The legend of Che Guevara is an important part of the story of Latin America. Some see him as a hero, although it’s more complicated than that for others.
Throughout the region, there are different ways to learn more about his life – from his birthplace in Rosario (Argentina), to the place he died in La Higuera (Bolivia), plus several museums in Cuba, including his mausoleum.
One of these museums about Che Guevara is at his childhood home in Alta Gracia in Argentina.
To see the sights of Alta Gracia, there is this half-day tour from Cordoba that includes the Che Guevara Museum.
The Che Guevara Museum in Alta Gracia is not huge but it is really interesting. It has information about his activist campaigns and later political work, but the focus is really on his early life.
After visiting it I was inspired to write a ‘letter to Che’ rather than my usual style of article. I wanted to capture my thoughts in the moment because, like many other people, I was a bit torn by some of the contradictions in his story.
Further down, I’ve got some practical information about visiting the Che Guevara Museum in Alta Gracia. But first, I wanted to share the letter that I wrote.
Dear Che,
I thought you might like to know that I visited your old house today. The one you grew up in Alta Gracia near Cordoba in Argentina. They’ve turned it into a museum, you know.
Old photos of your family, your childhood, the adolescence you spent growing and nurturing that seething anger, and the many later years you spent focusing that anger to try to change the world.
To be honest, though, it left me a bit confused about the man you became and the legacy you have left.
You’ve been worshipped and reviled by so many people. Perhaps that’s because there was an inherent contradiction in much that you did – killing to stop the killing, for instance. Taking control of governments to bring down government control.
That’s why I was confused. It made me wonder what you would think of the man the little boy from this house turned into, what you would make of the legend of Che.
There was something quite inspirational about the young Che, back when adventures were about exploration and not revolution. At the Che Guevara Museum, I saw the photos of you and your friends on rafts and bikes, going on journeys for the sake of discovery.
I can even relate to the idea that any discovery also brings with it an element of self-discovery. People travel the world and see poverty, injustice, and corruption.
Some people are upset and vow to try to help. You saw this and you vowed to change it all.
What happened, though, to the young man who wanted a better life for everyone?
Where did the pursuit of that shared happiness get so confused that the country today that is used as an example of poverty, injustice and corruption is Cuba, the same country you helped make?
Would you look at Cuba – or Venezuela – or many others in this part of the world – and be proud of how these countries treat their people?
Were the ideals you held right and the implementation of them mismanaged? Were you too naïve to think the world could actually be a better place? Or were you just plain wrong?
I’m not sure if anyone has told you, Che, but you’re a bit of a pop culture icon these days. There’s a picture of your face that has become one of the most recognisable images in the world.
It’s used in the name of revolution, in the fight for change, in the renunciation of inequality. It’s used by the true fighters for freedom and it’s used by those who pay lip service to the cause.
Your face adorns the t-shirts of the wealthy and the middle class, those who have never known suffering, who like to think a piece of clothing can connect them with the struggle.
They travel the world, talking of the wrongs and how to make them right but with no real intention to play in part in that change.
At first I thought you might be offended by your reputation being used like this. Then I realised that in some ways they were just like you once.
You were from a well-off middle-class family – I saw the photos at your house. You travelled the world and talked. You read books, you spoke to people, you broadened your horizons.
The similarities are there… and then you changed. You actually took the action you talked about.
I guess people have an admiration for someone who fights for what he believes. Surely much of the respect for your legend comes from the sacrifices you made to follow that conviction.
There was a selflessness to the crusade to improve the lives of others, even at a cost to your own.
You had a family you barely saw, you lived in awful conditions on battlefields around the world, and you eventually took a bullet for your cause.
The motivation of your actions is one thing, though. The consequences are another.
You helped install leaders who would become dictators, you played a part in bringing the world to the edge of a nuclear holocaust, and you fought against the very principles that much of the human population now believes are the right ones.
That little boy with a sense of exploration ended up taking his continent on more of a journey than it ever took him on.
And so, I ask again, what would you think of Che today?
Michael
Visiting the Che Guevara Museum
Of all the things to do in Alta Gracia, the Che Guevara Museum is the highlight. I think it’s worth the visit from Cordoba to see this little part of Latin America history.
Having said that, a day trip to Alta Gracia from Cordoba is probably enough. There are some other things to see, so it could be worth staying overnight, but you probably don’t need to.
Getting to Alta Gracia is really easy from Cordoba. The drive is only about 40 minutes, if you have a car. Otherwise there are buses from the main bus terminal that go every ten minutes or so and take just over an hour.
From the bus terminal, it’s only a 10 or 15 minute walk to the museum. Most of the city’s other sights are also within walking distance.
