The Motorcycle Diaries

What made Ernesto Guevara de la Serna Che Guevara? What made a MD student specializing in Leprosy a Revolutionary? Che Guevara denotes a popular icon symbolyzing revolution and left wing political ideals throughtout the world. Was Che born a hero, a legend, a revolutionary?

A 13,240Km journey lasting eight months from Argentina through Chile, Peru and Columbia to Venezuela on 500cc a Motorcycle (named La Poderosa - The Mighty One), hitch hiking, trekking and on a raft! Thats what made Che Guevara.

The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de motocicleta in Spanish) is an autobiographical book by Che Guevara about his travels through South America with his friend Alberto Granado on a 1939 Norton 500 motorcycle. Born into an aristocratic family, this was Guevara's first expedition around Latin America. In the book, he details the role and life of the indigenous peasantry throughout Latin America, including mine workers and persecuted communists fleeing their homes.

Based on the above the movie (of the same title) has been a facinating watch. Having read about Che and his history, his role in Cuban Revolution and later exploits in Bolivia and Congo, it was a wonderful experience to get a glimpse of Ernasto "Fuser" Guevara. The movie rather being political, sticks to the journey and Guevara and Alberto's experience. It brings out the the emotions which they must have felt as the saw the rift between the rich and the poor, poverty and sickness of lower classes, exploitation of Mine Workers, the plight of leprosy patients and their segragation from society by placing them on other side of river. The tagline of the movie Let the world change you and you can change the world is so apt.

The wonderful screenplay depicting the beauty of Latin America or the excitement of a great travel or a Che fan! You can have any or all the reasons to watch this beautiful movie.

Trivia: Cuba's National newspaper Granma is named after the yatch used to transport Fidel Castro and his revolutionaries to Cuba, named Granma!