The Motorcycle Diaries (Diarios de motocicleta)

This is not the tale of impressive deeds. It is a piece of two lives taken in a moment.

together along a given path with the same identity of aspirations and dreams. - Ernesto Guevara de LA Serna, 1952

The Plan: To travel 8 thousand kilometers in four months

The method: Improvisation

Objective: Explore the Latin American continent that we only know by books

motorcycle diaries

Good Night Granado

Equipment: "La Poderosa" (The Powerful)

A '39 Norton 500 that's battered and leaks

The Pilot: Alberto Granado

A chubby friend, 29 years old and biochemist

self proclaimed scientific vagabond

The Pilot's dream: crown the trip with he's 30th birthday

Copilot: That would be me

Ernesto Guevara de la Serna

"El Fuser", 23 years old

- Ernesto is going away? - No, Ernesto stays

Ernesto, could you takes us with you, please

Look dad, I'm sorry, but no matter how many times you tell me...

Please Ernesto, you are only 3 assignments away from your MD title

And that can wait

MD student

Leprosy specialist

Amateur Rugby player

Hey Fuser...nice Fuser!

And occasionally, asthmatic

Departure date... January 4th

The route: from Buenos Aires to Patagonia and then Chile

then to the north up to 6 thousand meters by the spine of the Andes to Machu Picchu

From there, to the lepers home of San Pablo in the Peruvian amazonia

Final Destination: the Peninsula of Guajira in Venezuela at the north point of the continent

We settle at the Peninsula of Guajira, the point of this great continent

Mouths full of wine, nice music

That beer is good, ah?

- Fuser, on January 4th, you should be done with all your exams, right? - Yes

- If you want, I can make a detour to Miramar to visit your little girlfriend - "little girlfriend"

A couple of days

- Look Fuser, look at that guy over there - What?

Do you want your life to be like that?

You don't want your life to be like that, Fuser

What you want is to fuck in every country in South America

Hey boy...and in every town if we are lucky enough That's and extra ingredient, right

What we had in common: our restlessness, our dreaming spirit

and the untiring love for the route

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina January 4th, 1952 Km 0

Let's go Ernestito, we don't have the whole day

- Isn't it too much Granado? - Not enough chief. Norton 500, "this" is a motorcycle

Your son is in good wheels, don't worry

You should expect some difficult times son

But the truth is that I always dreamed of doing something like this

And I have to confess that if I had a couple less years on me... I would jump right along with you on that motorcycle

Try to think that I do it for the both of us

- 10 years planning this trip, uncle - Since you were a kid

Meanwhile...I trust you eh?

And the revolution uncle, for when?

Here? In a century

- Are you already leaving? - Yes, I’m off

You should only worry about taking your medicines, nothing more, ok?

And writing me...

The most beautiful letters you have ever read mom

- Bye, my love - You'll see. Bye. I love you

Bye

Bye little sister, take care

Bye man

Send me postcards

Ok, stop it or I’ll start crying. Please

Take care, ok?

Just like Don Quixote had Rocinante and Saint Martin had his mule

We have "La Poderosa"

- Yeah, that pisses oil - Yes, pisses oil, but what I’m trying to say is that in this precise moment

The young Fuser and myself are embarking in a trip to the most remote places of the human spirit

where we will meet new lands, listen to new anthems, eat new fruits...

Granado...I’m making you responsible. If something happens to Ernesto I’ll find you. Put on the handkerchief darling

Don't worry mam, he will come back to become the doctor we all want him to be

It better be

Ok, is time to leave!

Animal!

Careful with that bike!

Dear mom...Buenos Aires is behind us

behind is as also the miserable life

the faculty, the exams and the dissertations that make you sleepy

Before us lies all of Latin America

From now on we will only trust in "La Poderosa"

I wish you could see us. We look like adventurers and inspire admiration and envy everywhere

Go Mial. Assume aerodynamic road position

C'mon baby, don't fail me baby. C'mon, c'mon

What happened Mial?!

I'm glad to have left behind civilization, and be closer to the earth

Wait, something is coming out...something is coming out

Fuser, are you alright?

What happened puppy?

Are you alright?

- What the fuck is that? - What the fuck does it look like?

- A fucking dog?! - Oh fuck, you are a shitty driver...

What the fuck is that dog doing on the bike?

Is for Chichina and his name is Kamba

Pick up the bike.

Miramar, Argentina January 13th, 1952 Km 601

Where the fuck are we? Switzerland?

- Good morning - Good morning

- Chichina? - She's inside with the rest of the family

That bike is giving you problems, uh?

