Free Latin America Diaries by Ernesto «Che» Guevara

Then it calmed down a little. We spent the next day in Chimaltenango, the little town where the youth festival 49 was being held. The place was very pretty, and each of us did whatever took their fancy. Our little group was the same as always, with Hilda Gadea, the gringo and a Honduran woman…
    Nothing happened on Monday of particular interest, just another day closer to the goal: May 1.
    After confusion over the matter of introductions, I went to the farm with Peñalver, who rather demagogically proposed me for the job. The director asked me how much I wanted, and I kept it low at 100 quetzals for twice a week, on the condition they spend 25 a month on laboratory equipment. I have to go back on Saturday to see what the outcome is.
    The whole farm business is very murky. Answer postponed. I went to Tiquisate and it didn’t go well, but there’s some hope of not such a good job, with board and lodging. That leaves the one through Sra. de Holst, and then the thing with the Argentine. Tomorrow, we’ll see.
    It’s not tomorrow but the day after and, of course, we haven’t heard a thing. Nor does it look like we’ll hear anything any time soon. Having made up my mind completely, I tried to see Guerrero but wasn’t able to find him. The only thing worth mentioning is a letter from Mamá in which she tells me Sara 50 has had an operation and is not good; they found cancer in her large intestine…
    Today I’m in a great mood. It was Julia Mejías who introduced me to García Granados, who said he would give me a job to go to Petén for $125. I still need authorization from the union, which I’ll try to get tomorrow. If it happens it’ll be great […]. Tomorrowcould be a day of further disappointment, or my big day in Guatemala. I am optimistic.
    Now I’m not so optimistic—far from it. I spoke with Sibaja, but he paid me no attention. At 4 p.m. tomorrow he’ll tell me once and for all whether he’s been able to influence the head of the union. On another front, tomorrow Lily will speak to her brother. It will probably come to nothing again. We’ll see. The Geografía work continues, although today I just wandered around, not doing a lot.
    Two more days and today, yes, a little bit of hope. Yesterday, nothing.
    Sibaja is good for nothing, but today I went on my own account to see the head of the union, a man looking to keep his job, an anticommunist, given to intrigue, but seemingly disposed to help me. I didn’t sing quite the appropriate tune, but neither did I risk much. He’ll give me a final answer on Wednesday.
    Two more days to add to this concert of complaints, but with a couple of positive results. Yesterday was the visit to the former house of Lily’s famous brother, ostentatious but with a good consulting room and some sort of a laboratory. The woman is Italian, and has sparked my desire to travel to Europe. They have something Indo-Americans are missing. I had a touch of asthma that started to get worse, but I swallowed a few of Ross’s pills and it stopped. Today’s positive was the arrival of a kilo of mate , as well as a letter from Alberto and Calica telling me of some cash that set me dreaming for a while. Hilda’s book is progressing bit by bit, if rather slowly. Tomorrow I’ll find out about going to Sanidad to study parasitic diseases.
    Two more days in which nothing has happened apparently. However, the Petén trip does seem to have been resolved[…].
    When I heard the Cubans making their grand speeches with total serenity, I felt pretty small. I can give a speech that is 10 times more objective and without the platitudes, I can do it better and can convince an audience of what I’m saying. The only problem is,I don’t convince myself and the Cubans do. Ñico 51 left his soul in the microphone, firing even a skeptic like me with enthusiasm.
    El Petén confronts me with the problem of my