P.S. Even the street cops are fully decked out in military-like vests, helmets, and automatic rifles.

I've noticed this and it can be intimidating at first but I guess they have a good reason. They seem to leave the people alone for the most part, there are a lot of checkpoints when I am riding around with my family but whatever they are looking for, it isn't us.

I don't need an airport to be super modern, I just want it to be streamlined and for things to work, and in that case GDL gets really high marks from me. I suppose the customs guy being a bit abrasive is kind of what they need to be like, we can't have them being all cordial to everyone. This guy was all business and that's fine. It's not like he was shaking me down or anything.