Esteban, please tell us about your trip

It was great Don Horacio, I had the opportunity to take a seminar in Cambridge

and stay a couple of weeks in London, a fascinating city

- What a privilege! - Yes it was

- Esteban is getting his PhD soon, right? - Yes

- Medicine? - No, Law

Ah, law

Sorry.

1, 2, 3, 4

Is your turn, come

I never saw a pig who wanted to dance, never.

C'mon

Knock it off!

- With this hand...back...side - What are you laughing at? - I'm laughing at you.

Tonight?

My dad ask aunt Roxanna not to take her eyes off of me

My mom promised the Lady of the Valley that she would walk to her sanctuary if we broke up

And your parents can't see that the more they bury the diamonds, the more decided is the pirate to steal them?

Believe me, this diamond wouldn't mind being stolen

Dance

Look

Let me see your bathroom

- Good night - Good night ladies

Aunt Roxanna, which room is mine?

Get away Kamba!

- How many days did you say we were staying here? - You already know - Two

- And how many days have we been here? - If you become a Doctor, will you operate with wire too? - Six days, Fuser

Someone will see us

If you'd stay we could do many things, Ernesto, but only if you'd stay

I didn't like the sound of that

- What do you want me to say? That I’m going to wait for you? - I told you I’m coming back

- Yes, I have the dog as proof - You didn't like it?

What do you want Ernesto, what do you want to hear? That I’m going to wait forever, that I’ll wait for months and months till you come back?

- What's going on? - What do you want? What do you want?

I'd like you to stay like this forever. Quiet.

I want to look at you, cause I’m not going to see you for a long time

Of course I’m going to wait for you, but please don't take an eternity

- And how long is an eternity? - That's slippery ground mister

I'm not going to touch you

Did I hit you? Did I hurt you? Did I hurt you? That was a trick, a very bad trick

Ok lovebirds...is time to leave. Fuser

Miss Ferreira... Thanks for everything

"I used to listen the bare feet splashing in the ship "And had a feeling of the faces darkened by hunger

"My heart was a pendulum between her and the street

"I don't know with what strength I freed myself from her eyes, "I broke away from her arms

"She was left clouding with tears her anguish "Behind the rain and the glass

- Lorca eh? - No

- Neruda - No

- Who? - I don't remember

- Good bye - Bye

Wait, wait. The snot is...

And so...with Chichina, nothing...

Not even after giving her the German shepherd with pedigree...nothing

I mean, at least you saw a tit...one

Ahhh....You saw her tits, Ernesto

Scalpel, Scalpel

North American Dollars?

- Fifteen - Chichina? - Yes

I like that girl for you, I always said that she was your girlfriend. We will eat better now

- No... - Protein food

No, she gave me this money for when we get to the US. She asked me to buy her some pants.

I told her I would

- What? - Forget about this money. It is out of our budget.

- Fucking moron, he is testing me... - Che are you talking to the bike again

Listen to me man, what is wrong with your head? That chick's got you by the balls.

Calm down

- Good evening - Hi

Piedra de Águila, Argentina January 29th, 1952 Km 1809

- How do you feel the bike? - The wire is making wonders, it works great

Son of a bitch...fuck

Are you alright Fuser?

It was the curve

Son of a...

Look at the pipe... son of a bitch!

Pass the stakes, I’m all out

Wait, wait, don't fuck with me

- You had to choose this place, you idiot... - No you chose this place

Hold that side

- No...fuck - Son of a...

- The river is taking it - Grab it, grab it

It took it

- Che and what if we go there? - We should ask for help over here, with the common people

- Which one are we doing? The broken headlight? - No, Red October. You have the experience right?

Good Night

What do you want

Maybe our appearance doesn't show it, but we are doctors from Buenos Aires and Córdoba, respectively

We are traveling all over the country, doing some research with hopes of curing some of the worst diseases of the 20th century

Plagues that not only consume our energy but that also keeps Argentina in need

When by just reading the medical literature, you could notice, just as us...

What the fuck do you want, pair of bums?

Look sir, the wind took our tent, we are starving and we need a place to spend the night

Ok, out there in the shed there's a good ground. You can sleep with the workers

- We are doctors... - Hmm...I like your face a lot, but I don't like yours fatty

- Fine? - Yes, its fine - Thank you.

Dear Mom...we are still hitting the road, but to tell you the truth, the bike is less powerful every day

San Martín de los Andes, Argentina January 31st, 1952 Km 2051

Money and food are scarce, but we manage to find opportunities to eat and sleep for free

Thanks to our secret weapon: Alberto's infallible sweet talking