16. A Beautiful Morning at Phuladhar & a Scary Drive to Rajgundha (24th June 2022).

#soloroadtrip #barot #barotvalley #sleepinginthecar #phuladhar #billing #rajgundha 24th June, 2022, Friday…Day (16) Phuladhar-Billing-Rajgundha (67 km). Solo Road Trip to Barot Valley, Day (16)…Phuladhar-Rajgundha. Woke up to a beautiful morning at Phuladhar. A lovely sunrise appeared behind the clouds and the mighty Dhauladhar Range. Lalpari was parked peacefully inside the Forest Rest House compound, and I had slept wonderfully well. But that morning, Lalpari had other plans. She simply refused to wake up. Repeated attempts failed. I called my friend Prem Thakur at Kufr Dhar for help. He called his mechanic in Paddar, who, in turn, contacted an electrician from nearby Ghatasini. Soon, a taxi arrived with Amit, the electrician. He was quick and efficient. Within minutes, he found the fault and fixed it. The power converter had choked, taking the fuse and a transistor with it. The transistor, in turn, had drained the battery completely. Strange things happen on the road. But wonderful things happen too. In just three days, the problem had appeared—and been solved—three times. And every time, there was help. Every time, there was a new friend. Every time, there was another reminder that the road is not just about places and journeys. It is also about people. And perhaps, about discovering a little more faith in humanity—and in oneself. I had already spent enough time in Barot Valley. Yet, somehow, my heart wasn’t ready to head home. So I drove down to the highway, turned towards Bir, climbed up to Billing and then took the rather scary 14-kilometre road to Rajgundha. En route, stopped at a desi dhaba for chicken chawal. Then sat back and watched excited paragliders launch themselves into the sky from Billing, perched high above 8,000 feet. Billing was lively. Noisy. Full of activity. Rajgundha was the exact opposite. Quiet. Cool. Peaceful. A few campsites had a handful of guests, but beyond that, there was little to disturb the silence. This was exactly what I was looking for. I decided to spend the night in Lalpari, parked near A Day in Rajgundha, a campsite run by Surender and Shakti Thakur. I told them about my plans and asked if I could have dinner at their campsite. They happily agreed. The evening was beautiful. A leisurely walk around. Conversations with fellow travellers. Music playing softly. And, surprisingly, a full Jio network! Then came another lovely surprise. Shakti Singh brought my dinner and served it right inside Lalpari. What more could I ask for? Another evening. Another new place. Another night inside my Home on Wheels. And another beautiful memory to carry home. Rajgundha had quietly found its way into my heart. For more videos and travel stories, search "Sunil Azaad".