From Iquitos to La Paz

After finally surviving the terrible boat trip to Nauta, we had to drive another two hours by car to reach Iquitos. Our friend from Chile and we shared a car so that we didn't have to take another crowded collectivo. Upon arrival in Iquitos, we set out to find a hostel. On the way, a tuctuc driver asked us where we wanted to go and took us to a super air-conditioned hostel. At first, they wanted to rip us off a bit when it comes to the price, because we are "gringos", but after the Chilean got upset for us, we only paid 30 soles per night. In Iquitos, we treated ourselves to a proper shower, but with cold water, and something delicious to eat. Generally, not much happened. We visited the market of Belen, where it was possible to buy crocodiles, larvae, and turtle eggs. But you really can't imagine the terrible smell on the market spread over several streets.

We also visited two rescue centers. There, animals that have been collected by the police at markets, where they were going to be sold, are brought in for rehabilitation. It was particularly important to me that they don't just keep the animals to make money from tourists, which is why I asked several times. There we could feed monkeys, hold sloths, observe anacondas, and spot manatees.

On September 23, we flew to La Paz via Lima. On the first day, we visited the Witches' Market and did some sightseeing. The prison of San Pedro in the city center was particularly exciting. There is no barbed wire fence and no cells. The criminals (rapists, drug dealers, murderers) all live together. The wives and children, who are also allowed to leave the prison, live with their husbands/criminals in the prison. (https://www.galileo.tv/themen/gefaengnisstadt-san-pedro/)

We could see the entrance where the women went in and out and also saw some inmates standing at the gate. The internet says that you can visit the prison for €3.20. Since there are no rules in the prison and the police have no power, it was definitely too unsafe for us. Also, just seeing the inmates from the outside intimidated us.

In the afternoon, we were back at the hostel relatively early because we both had some problems with the altitude and felt dizzy and nauseous.

Today, we were picked up after an hour's wait at around 9:00 a.m. We drove up the Chacaltaya Mountain, which is 5,395 meters high, with a small van. We had to walk the last stretch because it snowed last night and the road, which I think is dangerous even without snow, was no longer passable. We had to hurry a bit with the descent because a storm was approaching, which could have been dangerous. Then we drove to Valle de la Luna, where you could see a landscape of clay that is supposed to resemble the lunar landscape, hence the name.

Tonight, we are taking an overnight bus to Uyuni. This time, we treated ourselves to a bus with beds (180-degree reclining seats) because the price difference was €10, and we have some problems with the altitude, so we would like to sleep reasonably well.