If you walk from downtown to the neighbourhood called Carlos Pellegrini, you’ll pass by the Sierras Hotel and several other houses where Che lived.
To save yourself a lot of time and difficulty, another great option would be this half-day tour from Cordoba that includes the Che Guevara Museum and some other sights.
Or there are a couple of other options here:
If you’re planning it independently, a visit to the Che Guevara Museum takes about an hour.
There aren’t a lot of information signs but there is a good audio guide available for free, so I recommend you use that.
Where is the Che Guevara Museum?
The Che Guevara Museum (Museo del Che Guevara) is in the city of Alta Gracia, about 40 kilometres from Cordoba.
The official address is Avellaneda 501 Carlos Pellegrini, Alta Gracia, Argentina.
You can see it on a map here.
How do you get to the Che Guevara Museum?
If you’re already in Alta Gracia, the Che Guevara Museum is about a 15 minute walk from the centre of the city.
To get to Alta Gracia from Cordoba, it’s a simple drive of about 40 minutes.
By bus, there are departures from the main Cordoba bus terminal to Alta Gracia about every ten minutes. The trip takes about 1h 5m and costs about 4000 ARS (US$4.10).
Another option is to take a tour to Alta Gracia from Cordoba.
When is the Che Guevara Museum open?
The Che Guevara Museum is open daily from 9:00 – 19:00.
What is the Che Guevara Museum entrance fee?
The entrance fee to the Che Guevara Museum is 2000 ARS (US$2.05).
Are there tours to the Che Guevara Museum?
You can get a free audio guide when you visit the Che Guevara Museum.
From Cordoba, I would recommend this tour to Alta Gracia which includes the Che Guevara Museum and some other sights.
You can find more information at the museum’s official website.
Regardless of whether you’re visiting Alta Gracia from Cordoba for the day or if you’re staying here, I would recommend doing a few other things while you’re here.
In fact, there are some really interesting things to do in Alta Gracia, including the Jesuit Estancia that is related to the Jesuit Block in Cordoba and part of the same World Heritage Site.
Just ten minutes’ walk from the Che Guevara Museum, the Manuel de Falla Museum is a tribute to the Spanish composer who lived in this house in his final years. The collection includes a minipiano he used here.
There’s also the Gabriel Dubois House Workshop Museum in the house the French sculptor lived in until his death in 1968. A fabulous collection of his works is on display.
As a city of more than 40,000 people, there are lots of places to eat in Alta Gracia. A few worth trying are:
- Calu Restobar: A large restaurant with a good selection of standard meals like pizza and burgers.
- Boca de Lobo: With steaks, dishes like paella, and a good wine list, this is a good option for a nicer meal.
- Herencia por Roal Zuzulich: One of the city’s best known restaurants, the Argentinian food is excellent but a bit pricier than other places.
Other than that, it’s a pleasant enough city to wander through but there’s a lot more happening in Cordoba.
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Thanks, glad you liked it! It was really interesting to actually think about the ‘legend’ of it all, rather than just go along with the superficial stories you sometimes hear.
Che’s Guevera’s life is one that exemplifies the law of unintended consequences. Who knows, at the outset of a life, where our actions will lead others, what they will cause others to do. Here is a human being who is put on a pedestal by some and vilified by others. The truth, I suspect, is somewhere in the middle.
We make our choices and history lives with them.
Perfect way of putting it, Nina! You do never know. I think the people who put him on a pedestal do it because of his convictions and commitment to his cause. Those who vilify him do so because of the consequences of his actions. As you say, the truth is probably in the middle because both things are what made him who he was.
I’m determined to get to the bottom of this. I’m in the process of reading everything I can find. It sounds like we’re talking about different people: Someone so caring about the lepers, then we have firing squads and prisons, etc. And then the tee-shirts, which I do have but no longer am 100 percent sure I should wear.
Whether or not one agrees with his views (and actions), Che made sacrifices for what he believed in. That’s very rare. Enjoyed this piece.
Thanks. And you’re absolutely right. As a young traveller (like he once was… although not quite as young these days) I see the injustices in the world. The difference is he actually did something about it!
Enjoyed this piece quite a bit… something different! I really liked the style you wrote it in. A lot of the countries you mention are actually doing quite well. Cuba has an arguably better health care and education system than at my home in the U.S. They also contribute a proportionately larger number of health care professionals to Doctors Without Borders than we do. They also have made huge progressions in agriculture – Havana grows 80% of its own produce within city limits. Venezuela’s poor under Chavez now have rights – free education, free health care, and stay-at-home mothers now receive minimum wage for taking care of their families. These were the ideals Che was fighting for, while I don’t idolize him as much as many others do.
