Well we made it to La Paz, Its abit buzy for us and the traffic was crazy. We went to San Pedro Prision!! Not sure if you have heard of it but it is run by the priosioners!! There are guards out side to stop the prisioners going out, but all the rules are made up by them!!! You have to know someone to get in and get showen around. We stood outside deciding what to do and someone came up to us and said they were friends of Daniels (A prisioner) and he would show us around if we wanted!!. We said yes after lots of I dont knows. Because they run it they can do any thing they want once we are in there It is not governed by any one. We went in and Daniel was quite cool he showed us around while the other prisioners were all around us all as high as kites. They just sit in there and do drugs all day any type!! Daniel was high aswell. He openly admitted it, that thats all they do all day. They try and get tourists to come in as thats there drug money. 90 percent were drug trafficers. The others murderers, rapists etc. There are 8 different class sections to the jail. The prisioners are placed in sections depending on how much money they have - there are no cells. Each prisioner buys there own room. Daniel - Our new friend - Lives in 5 star accomodation. He could not show us areound the other sections as its way to dangerous. We were a group of 5 girls and we would not last long, so we were happy about about that. We spoke to Pablo Estevezs partner he had been in there for 17 years. Pablo is the partner of Americas most wanted or caught now sas drug tafficking people I think 20 years ago!!! Therewas another 5 tourists there but they were all drinking and doing drugs with the prisioners. They had been there all day!! That wahat it is famous for I think. Really bazzare and quite scary being in that environment, but we survived. I think you can even stay the night if you want!! The families stay in there with them as well kids etc!! Daniels "women" was there but she had had to much drugs by the time we got there and was naked on the bed with her 3 year year old son and also she is 6 months pregnant. We met some one later who had met her ealier sitting on their bed shooting up and sniffing coke etc while the son was sitting beside her!! What a life!! We got out safely, but only just!! There is some politician in there, who authorised the killing of 30 people!! so there were heaps of protestors outside when we were leaving throwing dinamite. They said it was safe but they throw one at us as they think we were on his side and we were there visiting him, so we had to sprint away!! our hearts were beating a million times an hour for about 5 hours after that. Was definately an experience being in there with all the badies and to be showen around by them also!!. Scary But we are alive.
It was there we left the tour ggroup and ventured out by ourselves. We have decided to continue with an English couple Ed and Aimee. They are heading in the same direction so has worked perfectly for us.
From La paz we went to the salt lakes. They were the most impressive lakes weve ever seen!!! Unbelievable!!! 28000 sq km or something of salt. Pure white and miles and miles and miles of flat white plains!! Weve never seen any thing like it. And its so hard to decribe. Its just that all the water has gone and left the salt. Was amazing Drove in 4 wheel drives around there. We went to the sdalt hotel for lunch, but we went with a tour that didnt sleep there as we had been told thats bad for you, some how. But was neat inside every thing is salt!! Absolutely amazing. The photos do it no justice really. The next day we drove around the mountains stopping at the lagoons etc, seeing flamingoes. Even the mountains are hard to explian. Its just miles of nothing but flatness (and Dust) and the rock mountains, no grennery or anything. Not much could survive there. One lagoon was an acid lake so definately nothing survived there. It was incredible. We slept at the red lagoon. Its a lagoon thats completlely bright red from algae. That was absouyltely spectacular. Apart fromm being about minus 10 degrees was such a cool trip. Swam in the hot natural springs on the last day at about 5 in the morning to thow out. That was cool. It was just a natural lake that was boiling hot. then it was a whole day drive back to Yuni. We then got on a bus for anothr 7 hours and now we are in Potosi!! The highest city in the world 4800metres. Its hard to beathe at rest!! not much here but we had been driving for so long yesterday we decided to get off the bus at 2 am and stay here for the night and day to get clean and rest. We were pretty tired as we were getting up and 4 at the salt flates.
