Day 1 : The Walk Begins

As I waited for the team to arrive in a stunning place called “Gratitude”, the sky split opened and poured. A sense of defeat was already in the air at this time, which was soon dissipated by the arrival of the ministers and the French counsellor, who came, spoke and supported the cause.

Photo shoots, media coverage, a poem of support read by loving wife Uma, conversing with supporters and enthusiasts in both Tamil and English, reiterating the reason for the walk and the resilience we must all show now, in unison. It was all happening. In reality, I felt a bit like Bono without the sun glasses.

The rains were still unrelenting, a foreboding reminder of the power of climate, climate change and the need for world leaders to come to a decision at COP21.

More than a 100 of us walked. Nothing deterred us, we walked… walked….and walked some more. To keep us going, we were nourished with a hot slice of pizza and later cups of tea and cake.

The local police were brilliant. They gave us a barrier of protection all the 16km that we walked. Ramya Rajanna organisation for the day’s events went to plan without a hitch.

We ended the Day 1 stretch at a home called Rohini shared by many nationalities, hosted by another great woman with the same name as my wife, Uma. A nourishing dinner was served, which fuelled us. Natesa Iyer, my walking partner, who was shoulder to shoulder for the entire walk is helping me wrap up some interviews before we hit the hay, for a day well done.

Good night my friends. Thank you for the generosity! Join us tomorrow for Day 2’s update!