Ooty heritage run - From metukuppam to metupalayam, going back in time: from office to school

Our journey started on a nice Friday evening while struggling to get an ola cab. Surprisingly reached central before time. While validating our names against the coache, I realised our friends from VV and CTC were also in the coach. We settled down early in the train with @nivi Vidya Karthik and Sreeja. Karthik was late as usual. However, Girija was on a different level. Due to a mixture of events her first finish line was directly our B2 coach. If only she had timed her run I think she would have broken some record!!!. So our journey started to metupalayam.
A good night's sleep later a new addition to our gang was பாலாஜி ஜோதிமணிwho had finished 6 wadas waiting for us. A little over 2 hours and we were right in front of the Lawrence school. Balaji was great company explaining away about farming, camping, hills along other topics while the sweet wind made me doze off again.
Too early to get in we were shooed away thus allowing us to go to ooty town to have sumptuous breakfast and back in time to the enchanting fort of a school right in time to meet our former train mates and a long lost friend,Bharani. A freezing shower later, with every bathroom in the dormitory like radio fm, we were hungry to pounce on the lunch. I met Dhevi as I was running to a pharmacy to buy dettol and band aid for Raj as he had hurt himself tripping over a stone. We met Ashwanth, Vanathi and Govind, Ravi ji,A Sriram Kumar, sandy in the evening at the school after we were back from the amazing flower show. Govind had reached ooty after driving on his bike 300+ km from Bangalore. Looked very handsome in his riding gear..
A nice dinner at the school and we tucked into a warm bed. Next day, The run started at 6:45 am after a good Zumba session during which Cesaw members rocked the stage. The trail was very breathtakingly beautiful and challenging with lush greenery all around and continuous ups and downs. Surprisingly I met Peggy too while running  . Whew!! The last leg of around 2.5 kms was more of a climbing challenge. Finally, after a grueling climb, the end was near. at the end, more than finishing my run I was happy for Amma and Nana to have finished 5kms and hugged her tight as soon as I saw her.

 A filling breakfast with amazing variety later, now it was time to perform our flashmob and spread awareness about‪#‎noplastic‬ and our coastal cleanup.. with such amazing crowd around it was fun to do the flashmob. Ashwanth ended the session with amazing oratory skills. Sriram's patience and passion was awesome as he kept up with the constant requests for photos in various poses.
Finally time to leave and there was no bus. After more than an hour, Girija Ji finally managed to stop an open auto with her persistence. Overcrowded in the auto, we almost caused a breakdown. We got a share auto till the bus depot from where we had an uneventful journey spare the random projectiles from a little kid.
Back at metupalayam, we met Karthik waiting for us. Just as the train arrived, it took barely a minute to doze into deep sleep as another normal day would follow.. And here we are.. Good morning Monday!!!
Thanks for organising a great event goheritage..

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