The Motorcycle Diaries- 6

Che and Alberto's journey comes to an end- but hey, all good things have to right? Both Che and Alberto's journeys end separately. After hearing about them "conquering" things such as hunger, sleepless nights, and breathless experiences together, it is sad to hear their road fork. Men that once shared similar dreams and aspirations now go their separate ways. But, it is understandable. Alberto is maybe 7 years older or so than Che? He has found his career: Biochemist. Che is still trying to go back to school and finish his last year, become a leprosy specialist, and/or try and revolutionize Cuba.
If he wanted my advice on what to do, I would have said philosophize, or write books. I am sure he is totally capable of medical school and becoming a doctor, but he seems so much more alive in his writing and political ideas and philosophies.
I wonder if Che was satisfied with his journey. Throughout the story, there were a few times when he stopped and had to ask, "Is this worth all of this?" Is it worth making his girlfriend wait, making med school wait, making everything else back at home run on at normal speed while he travels North America with no time frame? I could not answer for him, but I could try and infer. At the end, I feel that Che realizes what he is to do: Become a revolutionary and put his ideas to use. He loves helping people and seeing people appreciate his help, but that does not mean he has to be a doctor to give and get in that respect.
I'll admit I was disappointed in this book, but maybe I was looking for the wrong thing. After all, Che was a revolutionary, not a love poet devoted to reading for the pleasure of others. He did plenty else for others; I respect saying that maybe writing was something he did for just himself.

The Motorcycle Diaries- 5

R.I.P. La Poderosa. La Poderosa means the might one. Alberto loved this peice of crap, the Norton 500. It is so funny that he insists on toting it around for so long after it is dead. He brings it on the truck that him and Che travel on in exchange for helping the family move furniture. How long did he have the motorcycle? The book does not say. But, at some point, Alberto has to get rid of the motorcycle in order for him and Che to be able to afford to move on... and pay back good hospitality.
The journey on foot seems grotesque. Hard in the desserts. Yet, I guess they deffinatly meet more people that way.
I wish I understood politics. I am not ignorarnt to what is going on in the world, just somewhat confused. Is it a lack of effort to learn political terms or do reasearch so I understand the "old- man jokes"? Maybe. The book is comming to a point where Che shoes his government- involved, political, revolutionary side. And, I thought I would enjoy reading it. But, I am lost... confused. I do not know who the people he refrences to are. Even if you took A.P. Gov or A.P. World History, I don't think you would even have a clue who Arturo Matte Larrain is. Did I google it to find out? No. I thought I enjoyed reading about ideas and philosophies. But this is like political philosophy. I am totally ignorant, oblivious to what he is talking about. Great. I am offiicially unable to love this book as much as I loved the movie.

The Motorcycle Diaries- 4

Chuquicamata. Remember the name. According to Che, it is one of the worst places to ever visit. The air is polluted, the mines enormous and consuming the land. Although Che kind of recommends Chuquicamata as a "glacial," and somewhat of a healer or reality check, I do not know how to handle seeing how that half lives... or that quarter. This place seems almost like a corner of the universe, since it is obviously very small, indigeounes, and lacks help from the government. Sure, it is imporant to see how the other half lives. But what can you do about it? Che and Alberto give the mining couple they visit with one night one of their blankets. What else could they do? Take them with them on the rest of their journey across an endless continent? It's not that I couldn't take seeing how the other half lives. It's just I do not know if I could leave feeling content with say the blanket I gave them, or the company I could provide for a night. This is more than talking about changing the world; this is saving it. Are Che and Alberto out to save the world? They did not leave home thinking so. They thought hey, lets save ourselves from growing old in med school. I am not calling them selfish, just very vulnerable to change of heart.

The Motorcycle Diaries- 3

Throughout the story, I am wondering what Che and Alberto are looking for, but mostly Che. Alberto does not seem more simple minded, just more shallow of a dreamer... not the deepest seeker. Sure, they are trying to gain the experience of a lifetime. But what else? What is Che, the almost- revolutionary, looking for in North America? A home? Can't be, because when the snuck on a boat to leave Chile, Che quotes: "burning our bridges, we set off on our maritime adventure." Usually, to burn one's bridges means to never look back. If Che and Alberto are looking for the adventure of a lifetime, then why wouldn't they ever look back on where they were, who they visited? It beats me. Maybe Che was just saying that they had to move on, so there was no turning back. It is understandable that you only have so long to travel the world: His girlfriend pends, his family, his career. The hardest thing for me would be leaving. Leaving home is hard enough sometimes. But, leaving home, finding a city to replace the homesickness, and then having to leave that home... I do not know if I could do it. I can find sentimental value in ANYTHING... any material object.
One thing that is very respectable of both Che and Alberto is their appreciation for the people they stay with. Che's hand probably could not write as much as his voice said in the movie so the book is unable to show how Che touches the people. Like I said Che is somewhat very humble. So, the book is hard to read if you are looking to infer upon something else; you really can't. I recommend the movie, highly. The book, still not so sure. According to the back cover, the movie director says that Che finds a place for himself in the continent. If by the end of the book I feel like Che has found it, I'll let you know

The Motorcycle Diaries- 2

Che and Alberto are loners, plain and simple. Their despair to find shelter wherever they can truly proves that they are doing what they set out to do. Although Che did not state his purpose of taking this journey at the beginning of the book, one can infer many things. Yes, I did see the movie. But no, that does not mean anything. Alot of books are totally different than the movies. It is obvious that both Che and Alberto were obviously craving some sort of adventure after years of sitting in classrooms. Both Che and Alberto, according to Che's quote at the beginning of the book, have similar aspirations. Alberto wants to sleep with as many girls in as many different countries as possible. Che wants to see how the other halves live. Close enough, right?
Although I can ony say this because I saw the movie, there is one particular part I am anticipating to read about... the part where they meet the miners and live among the indigeounes people.In the movie, music and images were so powerful. I wonder if Che's words will be powerful enough to bring about the same emotions.

The Motorcycle Diaries

Che and Alberto's experience makes me more and more jealous with every wild encounter they share. Although I know I have yet to experience true boredom through miserable years of med school and have no idea what it feels like to crave adventure, I yearn for their new day- to- day loner lifestyle. With no worries, Che and Alberto are truly able to finally just live... learn. Although learning is something we grow to hate because of the way school teaches us, I would not deny the world a chance to teach me something.
Che and Alberto's lessons they learn on the road are probably way more memorable and important than the ones they learned in med school. Learning how to sleep on someone's kitchen floor with a stranger, or how to take care of a friend with vomiting symptoms in the middle of the night and a far- out town are lessons that I feel anyone could appreciate. Che and Alberto learn to be friends to each other, and even care takers. Alberto is technically older than Alberto, however Che seems to get more out of each encounter they endure.
Neither Alberto, nor Che have ever experienced what they are experiencing now. This book is told from Che's point of view, obviously because this is his diary. There is another book written from Alberto's point of view, his diary. I think it would be interesting to read Alberto's account to see if maybe he is more than just the fat, older one in this adventure. No, he is definitely not the more conservative one nor does he hold Che back from any sense of adventure. But, he is just the less philosophical one compared to Che. I mean come on, Che Guevara. Google Alberto Granado and Che Guevara. See which one gets more results and then get back to me.