The final stop for us in La Paz is to visit the famous San Pedro Prison. Trying to organise a tour can be a bit tricky as we were informed that tours are not exactly ‘kosher’ and that money paid towards a tour is used to bribe security at the main gates. Needless to say we had extremely difficulty trying to organise a tour as you cannot book through your average tour agency as prison tours are illegal. Therefore, you need to find out tour guides contact details through word of mouth. Although, we managed to obtain some contact details we was unsuccessful in getting any tour.

As we all wanted to visit the prison we took the initiative and turned up outside the prison in hope that we could join another tour as we heard that there are usually 2 tours everyday. Upon arriving at the prison we was immediately approached by a large black man who wasted no time and introduced himself. His name was Kenny and he was from South Africa. Kenny smelt us from a mile away and knew we wanted to visit the prison as we clearly looked like backpackers which he was only so kindly to mention.

After a quick series of introductions Kenny took us into the prison where we went through a side entrance into a small room next to the main gates. Here we needed to pay our tour fees which I think he wanted to do in secret to ensure the prison guards and the actual tour guides did not see what was being charged. Once paid, Kenny asked whether any of us had a camera which we all replied no. We all assumed that cameras are a definitely no go as photographing a boss of a drug cartel would be like volunteering yourself onto death row. However, to our amazement Kenny was upset. He explained that you have an once in a lifetime opportunity to visit this unique prison and you don’t bring a camera. He said he would have sneaked our cameras in for us.

As we entered the prison we was given a stamp on our hand which was our only proof that we were visitors and not prisoners. As we passed through the huge security gates any imagines of what we had of prison disappeared. As we looked around you can see families playing with their children, market stalls and shops. The inside of the prison looked more like a typical underdeveloped Bolivian town than a prison.

Walking through the prison we was always escort by four large bodyguards. Our tour guide explained that it is not a dangerous prison and we only needed bodyguards to prevent any inmates attempting to beg from us. The reason the prison is safe is that the prisoners govern themselves. The inmates themselves have developed their own laws and rules that is applied through a hierarchy which must be respected, otherwise you are made to understand through various means which our tour guide explained.

Unlike a conventional prison inmates are expected to rent or buy their accommodation where they have the opportunity to live with their family. For inmates who are not as fortunate and cannot afford a cell are expected to sleep on the streets within the prison cell walls. Cells very in quality from having an empty cell, to having a cell with an window over looking the city or at the top end an ensuite apartment with it’s own kitchen.

However, you still have to understand that it is not paradise in here and that inmates are here for a reason. The have committed an offence and this is their punishment. Most for inmates we were lead to believe that they have been imprisoned for a drugs related offence such as trafficking. This is rather ironic as the biggest source of income into the prison is the trade / trafficking of drugs. We have been lead to believe that the prison itself has its own laboratory where cocaine is mass produced.

Upon leaving prison we did have the opportunity to purchase some cocaine which we all declined. However, one Canadian guy did want to purchase some as the cocaine produced here was supposedly one of the finest / purest in the world. Unfortunately, the inmate was requesting ten times the normal asking price so the Canadian guy had to decline. He only wanted to sample a small amount as he was advised not to attempted to take any outside the prison. This is because if caught he would find himself straight back into the prison only this time as an prisoner himself.

The San Pedro Prison is a total surreal and unique experience that we would recommend to anyone who is visiting La Paz. However, there is a book called ‘Marching Powder’ about an Australian guys experience of the prison which I would advise reading first.