast tonight with a topic other than the one at hand. The E coli. story back in the U.S. is getting more and more serious, and there are great fears of a rapid spread, which would bring more deaths. Dr. Nancy Snyderman will make her Nightly News debut as part of our coverage. The President's news conference (see selected quotes below) made a lot of news. As a side note, I thought his remarks on the death of Governor Ann Richards could not have been more gracious.

We'll cover today's developments at Ford Motor Company -- the beginning of what is nothing short of the redesign of one of the great nameplates in Detroit. We're covering this closely -- for what it means for traditional union labor in this country, the economy -- and besides, as a Ford owner I'm interested to see how this affects the product line and overall quality.

On another front, the Pope's remarks are just beginning to resonate. Keith Miller will have our report on his words and the angry reaction today.

As I mentioned in my post yesterday: What an odd feeling, as a visiting American, knowing that in a hotel ballroom not far from here there is a sizable collection of enemies of the United States.  Judging from the various communiques and hyperbolic quotes that have come out of this confab so far, "decadent" seems to be the new word of choice in criticizing the U.S. While Fidel had three speeches on the schedule, this morning word arrived (as chronicled by Andrea) that we would not see him in person.  He is holding meetings with visitors (Kofi Annan among them) in his vaguely Hefner-style silk robe, in his sparse hospital suite. Local media report he has gained back half of the 40 pounds he lost after surgery. In preparation for this trip, the single best piece of writing I came across (re-read, actually) was "Castro's Last Battle" written by Jon Lee Anderson in the New Yorker. His depiction of this place is at times jaw-dropping, and superbly written throughout.

Observers in the Western World who are looking for a positive development from this summit might find it in the planned meeting tomorrow between India and Pakistan. It's the first time they've spoken formally in quite some time... and given the throw-weights at stake, it's being labeled a positive development by many.

QUOTES OF THE DAY

"We're a friendly newspaper."
"I'd hate to see un-friendly."
-Exchange between Sheryl Stolberg of the New York Times and President Bush

"Listen to the words of the enemy."
-President Bush

"May I follow up?"
"No, you can't."
-Exchange between Terry Hunt of the Associated Press and President Bush

"It took you a long time to unravel, and it took you a long time to ask your question."
-President Bush to NBC News Chief White House Correspondent David Gregory

"You're looking beautiful today, Dave."
-President Bush to David Gregory BEFORE their spirited exchange

"It breaks our collective hearts."
-President Bush on Darfur

"Did you start with, 'Hi, Mr. President?'"
-President Bush remarking on Stolberg's salutation after being called on

"It's always an interesting experience for a West Texas fella."
-President Bush on his upcoming speech at the U.N.

"I'm encapsulated here."
-President Bush on life in the White House "bubble"

"I actually got an Eileen Fisher blouse recently!"
-An NBC News Havana staff member, explaining why many Cubans are these days wearing more modern clothing -- thanks to bulk purchases by the Cuban government of slightly-used clothing from Canada

MORE LATER...
I'm heading outside to talk with the locals.

To say that a lot of effort, time and money has gone into tonight's broadcast would be a major understatement. One program note: While we usually air our "Making a Difference" reports on Friday nights, because of where we are and the crush of today's news, we will have to reschedule today's piece. We sincerely hope you can join us for NBC Nightly News from Havana.

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