El Salvador

One last look in the Morning at Honduras

There is no safe place in San Salvador.

Welcome To El Salvador

Sean, Carol and Jonsey

All aboard the P-3

Surveillance. Land Sea and Air

As soon as we landed in San Salvador, we got picked up by an Amazing security team. Chris Jones and Sean Thornton. We took a bulletproof bus to the base and got a briefing.

El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821, like all the countries in the region and elsewhere, and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992. 

This small and volcano covered country is one of the most violent countries in the world. It is the home of the 18th street gang and MS-13, two of the most violent groups in the world. 

There are 5.8 million citizens in the country, 25,000 of them are gang members. In a country a little bigger than Massachusetts, there are 12 homicides a day. Currently, El Salvador has a murder rate of approximately 54 per 100,000 people, while the United States murder rate is around 6 per 100,000.

Don't ever let Carol fly- she starts talking and always misses the final approach.

El Salvador’s high murder rate brings the speculation that most of their murders currently go unsolved and with a little investigation. Coupled with the idea of death squads killing gang members would leave the assumption that El Salvadorian law enforcement officers would focus their resources towards the most serious of crimes—the killing of innocent persons, rather than the murders of gang members. With this in mind, it would be common knowledge that individuals or groups could murder gang members or criminals with little chance of being identified by law enforcement. The gang is growing every day and all over the world. We sat in on a briefing, and the most prevalent thing repeated though out is There is no safe place in San Salvador (El Salvador capital)

   

In the cockpit with the gals

Me making my best impression of my dad's angry Mustache

Private eyes. Clap* they are watching you. They see your every move.

In El Salvador, with the water there, you never want to see this sign.

We got a tour of a P-3 aircraft Originally designed as a land-based, long-range, anti-submarine warfare patrol aircraft, and its mission has evolved in the late 1990s (started building them in the '60s) as surveillance at sea or overland.
The P-3 has advanced submarine detection. That helped us during the cold war with the Ruskies!

 We got a tour of the base as well. The guys were so much fun when we got to the hotel we checked in and hung out with Sean and Chris. We had a couple drinks and ate dinner while they set the outside up for us.

Feliz Navidad Merry Christmas Noel and Bah Humbug!

I am the Grinch!

No Place is safe in San Salvador.

I love hanging with the Navy guys. I heard this a few times, Navy guys love tattoos and drinking, I am too hairy for tattoos but love drinking. I had a feeling the show that night was going to be great, and it was.

These tours are very special to me, and every one of them I meet guys, I know I will stay in touch with and make lifelong friends. This trip is no exception. During the show, a bat swooped in, and I said it was a gang spying on our comedy show.

Navy loves Tattoos and Drinking.

Its Showtime, Poolside in December

The Drunk Table!

Our greenroom was poolside.

Next morning we head home, Shawn drives us to the airport.

This is not how you want to leave Central America powder on mustache and shirt.

On the to Central America and back home, every single security guard who checked my passport noticed it is MARK ANTHONY Riccadonna. And all of them wanted to know if I know who he is, if I'm related or like his music just because we have the same first and middle name. Now I know how Kevin Downey Jr feels.