Nonstop data collection, iffy infrastructure

From sun-up to past sundown, this team of scientists is out collecting data. We raced to Trincomalee and are now racing to Batticoloa. I have little time to sit and write. And my ability to transmit stories on the go has been seriously hampered by the fact that these damaged areas have little functioning infrastructure.

Our battered hotel in Trincomalee advertised that it had an Internet connection, which was true. It only transmitted sporadically, at a rate of some four kilobytes per second. My satellite phone doesn’t work for some reason. I did eventually find a working Internet café in town and was able to send the story and photos.