 The initial idea to write a book about Simón Bolívar came to García Márquez through his friend and fellow Colombian writer Álvaro Mutis , to whom the book is dedicated . Mutis had started writing a book called El Último Rostro about Bolívar 's final voyage along the Magdalena River , but never finished it . At the time , García Márquez was interested in writing about the Magdalena River because he knew the area intimately from his childhood . Two years after reading El Último Rostro , García Márquez asked Mutis for his permission to write a book on Bolívar 's last voyage . 
 The initial idea to write a book about Simón Bolívar came to García Márquez through his friend and fellow Colombian writer Álvaro Mutis , to whom the book is dedicated . Mutis <a href='been_done' title='1'><mark>had</mark></a> started writing a book called El Último Rostro about Bolívar <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>final voyage along the Magdalena River , but <a href='None' title='3'><mark>never</mark></a> finished it . At the time , García Márquez was interested in writing about the Magdalena River because he knew the area intimately from his childhood . Two years after reading El Último Rostro , García Márquez asked Mutis for his permission to write a book on Bolívar <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>last voyage . 
The initial idea to write a book abt Simón Bolívar came to García Márquez through his friend and fellow Colombian writer Álvaro Mutis , to whom da book is dedicated . Mutis done started writing a book called El Último Rostro about Bolívar  final voyage along tdaMagdalena River , but don't never finished it . At thdaime , García Márquez was interested in writing ababthe Magdalena River because he knew the area intimately from his childhood . Two years after reading El Último Rostro , García Márquez asked Mutis for his permission to write a book on Bolívar  last voyage .