Main content

Choosing to Live in a Bolivian Prison

For many years, San Pedro prison in Bolivia opened its doors to backpackers who fancied an unofficial guided tour. Australian Rusty Young ended up living there for three months.

For many years, San Pedro prison in Bolivia opened its doors to backpackers who fancied a guided tour. The tours were unofficial and organised by one of the inmates, convicted drug smuggler Thomas McFadden. Australian backpacker Rusty Young joined one of the tours and became friends with Thomas. Rusty ended up living in the prison for more than three months to write a book about Thomas' life.

The Askelesson brothers from the north of Iceland spent countless hours and more than $200,000 restoring a small oak boat with yellow and white trimmings that was built by their late father.

Fifty years after his death, the South American revolutionary leader Che Guevara is still a divisive figure. Some people idolise him and others consider him an assassin. One man who knew a very different side of Che was his younger brother Juan Martin. He knew him as Ernesto. Juan Martin's been telling us what Ernesto was like before becoming a revolutionary, and how his brother's life affected his own.

Julie Tottman is a British woman who trains animals for film and television. She's been in the business for more than 20 years and has worked on the Harry Potter series, 102 Dalmations and Game of Thrones.

(Picture: Rusty Young in San Pedro prison. Credit: Niels Van Iperen.)

Available now

53 minutes

Last on

Wed 11 Oct 2017 06:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Tue 10 Oct 2017 11:06GMT
  • Tue 10 Oct 2017 15:06GMT
  • Tue 10 Oct 2017 17:06GMT
  • Wed 11 Oct 2017 03:06GMT
  • Wed 11 Oct 2017 05:06GMT
  • Wed 11 Oct 2017 06:06GMT

Featured in...

Contact Outlook

Contact Outlook

Info on how we might use your contribution on air

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected