Prison Stories

One of the most famous prisons in the world is the inmate-run San Pedro, smack in the center of La Paz. Yep, I said “inmate-run”. Authorities guard the gates, but within the walls of the block-sized facility, the prisoners run the operations.

Years ago, tours of the prison were high up on the adventurist’s itinerary for La Paz, but the government has cracked down on them. It’s still possible to get inside, but you’ll need to make an effort and run into the right people. People like our new friend, New York Dave.

The first time we walked through Plaza Sucre, Dave pounced on us like a puma on prey. Barefoot and dressed in dirty, ripped clothing, he immediately struck up a conversation with us. Dave explained that he was a prisoner in San Pedro, but was allowed outdoors a few hours a day. Twelve years ago, he was jailed on trumped-up drug charges, but would be released in two weeks. The story sounded fishing, but his enthusiasm for his impending release was convincing, as were his answers to our “gotcha” questions.

We allowed Dave to walk us around the plaza and tell us about the prison. He clearly knew a lot about its history and the society within. San Pedro was built in 1895, with a capacity of 400 prisoners. Today, about 1500 mostly non-violent drug offenders are crammed inside, including quite a few foreigners. San Pedro is a city unto itself, with market stalls, organized elections, barbershops, restaurants, and groups of children playing. Coca-Cola has even purchased exclusive advertising rights within the walls! Families move in with their husbands and fathers, and a lively cocaine trade keeps the prison economy running smoothly — de facto legal, since policeman almost never venture inside.

Dave possibly could have gotten us into San Pedro, but neither Jürgen nor I had any desire. As compensation for his helpful history of the prison, he asked if we could buy him some coffee at the store. “That big jar should last for the rest of my two weeks!” At the checkout line, he added a bag of sugar and sardines, pushing his luck, then said goodbye.

A couple minutes later, we saw him at a different store, selling back the groceries for cash. I couldn’t have been any less shocked, and Dave didn’t even try and disguise what he was doing. Regardless of his tricks, or possibly because of them, we had a great time talking to one the more interesting characters we’ve had a chance to meet in La Paz.

In 2003, British citizen Rusty Young, a one-time inmate of San Pedro, wrote an extremely popular account of his prisoner days called Marching Powder. We haven’t read it yet, but have been told that it’s an engaging look inside one of the world’s strangest makeshift societies.

Location of the San Pedro Prison on our Bolivia Map

Book your Uyuni Salt Hotel Here

The Salar de Uyuni is the most bizarre landscape I’ve ever stepped foot on, wresting the title away from South Dakota’s Badlands, which I visited when I was nine. (That’s a long run, Badlands, nothing to hang your head about!) Absolutely level as far as the eye can see, the salt flat becomes one of the world’s largest mirrors when covered with water, and serves as an important orientation point from space. But we were visiting during winter, when the ground is cracked and dry.

The good people of Uyuni might be wanting for creature comforts like high-speed internet and a well-stocked shopping mall, but if there’s one thing they’ll never be lacking, it’s salt. The amount mined from the Salar, the world’s largest salt flat, is replenished annually, and the area is expanding by a couple meters every year. At the edge of the flats, we watched workers shovel pyramid-shaped piles of salt, which would later be trucked into town for processing. At its deepest point in the center, the layer of salt reaches eight meters in depth.

Salt isn’t the only mineral available in the flats: over 50% of the world’s lithium reserves can be found in the Salar de Uyuni. This valuable resource is highly prized by the automotive industry, for use in the batteries of hybrid-electric cars. But so far, Bolivia hasn’t laid out the welcome mats for foreign companies eager to begin extraction. The country is stinging from a history of exploitation; its natural wealth has padded the coffers of many people, very few of whom have been Bolivian. A skepticism of doe-eyed strangers claiming the best of intentions is only natural.

I could have spent all day in the flats, but we were compelled to leave before dark. Our jeep splashed through a bit of water before coming to rest on the western banks of the Salar, where we were treated to one of the most incredible sunsets I’ve seen in years. Watching the sun disappear behind the mountains, with the sparkling flats stretching out interminably, I found myself a little depressed that the most unusual part of our tour was already over on the first day. But I didn’t know how much beauty and adventure were awaiting us on the rest of the trip…

Location on our Bolivia Map
-Bolivia Guide Books