My attention wandered, after a while. I became much less interested in joining the group who were photographing the boxers at the gym and instead turned my attention to the details of the place. You know, the way I tend to do: details reveal a lot, but only if you take some time to step away from yourself and let them reveal themselves to you.

And so that’s how I got this shot of a saggy table and a bunch of notices, just inside the doorway off Calle Cuba.

After I got home, I spent some time translating (Google Translate, if I am being honest: I am not a translator) what all that stuff on the walls said. Item number 7, on the list titled “Directrices” (Guidelines) says “bloqueo y polítca exterior,” or “blockade and foreign policy.” Without context (Who is supposed to follow those guidelines? Why are they on the wall at a boxing gym?), it seems confusing.

But on the other hand, blockades and foreign policies did impact our visit, our visa requirements, and probably other things I don’t even know about. So there’s that.

Gimnasia de Boxeo Rafael Trejo
Havana, Cuba
photographed 11.11.2022