Once we collected our luggage, we were brought to the hotel to check in. We saw two gang busts on the streets between the airport and the hotel. Security personnel are everywhere. And everyone, national police, mayor's police, and private security, has a firearm and walk the sidewalks in front of the areas they are to protect. It really does not seem that unusual anymore.
San Salvador is like we time warped back to 2008. It is amazing the contract between the two countries whose capitals are separated by a 35 minute flight. Nicaragua is so poor and has so little infrastructure that is a barely functioning free market while San Salvador is thriving. You easily could mistake San Salvador for an American suburb because of the commercial industry and huge shopping malls, the only difference is the fact that ever single street sign, billboard, side walk, building wall, and storefront was tagged with graffiti.