It isn’t the way my country is used to doing things… but it seems to be working just fine for them.
You make some good points, Dayna. And it’s a really tricky issue that I don’t think has a definite answer. You’re right about Cuba having a high rated education and health system. But then it also has some of the worst examples in the world of torture, imprisonment, executions and human rights abuses. I’m not sure that’s the kind of country Che imagined when he set out on his journeys. I certainly don’t have a fixed opinion on the man and his legacy, I just find the contradictions and moral flexibility quite interesting.
Very true, a man of contradictions in some ways. I think our own human rights record is pretty hideous at times too though! I enjoyed the perspective in the piece quite a bit, and always have the urge to play devil’s advocate. =)
Really insightful letter, Mike. It’s ironic that the very institutions Che was fighting against, he used himself to further his cause. Violence, government control, oppressing leaders… how did his noble idealism get twisted into bloodshed? He actually took action which is something that, like you said, most people just talk about and do nothing. I wonder if he was aware of his own contradictions or if he believed “the end justifies the means.”
Who knows? I tend to think that maybe he was unaware of the consequences, or at least thought they were worth it to achieve his goals. It seems to be a common theme around the world that noble idealism gets corrupted by the realities of control.
Hello Turtle:
Thanks for the details of your visit to the museum. I’ve written a novel – A Kiss For Señor Guevara – that I hope you’ll take a look at. It tells of the last two days in the life of Che Guevara, from the point of view of a young girl given the task of feeding him and his men before their execution by the Bolivian army. It’s available in print at Amazon, and also for the Kindle, iPad, Nook, et.al.
Best,
Terence Clarke
Oh, fantastic! I’ve been wanting to read a good book about his life since visiting the museum. Yours sounds like exactly the kind of thing I’m after!
The story of Che is just so strange and interesting. I have also wondered what he might think of his face being on t-shirts worn by people who may or may not really understand what he fought for and represented.
I, sadly, was in Cordoba but never made it to this museum. Cool photos.
On a sidenote, wasn’t Cordoba a cool city? It had a really fun feel to it – like most university towns.
Awesome post, truly!
Well written, and great observations.
The headline too, it caught me.
Peace over and out.
This is a great post…super, super honest. I find Che very inspiring in terms of what moved him to do what he did. I don’t know if starting a revolution was the right path to help the working class, but his desire to help was powerful.
I hope to leave my mark someday too, but in a more peaceful way with one step at a time. Maybe help one community instead of the world, because in the end that will benefit the world at large!
Once again, really great post and I love the sculpture of Che!
-Molly
Thanks Molly!
Let’s start with one community at a time. Even if you’ve got the right motives, you don’t want another Cuba on your hands!! 🙂
Brilliant post! Very compelling angle. Thanks for including enough history of Che to give a reader a fuller understanding of the man who became legend. Loved it!
Thanks, Mary. I really enjoyed getting to know a bit more about the man (and the legend). I think it’s only natural to have mixed feelings about him and this was the best way I could think of to express them.
Che was nothing but a murderer (and also he raped women…check out his dark background). Revolutionaries like him are as blood thirsty and resentful as the ones they are fighting against.
No difference to me and it’s not worth worshipping like people do nowadays.
Thanks for the comment, Cami.
I agree that people like Che are complex characters. Although some people see the good, others see the bad. My opinion is that you should at least understand who someone is before you hold them up as a hero.
Glad you pushed this piece again because I missed it the first time. Even so, had I read it then I would have understood it less because I read a couple of Che’s books (or at least books produced from his writings) in the last year, and felt exactly what this made you feel – the contradiction. They aren’t even well-written (excepting the odd phrase). They read very much like your average blog or someone’s diary. They sound naïve by today’s standards.
My feeling is that he died too young to be aware of the consequences. The fact that he didn’t stay in Cuba to become a fat cat, but moved on to, in his opinion, help the oppressed elsewhere, says something.
He has become an icon because he died young and still idealistic, and because he was, well, quite easy on the eye!
I like your take on it, Linda. I’m sure he did have good intentions at heart. As you say, moving on from Cuba suggests that. But the consequences are hard to deny. What confuses me are the people today who don’t see the contradictions. I’m not saying you can’t hold him up as a hero, but at least understand a bit more about the man. Just saying he is idealistic and easy on the eye is too simplistic. I love that you’ve read some of his writing to learn more!
So this was the bike on which the legend traveled the entire Latin America during his education period. i think you should also add some more popular items by Che Guevara like his smoking pipe, his weekly shirt, yearly boots and the legendary hat which he used to wear. .. by the way .. really nice post.. thanks for sharing