Shoot out at the not so OK Corrall

I watched Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid a couple of months ago in preparation for this trip, and it seems some things never change.

Some of the scenery we’ve seen, and the 2 bit towns with dust blowing through, still exist more than I ever would have expected? Seems as if the shoot-outs do too.

Muppet and I ventured out on our own to do some last minute shopping before leaving civilisation La Paz  for the salt flats. Again, my stomach was dodgy that day, which has become pretty normal, but we were taking it easy, doing some watch shopping for Blondie when I confirmed what I had been hearing all that morning… Gun shots! Straight across the road. In the middle of main street La Paz, at protesters no less. Well, not at them, in the air, but enough to make me just a little scared. Probably not for me, but for those people trying to make a difference, the little protester in me thought back to the marches I’d been involved in, and how lucky I was to live where I do. Sure, we have some censorship problems and Ruddy propaganda, but we aren’t fired upon! No wonder these people have little hope.

I was a bit shaky and a bit teary after, but what could I do? I suppose what any Bolinger Bolshevik would do… Continued shopping.

All us girls met up for a pizza party in the evening, because this was really our last chance. Miranda, Suzanne and Georgia were jumping on another tour the next morning and we had to head off for the overnight bus to Uyuni.

Of course something completely random had to happen and just by chance, an ex New Yorker who had been jailed in San Pedro came up to us asking for money. He gave us the quick story of how he had gotten himself in there for 7 years (2.5 kilos of liquid coke), ironic isn’t it? And that he was friends with what’s his name who wrote ‘Marching Powder’, and could he do a quick rap for us? He clearly had a few screws loose, as I guess you would after 7 years in a cocaine and corruption filled prison.

Our last night pizza party. Photo Courtesy: Miranda Welham

Anyway, the pizza party that I was almost dis-invited to was lovely – thanks Chicas, see you in Rio for my B’day!

And then there was 2… The Muppets on tour by themselves? Would they last the distance? Find out later on in further adventures of the The Muppets.