Santa Clara, Cuba.
The Traveling Che Tattoo.

This picture was submitted by traveler Sandra L.

She had this double Che Spotting while touring the town of Santa Clara, Cuba over the Christmas holiday.

“I celebrate Che-mas!” she joked, then explained: “I have traveled to Cuba over winter break for two years now, and it may become my new tradition.”

“It is true, Che is everywhere,” she said. “The city of Santa Clara is a definite Che zone.”

That’s because the city is home to the Che Mausoleum, an imposing structure where Che’s remains are buried.

While visiting the mausoleum, Sandra noticed another traveler sporting a Che tattoo. She asked and was given permission to take this Che on Che pic.

I’m not usually one to watch a lot of cop shows. I’m just not attracted to the whole Law & Order and CSI drama line. But I like the TV show Castle. It’s mysteries are somewhat predictable, and the main character, Rick Castle, is quite full of himself, but when I’m ready to zone out at the end of a long day, an episode of Castle holds my attention.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I settled to watch an hour of Castle and had a Che Spotting.

Episode 215 was titled “Suicide Squeeze.” In it, a well-known Cuban baseball player is found dead on a neighborhood baseball diamond, his head smashed in by a baseball bat.

Once the story gets underway, Castle and Beckett learn that the dead man (who had defected from Cuba only a few years back) had recently returned to the island on a goodwill tour. After that trip, said everyone who knew him, he was not the same. As the investigation proceeds, the detectives end up at the Cuban Consulate.

It was there, behind the consulate’s desk, that a large mural depicted Fidel, and off to the side and down near the bottom, Che.

Willemstad, Curacao.
Che Hawks Hot Dogs.

This photo was submitted by Patricia M.

She spotted this Che in the city of Willemstad on the Caribbean island of Curacao.

She was there for just a brief time as her cruise ship stopped there on a port call. Nonetheless, she managed to spot this Che decorating a hot dog vendor’s food stand. While she passed on his offer of a hot dog, she did take him up on his offer to pose for a picture. We’re glad she did. That’s a great t-shirt.

New York City, USA.
Che Rubs Shoulders with Dead Philosophers

This photo was submitted by traveler Jennifer P.

She spotted this Che while browsing the holiday Christmas market in Union Square.

There, she stumbled upon a booth of the Unemployed Philosophers Guild, which boasted a line up of  dead celebrities.

The Che doll is part of an entire product line called “The Little Thinkers.”

And just in case you’re not interested in playing with dolls, there is also a finger puppet version of Che, which also doubles as a refrigerator magnet!

Of her Che Spotting, Jennifer said:

“The Little Thinkers dolls and magnets-slash-finger puppets are pretty clever, and they keep rather interesting company, but the Che version is looking a little too cuddly, don’t you think?”

Ahhh. We think he’s kinda cute. Of course, nothing compares to our own hand-knit Che doll.

Essaouira, Morocco.
Muted Che.

This picture was submitted by traveler William M.

While wandering the ancient town of Essaouria, Morocco, he spotted this toned-down Che amidst a bevvy of colorful local art.

Che almost got lost in the crowd. Almost.

Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Che Under Foot.

This picture was submitted by traveler Lawrence F.

He spotted this massive graffiti-style Che on his last day in Buenos Aires.

If you’re planning a trip to the city and you want to check and see if this Che is still there, Lawrence sent along these directions:

I walked past the Law School on Av. Pres. Figueroa Alcorta. There is a footbridge just east of the school which crosses over Av. Alcorta.

After walking over the bridge and upon reaching the opposite side, I turned around and found Che! Yeah!

The True Story of Che Guevara
2007
Directed by Maria Wye Berry

The opening lines of this documentary are: “A hero to some.  A monster to others.  He hoped to start a third World War…”

Obviously, this film isn’t a fluffy Che lovefest.

The intro then continues: “The man they hoped the world would forget has become a legend.”  Indeed he has.

This History Channel documentary called The True Story of Che Guevara gives the impression that it is just that. The narrator speaks with a tone of integrity and authority. The production standards are high; great footage and photos are interspersed with interviews.

The line-up of interviews seems pretty balanced. However, it should be noted none of the interviewees currently lives in Cuba. Some interesting appearances included Nikita Khrushchev’s son, Sergi, and several Americans who fought with the rebels in the Sierra Maestra.

Where some films display a clear pro-Che bias, going so far as to regard Che as the mastermind of the Cuban revolution, this one considers how politics and war shaped Che and his beliefs. Whole minutes are spent describing the political climate of the time, Fidel Castro’s rise to power, and post-revolution Cuba without mentioning Che’s name.

Many of the factual assertions in this film come from John Lee Anderson, author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life. After years researching the man, he doesn’t appear starstruck by the icon. Instead, he sums up his opinion of Che in two words: a paradox.

While he empathized with Che’s social indignation and passion, Che’s cold logic, rhetoric, and actions were terrifying, he said. Anderson also made a point to distinguish between guerilla warfare and terrorism. Other memorable quotes from Anderson include “[Che's] face has come to be the quintessential icon of youthful defiance of the status quo,” and “Che tried, but failed to change the world.”

Granada, Nicaragua.
Che Roots For The Yankees?

This photo was submitted by traveler Steve V.

He spotted this image of Che on the back of a parked car while strolling through the Parque Central in the city of Granada, Nicaragua.

“I thought Che was a Met’s fan,” he said.

Ha! Good one, Steve!

On the Road, Laos.
Che Rolls.

This photo was submitted by traveler Joy R.

She spotted these matching Che mud flaps on a truck cruising the road between Phonsavan and Vientiane, Laos.

We were excited to see the title of this film.  After all, it echoes the whole point of this site — spotting Che where you’d never imagine him and sharing it with the world!

But unfortunately, this documentary is a pretty standard biographical review of Che’s life from childhood to death.

The film is mostly in black and white, consisting of grainy footage, including home movies of Che’s childhood.

All the interviews seemed to be clips from conversations filmed for other projects, though, which makes the movie feel like a compilation film.  One notable appearance, however, was by Che’s father, Ernesto Sr.

Excerpts from Che’s essays, books and his letters home make up much of the narration.  In one of his letters home, pre-revolutionary Ernesto discusses his inner struggle between socialist and traveler.  Later, in a letter to his family before leaving to spread his idealism abroad, Che states he is split between Cuba, family, and the act of freeing nations while fighting against social injustice.

This documentary comes to us from Cuba, which lends a little different mix of footage. But interestingly, this Cuban portrayal of this Cuban Revolutionary hero is not significantly different from documentaries produced anywhere else in the world.