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Date:
March 28, 2002
Hello !
I hope this email finds you all well.
I am writing form the tiny town of Alota in extreme
southeast corner of Bolivia. The sun is rising in
front of me and the cold morning air is biting the
tops of my ears. A cup of hot mate and a plate of
scrambled eggs will complete the start of my day.
My last week of travel have been filled with the joys
of exploring the world. I have witnessed awesome
natural beauty, had my social ethics stirred and made
new friends. I am a lucky man and I welcome you along
for the ride.
A pounding overnight bus trip followed my departure
from La Paz. The dirt road north of my destination (
Uyuni) had been decimated by the recent rainy season.
The only positive comment I had about this bus was
that it had all it's windows. I mention the windows
because of the cold Altiplano nights and due to recent
demonstrations that erupted in Bolivia over the US
backed policy to eradicate the coca crop. The policy
spawned protests in the form of public strikes and
roadblocks. In some of the more extreme cases bus
windows were shattered by stones. Uyuni is an isolated
desert town that thrives on the tourist trade created
by the superb nearby Solar country. The most popular
tour is a 4 day 4wd excursion that skirts the Chilean
border before returning to Uyuni.
I loved the relative pampering that I received on my
tour. I delegated the responsibility of cooking,
finding lodging and navigating this remote area to my
driver and cook. There was a total of six people
tucked into the Toyota Land Cruiser.
My first day out of Uyuni took me to the Solar de
Uyuni. It is a immense salt plane that encompasses
about 12000 sq. kms. The basin fills with sallow water
during the rainy season. As the water evaporates the
salt crystallizes. What remains is a brilliant white
surface that has the identical characteristics to a
snow covered frozen lake. The salt crunched under my
feet and puddles resembled slush. At one point under
my feet was the epitome of a frozen lake, above me was
an intense sun, behind me was an island of giant
cactus and in front of me was an emu waiting for a
piece of my banana. My senses were left confused.
My second and third day were filled with unique and
surreal natural beauty. Landscapes that evoked the
memories of a Martian B movie set. Fire red lagoons
where white and pink flamingos lazily passed time.
Geysers that bubbled what appeared to be molten clay.
Lakes that changed color from blue to a vivid jade
when the wind stirred the lake`s sediment and hot
spring that melted away the morning chill. The stark
beauty of this region was a wonderful experience for
me.
I credit fate for making my tour of SW Bolivia a
success. It was by accident that I ate breakfast with
the couple that recommended my tour. It was by chance
that I met Helen and Jennie in the bus station on my
way to Uyuni. It was their humor, curiosity and
companionship that made all the difference. Thanks
ladies. I hope to see you both again in my future.
I took a bizarre tour in la Paz that I feel you will
find interesting. Bare in mind that all my information
came from Louis my tour guide. Louis is originally
from Virginia and is in jail for smuggling cocaine.
Because his parents are diplomats in Washington DC he
claimed that his diplomatic immunity gave him the
ability to smuggle drugs through international
airports. He was arrested in Bolivia where he bribed a
judge $15000US to be placed in San Pedro Prison
instead of a federal facility. I doubt the facts of
Louis' personal life. I do believe the general
information that he supplied on the operation of San
Pedro Prison.
I approached the front entrance of San Pedro. Massive
grey walls stretched the length of the block in both
direction. I told the guards that were armed with
automatic weapons that I was there for the tour. They
sent a messenger for Louis while I passed through a
metal detector and handed the captain a copy of my
passport. The surroundings were threatening but the
mood was light. Louis who is a small gaunt man soon
appeared and I was allowed into the open air prison
courtyard . Over the next one and a half hours this is
what Louis told me in his rapid English.
San Pedro receives no federal money. All the operating
expenses including the guard salary are paid by the
prisoners. The inmates earn income by transforming
their cells into restaraunts, tailor shops, shoe
stores and office supply stores. ( I could have had a
fake student ID made during my tour. ) These
enterprises give the enclosed community the feel of a
small city. The prisoners are allowed to accept
outside work to supplement their income. The hope is
that their business will carry on after their release.
The prison is divided into 5 sections. The 5 star
section has a health spa, movie theater and cable TV.
The 1 star cells are a room with a dilapidated cot.
Prisoners buy their cells with a one time fee between
$20US to $ 2000US. When an inmate leaves he can either
sell or rent his cell to an incoming prisoner. Once
established a prisoner`s family including his children
are allowed to live within the jail. All expenses for
food, medical, drugs or female prostitution are paid
out of the inmates personal income.
There are rules to which all prisoners must conform.
No violence toward the woman, children or other
prisoners. Everyone must work. Drug use is not allowed
in the presence of children and all inmates are
required to bath daily. The rules are enforced by an
armed internal police force consisting of inmates. The
guards are not allowed inside the prison's front gate.
The punishment varies form being thrown into a water
tank for not bathing, 50 lashes with a steel rod for
public drug use to instant expulsion to a federal
facility for any act of violence.
The prison also house a Catholic church and an
orphanage. Louis claims that half of the proceeds of
his tour go to the the guards and the remainder
supplies 136 orphans with food, medical care,
schooling and housing. The orphans roam through the
complex playing games and riding bicycles.
Coke also sponsors the prison. They donate the tables
and banners for the exclusive right to sell there
products at San Pedro.
Louis ended his tour and escorted me to the front
gate. Soon I was walking towards my hotel with many
ethical questions. Is it justified for a government to
ignore it's prisons based on the premise that it lacks
funds ? Aren't prisoners suppose the be punished for
their crime instead of enjoying a higher standard of
the living than the average citizen ? Are orphans who
are housed and educated but exposed to drug use and
prostitution better off than those living on the
streets ? Is it possible for a drug dealer to be a
humanitarian ? I pondered these questions as I
strolled down the sidewalk. I equate this " Everybody
is Happy " mentality with a stag net social situation
in South America. As long as nobody demands better
nothing will ever change.
Tomorrow I begin the ride north through the cities of
Potosi and Sucre. Then I turn south to Buenas Aires
for the final leg of my Latin American trip.
I miss you all and look forward to seeing you in May.
Dennis
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