Dec 2007

After a smooth flight from Rurrenabaque back to La Paz, we arrived at our hostel around 7pm, tired, hungry and in desperate need of a shower and some clean clothes!

The next day was our admin day, cleaning clothes, shopping, posting a parcel home and checking the internet; All those unexciting things that people never tell you about when they´re travelling...

We met up with our friends Dave and Angie and decided that we would do some ten pin bowling, which Angie had spotted on the main road in La Paz.

When we got there, it was literally liking going through a time machine, with wooden pins, and a few balls that actually bounced down the lane. There certainly wasn´t MTV blaring out of television screens here! The scoring system consisted of paper and a pencil and with none of us actually knowing the rules, we enjoyed making up are own! However, the highlight has to be the way the pins were replaced. As we knocked them down at a hasty pace, a middle aged man, cramped under the three foot hole at the end of the lane would dodge the balls and manually replaced each pin! Sometimes we thought he wasn´t watching and was bound to break his ankle, but to his credit he was extremely efficient!

Due to the novelty and the cost of 75p each, we continued to enjoy a few more games over the next couple of days.

We also visited the outside of the famous San Pedro prison, which is the setting for the book ´Marching Powder´. The Bolivian government obviously thought long and hard about the location of this high security prison, as we found it no more than 100 metres from the main road of the city centre. Here, amongst a picturesque park and hotel sat some of the most dangerous men of South America! Quite unbelievable. Having heard that anyone seen taking pictures has there camera removed, we took a walk around, noticing all the little cabin huts selling Johnny Walker whisky, and observing the many women and children going inside.

We finally said are goodbyes to our kingpin friends, Dave and Angie and look forward to seeing them when their travels reach London.

Sam Comments: Great city, with very friendly people, although don't know if that friendship is seen in the prisions.

E-J Comments: I´ve loved La Paz. It´s a dirty and busy city but it has the most beautiful view of the mountains right behind it. This is fascinating to observe both the modern day and indigenous people work side by side and as you walk down the main road there is a constant aroma of frying meat from practically every street vendor along and around the corner!