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Period: to
The Whole Trip
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San Francisco, Santa Fe Province
In January 1952 Ernesto Guevara's older friend, Alberto Granado, a biochemist, and Guevara, decided to take a year off from their medical studies to embark on a trip they had spoken of making for years. -
Miramar, Buenos Aires Province
The first stop: Miramar, Argentina, a small resort where Guevara's girlfriend, Chichina, was spending the summer with her upper-class family. Two days stretched into eight, and upon leaving, Chichina gave Guevara ... -
San Carlos de Bariloche, Río Negro Province, Argentina
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Osomo, Chile
The two men crossed into Chile on February 14. At one point they introduced themselves as internationally renowned leprosy experts to a local newspaper, which wrote a glowing story about them. The travelers later... -
Valdivia, Los Ríos Region
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Temuco, Araucanía Region
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Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan Region
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Valparaiso, Valparaíso, Valparaíso Region
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Antofagasta, Antofagasta Region
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Chuquicamata, Calama, Antofagasta Region
They visited Chuquicamata copper mine, the world's largest open-pit mine and the primary source of Chile's wealth. While getting a tour of the mine he asked how many men died in its creation. At the time it was r... -
Tacna, Peru
In March 1952 they both arrived at the Peruvian Tacna. They hitchhiked on trucks filled with local Aymara Indians as they headed up into the Andes toward Lake Titicaca. -
Torata
In the hard scrabble town of Torata Ernesto wrote 'A beaten race that watches us pass through the streets of their town. Their stares are tame, almost fearful, and almost completely indifferent to the outside world... -
Juliaca, Peru
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Cuzco, Peru
Cuzco made an impression on the young doctors as they spent time studying the architecture and wandering the cities museums and libraries. In Cuzco a local doctor provided them a Land Rover to take them to where they need to go -
Machu Picchu, Peru
From the Valley they procured tickets on the train to Machu Picchu. It was along this ride that Ernesto began to show his disdain for the 'Yankee' tourist who he thought were the cause of much of the misery he was having... -
Huancarama
They traveled on to Huancarama a small town near the Huambo leprosarium. It was here that they learned about the founder Dr. Hugo Pesce, director of Peru's leper treatment program and prominent communist. -
Andahuaylas District
Ernesto spent two days at the hospital recovering from his asthma attacks. Once he had recovered they jumped a truck bound for Lima. It would be ten days before they reached the capital. -
Lima District, Peru
On May 1st they arrived in Lima, Peru and during this time Guevara met doctor Hugo Pesce, a Peruvian scientist, director of the national leprosy program, and an important local Marxist. They discuss several night... -
Pucallpa
From Lima they took a week long bus ride to reach Pucallpa and the Rio Ucayali where they boarded the boat La Cenepa for the seven day journey to Iquitos. -
Iquitos, Peru
The pair arrived in Iquitos on June 1st. For six days Ernesto battled recurrent bouts of asthma. After recovering they set out on a two day river journey to San Pablo on the river boat El Cisne. -
San Pablo de Loreto
Ernesto and Alberto spent the next two weeks helping at the facility. During his stay Guevara complains about the miserable way the people and sick of that region have to live. Guevara also swam once from the side. -
Leticia, Amazonas
After giving consultations and treating patients for a few weeks, Guevara and Granado leave aboard the Mambo-Tango raft (a gift from the staff) for Leticia, Colombia via the Amazon River. -
Bogotá
On July 2, Ernesto and Alberto caught a Catalina flying boat to the capital. While visiting Bogotá, Colombia, he wrote a letter to his mother on July 6, 1952. In the letter he describes the conditions under the r... -
Caracas
Later that month the two men set out for the long bus ride to Caracas, Venezuela and from there Ernesto and Alberto decided to part ways. Ernesto would catch a ride on a cargo planed owned by his uncle. -
Miami, FL
However, prior to his return, he travels by cargo-plane to Miami, where the airplane's technical problems delay him one month. To survive, he works as a waiter and washes dishes in a Miami bar. -
Buenos Aires, Capital Federal
Ernesto arrived back in Buenos Aires at the end of August after spending a month in Miami. He returned to medical school by October.