Zerish had plans for tonight. 2230hrs we were to rendezvous at the Besant Nagar bus-stand. 2225hrs and there was nobody in sight. So Cheeru, Dil, Arun, Zerish and myself headed to Java Green for some 'Bring me to life' coffee. By the time we returned, there was a fairly large group of people assembled for the 'Turtle Walk'.

Groups of people in shorts and slippers with shoulderbags. Moving down a deserted Besant Nagar road at an odd 2315hrs. People stare at you with that quizzical look 'Scout camp ?'

We walked from there and again assembled at the beach, near the Murugan Temple in Besant Nagar. Arun, from the School Sea Turtle Conservation Network (SSTCN), gave us a brief introduction. Yeah. The pregnant turtles come to shore around this time. Dig deep pits on the shore and lay their eggs. We're here to find those eggs and carry them to this shelter which they call the 'hatchery'. There, the Olive Ridleys have a better chance of survival. Wait a minute.. Did he say we ? Me was a bit unprepared for the 'we'. I was here for the Turtle Walk. The fine print in the Adyar Times never mentioned that we'd be digging up the sand and carrying eggs. Cheeru, Arun and myself dashed home to be 'suitably dressed' for the evening.

By the time we returned, the others had got a two km lead. The walk from Besant Nagar to Thiruvanmiyur beach takes a while. The entire stretch was desolate and the waves kept crashing onto the shore. We kept walking. The only people we spotted were two youngsters who wanted us to join, in their game of flood-lit beach football.

Some 20mins of walking later, we caught up with our group of Turtle lovers lying on the sand. I've been part of a Nature trail earlier, and such lazy breaks are, mandatory. The air was moist. My hands felt salty and all of us were already hungry. My remark on having turtle eggs for breakfast did not go down well with the women.

I don't know how long we walked. This was unlike a regular nature trail through swamp, grass and creepy-crawlies' infested country. We stopped once more to watch some SSTCN volunteers poke their sticks in possible turtle cavities. No luck.

At around 2AM we were at the hatchery in Nilankarai. We were dumb to assume that there'd be eggs all over the place. They were, but all buried 20cm in the sand. The area was enclosed in a bamboo fence and there was not much left to witness. So all the nature lovers pulled out their quilts and sleeping mattresses and collapsed.

The Famous 5. Salted, hungry and tired. We were in no mood to rest on the sands. Got directions for a 24hr coffee shop nearby and before we realized, we were on the ECR. Helped ourselves to some Tiger biscuits and Coffee/Tea, flagged down a share auto and returned home. It was 4AM. The only thing you'll get in all of Besant Nagar and Adyar at that hour, is more Coffee/Tea and inquisitive cops.

We didn't see any of them turtle eggs. And I didn't even see the tracks. But somehow everybody had had a good time. And Zerish wants more of it. I'm not going back till its sprouting season.