Hi Betty Jean,

The situation there is certainly in the news from time to time. It's
certainly not safe to go to the Northeast part of the island--and it's
probably not possible.

Tourists still fly in to Colombo, the capital and head south or east. There
are roadblocks and soldiers visible near Colombo but there hasn't been any
trouble south of there. The chances of something happening even in Colombo
would be pretty remote.

It's sort of like how some people won't fly because they see plane crashes
on TV--however they don't think twice about riding in a car where the
dangers are statistically much greater. (Having just been rear-ended by a
teenager wielding a cell-phone, I can attest to the hazards of driving and
being at the mercy of insurance companies).

Back to shells. I didn't get anything fancy in Sri Lanka, not by most
shellers' standards. I was just completely amazed by being at a reef with
plenty of tourists and others walking by and being able to pick up live
cowries and cones in an inch of water (or none at all). There was a live
Bursa that I still haven't identified. And I spent hours hunched over on
the sand with my magnifying loop looking at the beach grit. It was
incredible. For instance, I've counted 12 species of Triphora from my haul;
I don't know what they are.

I did find out that even if I had wanted to dive, visibility was too poor
when I was there in Hikkaduwa. So it's important to check on seasonal
conditions before counting on diving in a particular location. When one
location is poor another may be fine, is what I heard about Sri Lanka.

I only glimpsed at the richness of Sri Lankan history and culture--and
that's another reason to head there for a fascinating trip. I'd love to
have another chance to go there.

David
Durham, NC


>Dear David -
>
>Regarding your comments on Sri Lanka,  I have a question that other people
>on Conch-L may also be interested in so will send this to the group.  I
>have heard the shelling is very good there and I would love to go; BUT have
>been told several times in the past that it is not wise to visit there
>because of serious problems between the various political groups which
>occasionally erupt into violence.   I would very much appreciate your
>comments.  (And did you possibly find a Cymatium armatum there?  I won't
>bother to ask if you are interested in trading.)
>
>Betty Jean, The Tall One
>
>At 12:02 AM 6/7/00 -0400, you wrote:
>>James Movich,
>>
>>I haven't been to Bali but I think of it as having some of the most
>>beautiful music in the world.
>>
>>I had a great 3 days in Sri Lanka for shelling and there's plenty more to
>>do there depending on your tastes and inclinations.
>>
>>David
>>Durham, NC