I’ve read three of Che Guevara’s other books, the theory on guerrilla warfare and the diaries of his campaigning in the revolutions of Cuba and Bolivia. The Motorcycle Diaries precede these other critical works and document Che’s travels across Latin America as a young man, accompanied by his close Argentinian friend, Alberto Granado. The diaries document the adventure as the pair set out on a trusty old motorcycle from home in Córdoba in Argentina heading through the various landscapes of Chile, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela. Halfway through the journey the bike irreparably breaks down and they continue by means of improvisation, hitching rides, catching buses, boats and hiking. The descriptive emotions of the natural beauty of the continent is felt in Che’s descriptive wonder – the mountains, the rainforest, the rivers, the villages and towns…. all an exotic tapestry of inspiration for the young doctors. They run on a tight budget and rely heavily on the graciousness of hospitality coming from hosts eager to meet and get to know the Argentinian protagonists. Often these hosts are generous beyond all imagination and can ill afford to treat the guests as they are peasants from poorer nations. The rich characters we meet on the journey add to the emotive feeling and from conversations about a range of topics we can see a sense of social justice emerging in the young Che and the perceived injustices anger him and one can sense the development of his future as a key communist leader and revolutionary. The lads use their medical skills to visit a host of leper colonies and most, especially patients in these dismal places are surprised at the young medics’ lack of discrimination, openness and generosity. I especially enjoyed reading about the mystical Inca kingdom of Peru with its ancient capital of Cuzco and the visit to world-renowned tourist site, the ruins of Machu Picchu. I don’t think I’d be brave enough to undertake such a vast adventure on such a low-string budget and to overcome the struggles that evolve. I think this whole experience would have helped shaped Che’s immense resolve and success as a guerrilla fighter, battling the odds in the Sierra Maestra. A romantic revolutionary describing a period and era of time and space where hope and change across Latin America was imminent.