The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara

Having bid goodbye to the motorcycle, the friends must complete the rest of their journey as hitchhikers and stowaways, dependent on the luck and the goodwill of strangers. They also encounter their first real difficulties, as La Poderosa is finally wrecked beyond repair. Thanks to an article in a local paper, they become known as “The Experts” on leprosy and many people recognize them and offer help. In Chile, Guevara and Granado make the most of Chilean hospitality, enjoying wine and barbecue and getting into mischief. With this tie broken, he feels freer and commits to the journey, which he records in a lighthearted, freewheeling manner, complete with occasional poetic reveries. Not long after, however, just as the men are preparing to cross the border into Chile, Guevara receives a letter from Chichina ending their relationship. Guevara's longing for the road is, however, dampened somewhat by a competing desire to stay behind with his girlfriend, Chichina, whom he and Granado visit. While traveling through Argentina, they rely on family, friends, and acquaintances for food and lodging, and their time on the road is punctuated not only by motorcycle accidents, but also by feasts of meat and wine.

With the bike tuned up and their Chilean visas in hand, the two friends set off. What begins as idle fantasy soon becomes reality, as they spontaneously decide to make the trip and begin gathering the necessary documents.

The two friends begin daydreaming of a meandering road trip that would take them all the way to North America. He also owns a motorcycle: the ancient, unreliable, and beloved La Poderosa II. Alberto Granado, his 29-year-old biochemist friend, is similarly anxious for a change of scene, in need of a job, and considering an opportunity in Venezuela.

The text documents the journey that made young Ernesto Guevara into the Che we know today: as he travels throughout Latin America with his friend Alberto Granado, he meets workers, the seriously ill, and increasing hardship, and his political and social ideas develop accordingly.Īt the beginning of the book, Guevara is restless, out of work, and in need of a break from medical school.

The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara