The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Guevara (pg. 112-175)

Summary

   Ernesto and Alberto go to a cathedral, and they find footprints of Catholic Church on Andeans people are shown through Cuzco. Dr. Hermosa gives theme tour and explains the way of life to them.  ON their way to Cuzco, which took 12 hours, there was a third class train reserved for Indians. Ernesto explains that North Americans know about Peru and superficially visit the cities and the ruins without paying attention to the serious social problems. They visit the archeological museum in Cuzco was very poor but for Alberto and Ernesto it was amazing. They found a mestizo curator that told them of the need for education and rights of the Indians. They learned that the Quechua people instead of being prideful of their rich history are ashamed of being part of a mestizo class. They also talk about coca and the problem in Peru, there was much abuse against the rich-profit makers and may poisoned people (by the drugs). Tribes that mainly consumed Coca were Colla and Wuechua. The museum also expresses these Indians tribes race for trying to find their identity. They arrive at Albancay was there last stop before Huancarma, which is the last leper colony at Huambo. They walk around and dream something other than hospital food because they are always staying at hospitals. They get lost on there way to police station and get in someone’s yard who mistaken them for the Incan greater for there light skin. They visit a church where the priest is crazy but they leave because Ernesto gets an asthma attack. Ironically, he smokes a couple black cigarettes because it helps him when not having adrenaline available. They ask the governor for horses and he steals them from poor people, so Che and Alberto decide to give them back to him. They decide to walk to the leper colony in Huanacarma where the hospital is terrible, the doctors don't have materials to treat others so many are left to die, it is not sanitary, and many patients get depressed being there. The doctor pays an Indian man to carry their bags back to the city, but they refuse to let him keep on going holding the bags. He gets sick and they go to the hospital in Andahuaylas. They were short on money and scared to eat or get a job until they get to Lima. They are staying at the police station and get kicked out because Alberto screams at a policeman when he insults an Indian woman who brings food for her husband. They treat Indians literally like objects. Traveling to Lima they get caught in traffic by a landslide, eat raw corn, and they were about to eat an almost raw cow heart. On their way to Lima, they find there friend’s mom doesn't live in Oxapamon as expected and they decide to live. They ask a doctor for food and get a ride where they almost freeze on the roof and get up to 4853 meters above the foreign office. Dr. Huge Pesce received them and was very kind to them on a tour of the hospital of Guia and visit Callao. They visit the museum of archaeology and anthropology. They attend a bullfight for the first time. Biochemists in Peru are illegal because the government doesn't like them to interfere with something they are ignorant of.  Alberto lies and says he is a doctor. The patients in Lima gave them 100 and a half-soles, cried when they left, and thanked them for the encouragement and for treating them with respect.  They leave to a town called Nescuilla by using a drunk to give them money. They then take a boat to San Pablo and go through forest and Alberto wins a card game in order to get money. They sleep on the floor and nearly get eaten by mosquitoes, but get distracted by noticing the beautiful forest. They get to the pier and meet the Yagua tribe and travel to San Pablo where they get to a colony. There they were facilitated a room and are located in Iquitos, Peru. While writing a letter to his father, he states that they get vaccinated for yellow fever and Typhoid. The colony has patients situated across the river living in jungle huts and doing whatever the like. Dr. Bsciana is attempting a study of nervous forms of leprosy in this colony. They also find that conditions are bad in this colony and the patients aren't treated like humans and are thankful for Alberto and Ernesto’s manners. He gets to Bogota, Colonia in July 6, 1952. He writes a letter to his mother explaining his experiences and saying happy birthday. He explains that at the colony the nuns gave them reduced rations if they didn't go to mass but they managed to get food anyways. Also, when they were leaving the patients they sang songs to che and Alberto and played instruments and gave speeches while having major disabilities. They loose there way in the Amazon River and improvise there way to getting to Bogotá where they find that there is no individual freedom. The police have control over the people everywhere and they leave as soon as possible. Alberto although is offered a job and stays behind, Ernesto goes to Venezuela and is fascinated by Caracas and speaks a bit on the history of hit. At the end he declares himself a revolutionary and his motivation.

Qoute

" I feel my nostrils dilate, savoring the acrid smell of gunpowder and blood, the enemy's death' I steel my body, ready to do battle, and prepare myself to be a sacred space within which the bestial howl of the triumphant proletariat can resound with new energy and new hope" (Guevara 165).

Reaction

    My reaction to this quotation was a moment of final conclusion and understanding of Ernesto Guevaras purpose of the book. This quotation explains his feelings towards a new revolution and answer's the question of his motivation for writing his diary. The phrase give the reader a foreshadowing of his intentions in later on liberating many countries and working for the poor and sick in Latin America. This quotation connects to this whole book because at the end of the book he finally states how he is feeling after his whole journey and what he chooses to do about what he sees. He states that he wants the working class to win the battle against those who have everything and refuse to share. Giving the working "new energy and new hope." He uses very descriptive language and figurative language.

The Motorcycle Diariese by Ernesto Guevara (p. 59- 111)

Summary
   Ernesto and Alberto leaves Temuco, there motorcycles gear box smashes and they fly off the motorcycle and have to walk to the next town. They stay at a mechanics house were they go out to a party and both men get drunk. Che asks the Mechanics wife to dance and she accidentally falls on the ground causing the town men to run after them. The arrive in Cullipulli and give La Poderosa and give the new owner a letter attached to it. Then they get to Los Angeles were they volunteer as fire fighters and experience the benefits in society, Alberto gets the opportunity to save a cat. They continue to explore Chile through improvising places to stay and asleep and then arrive at Valparaiso. They attempt to find ways to go to Easter Island but flights there are so rare and only occur every six months. They always complement Chile's hospitality because everywhere they go they find where to stay and people are very sympathetic. Alberto meets with doctors in Valparaiso and Ernesto meets with sick women and finds that the sick become a disadvantage in many people's life.  He feels he cant do anything for her and gives up his own asthmatic pills. In Valparaiso, elders are not trusted by the community on bad events that occur. They find they are at a disadvantage  because of there hobo appearance. A doctor promises to them to a trip to Easter Island one day when they come back. They decide to sneak on a boat called the "San Antonio," were they are made to work cleaning the toilet and peeling potato's after they get caught.  They realize they are destined to travel  and learn about different cultures even though in many places they were unwelcome. They go to a copper mine named Chugimata and meet a couple, the husband got arrested for being a communist. They spend a night with the couple trying to stay warm in the desert.  The couple search for a job with horrible threatening conditions for low food pay. The catch is that these jobs are so horrible the boss doesn't ask for a political status.  Thousands die by the traps set by nature to protects its jewels in mines. But little does nature know that the poor workers are doing this just to get there daily bread. Chile produces 20% of the worlds copper. They walked two hours to a town and join a soccer team in return for food, shelter, and transportation and they travel to different mines. They get to Iquique take a boat Arica, which is the border between Peru and Chile. They sleep in a town hospital treated by a mean doctor because they look like hobos. Dual narrator of Ernesto of following year speaks, he analyzes Chile and explains that Chile has low medical and living standards. The political scene is cruel because 40,000  people can't vote because there communist. They find shelter and talk about Argentina's non-discrimination and way of life. They get to Estaque and explore ancient Incan civilization, the people speak Aymaron, this town shows culture that are unaffected by Spanish colonization. A bust takes them to a high snowy mountain and it takes the peruvians no effort to run in the snow,  while it takes Che and Alberto a while. They meet with a teacher who tells them about the education system and conflict between the unaccepted Indigenous people by the ladinos in Peru. Fishers use the same technique for 500years and maintain traditions. They stop at Avavirg where a funnier is carried out as a procession in the streets. Che explains the legend of Cuzco, it was founded on female and male equality as the center of the Incan empire. He says that Cuzco can be viewed in two ways. One way is recognizing the Spanish influence and that makes one desire to fight for the Incan Culture. The other is to be superficial and not notice the damage that has been done on Incan culture. He makes inferences on from the time Cuzco was built and other opposing forces before the Spanish attacked. The relation between events that occurred and the architecture is shown. They climb a mountain to find the Spanish Fortress and swords. Machu Piccu shows a pure civilization and a true mystery.

Quote
  " What does it matter if we stay there a year; who cares about studying, work, family, etc.  In a shop window a giant crayfish winks at us, and from his bed of lettuce his whole body tells us, "I'm from Easter Island, where the weather is perfect, the women are perfect..." (Guevara 69)

Reaction
   My reaction to this was to realize Ernestos personality. Besides his diary recording everything he does, he is quite sarcastic and humorous. He uses personification in this qouatation by giving a fish the human ability to talk. The overall qoutation connects to the larger story because after all, there trip is to stop carring about studying, work, and family and discover something beyond that. Easter Island seems to symbolize the end of there trip or there reward in a figurative way. He uses a lot of figurative language referring to a fish as a male and saying that his bed is made out of lettuce. It makes the reader want to go to Easter Island, so they can have a bed made out of lettuce.