Chapters 1 - 3 Summary and Analysis

The Motorcycle Diaries is a collection of diary entries during Ernesto "Che" Guevara's motorcycle trip around South America in late 1951 and 1952 with his friend Alberto Granado. Each "chapter" is a diary entry, so the entries follow in triplets.

"So We Understand Each Other" outlines the purpose of The Motorcycle Diaries, illustrating the events of Che and Alberto's journey and many of the ideas that Che considered during his journey. Che writes that once he returned to his native Argentina after the trip, the person who wrote these diary entries died. The diaries record the thoughts of a real person.

"Forewarnings" introduces Che in Cordoba in October, 1951. He visits Alberto, drinking mate and fiddling with his motorcycle, La Poderosa II. Both Alberto and Che had quit their jobs. They decide to travel to North America now that they are unemployed...