 In 1948 , Guevara entered the University of Buenos Aires to study medicine . His " hunger to explore the world " led him to intersperse his collegiate pursuits with two long introspective journeys that would fundamentally change the way he viewed himself and the contemporary economic conditions in Latin America . The first expedition in 1950 was a 4 @,@ 500 @-@ kilometer ( 2 @,@ 800 mi ) solo trip through the rural provinces of northern Argentina on a bicycle on which he installed a small engine . This was followed in 1951 by a nine @-@ month , 8 @,@ 000 @-@ kilometer ( 5 @,@ 000 mi ) continental motorcycle trek through most of South America . For the latter , he took a year off from his studies to embark with his friend Alberto Granado , with the final goal of spending a few weeks volunteering at the San Pablo leper colony in Peru , on the banks of the Amazon River . 
