My Favourite Read - 4 - The Motorcycle Diaries

I do confess that I don’t know much about Che Guevara. I just know that he is a renowned revolutionary who was fierce like Bhagat Singh of India. I never explored further.

This book has been on my list for a very long time; most of my friends would have already read this by now. Well, am glad I finally read it.

This book in no ways provides any insight to Che’s revolutionary side nor does it have any direct reference to him converting to one. But what it does reveal is his undying youthful spirit. It reveals witty, young, handsome, adventurous, smart, kind, brave, intelligent, poetic, emotional face of Che.

And end of this book, I truly believe even without having any facts with me; that he would have been a great fighter with a true revolutionary spirit. Only the ones who have lived wild and free can truly feel for the loss of freedom. Only the ones who have fought hunger and adversities even if it were temporary; can truly understand the feeling of oppressed. And only the ones who think from heart can touch the hearts of millions. No wonder the world adores him!

I enjoyed the friendship of - Ernesto "Che" Guevara and Alberto Granado, I couldn’t stop laughing at so many instances he shared; one of my favorite was when he says “As I went below, swearing behind closed lips and followed by Alberto’s amused glance, who was assigned to peel potatoes, I confess I felt tempted to forget everything ever written about the rules of friendship and request a change of jobs. There is no justice! “ That was probably the cutest line I read in the book.

An amazing road trip with so many challenges; and so many hilarious incidents, it was probably a prologue to what laid ahead of him.

His true account of Machu Pichu and the Inca, gave me a lot of insight to a place that is on my bucket list to trek someday. At times, the way he describes nature is so romantic that I could close my eyes and see that night sky or the lake or mountain.

I still don’t know the Guevara as a revolutionary; will read more about him someday; but the Guevara who scribbled the events of this motorcycle diaries; definitely touched my heart. It's very easy to fall in love with him!

If I have to pick best lines of the lot; which is very difficult; but at this moment, I choose below.

"The first commandment for every good explorer is: An expedition has two points, the point of departure and the point of arrival. If your intention is to make the second theoretical point coincide with the actual point of arrival, don't think about the means - because the journey is a virtual space that finishes when it finishes, and there are as many means as there are different ways of "finishing". That is to say, the means are endless."

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Ahamasmi Yodha - My First Tattoo

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When Silence Speaks...

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