11. Into the Wild… A Solo Walk to Bhujling (19th June 2022).

#soloroadtrip #barot #barotvalley #sleepinginthecar #luhardi #bhujling 19th June, 2022, Sunday…Day (11) Barot-Lohardi-Bhujling-Barot (17 km). Solo Road Trip to Barot Valley, Day (11)…Barot (Walk to Bhujling). Some journeys are planned. Some simply happen. And then there are journeys where you park the car, leave the road behind and walk into the unknown. This was one of those days. After more than six hours of peaceful sleep inside Lalpari, I woke up at 7 am—late by my standards. The sun was shining, Barot was awake, and by now the little valley was beginning to feel like home. People recognised me, smiled, exchanged greetings and seemed to know that this wandering old man was always looking for another road, another trail, another story. After some quiet time around the Fountain, it was time to move. Three remote villages were on my mind—Sherna, Swad and Bhujling. I drove to Lohardi, stopped at Prem Sweets for a plate of yummy samosa-chana, and continued towards the project gate. The guard stopped me with some news. The road to Sherna was damaged. Better park the car here and walk. So I did. And I Chose Bhujling Sherna and Swad were shorter walks, but involved a steep climb. Bhujling was farther, but the trail was almost level, running alongside the turbulent Uhl River. For me, the choice was easy. Bhujling it was. And then the road disappeared. The walk turned into a rough trail through the woods. Boulders under my feet. The river roaring beside me. Birds singing somewhere deep inside the forest. Waterfalls tumbling down the mountainside. Little streams rushing across the trail. Trees and shrubs whispering in the breeze. And hardly a human being anywhere. At times, the thought of wildlife lurking somewhere nearby did cross my mind. But strangely, there was no fear. I was simply too absorbed in the beauty around me. A senior citizen. A novice trekker. Walking alone through an unknown forest, despite an old spinal injury. Sometimes even I wonder— What makes me do these things? Perhaps curiosity. Perhaps the love of the unknown. Perhaps the road itself. Whatever it is, it keeps pulling me away from the familiar and towards places where very few people go. My Companions Were Nature That day, I had no human companion. But I wasn’t alone. The roaring Uhl River walked beside me. Birds sang from the trees. Insects hummed in the undergrowth. Streams gurgled across the trail. The forest whispered. And occasionally, a waterfall announced its presence with a distant roar. It was so pure. So untouched. So wonderfully natural. For long stretches, there was absolutely no sign of human habitation. And then, suddenly… Bhujling appeared. Almost out of nowhere. Like a tiny fairyland hidden deep in the mountains. Rustic wooden houses. Small vegetable fields. Children. Men and women going about their daily lives. And curious eyes looking at me. I looked at them. They looked at me. I am sure they must have wondered— “What is this old man doing here, walking alone?” We smiled. We talked. A few words became a few more. For a little while, I wasn’t a traveller anymore. I was simply another human being sitting among people in a remote mountain village. I walked till the end of the village. And then it was time to turn back. A Remote Village, Yet Connected Bhujling surprised me in another way. Despite being so remote, it wasn’t completely cut off from the modern world. There was electricity, a primary school, BSNL network and solar lighting. The villagers seemed to live between two worlds. One rooted in old mountain traditions, wooden homes and simple living. The other connected to smartphones, internet and the outside world. A fascinating combination of old-world simplicity and new-world connectivity. Back to Barot The return walk felt different. The same forest. The same river. The same birds. But now I knew the way. Eventually, I reached Barot. And what a contrast! The quiet valley had turned into a Sunday celebration. Crowds everywhere. People laughing. Eating. Talking. Enjoying themselves. While I was completely exhausted. Years of travelling have taught me that tiredness is sometimes the best part of a journey. I found a shady tree and simply surrendered to the afternoon. No plans. No hurry. Just rest. Later, I woke up to another beautiful Barot evening. Another walk. Another cup of tea. Another day fading quietly into the mountains. And finally… another night inside Lalpari—my home on wheels. Looking back, Bhujling was much more than a village walk. It was a walk away from roads. Away from crowds. Away from the familiar. And deep into the silence of the mountains. Somewhere between the roaring river, whispering forest and that little village hidden in the hills, I realised once again— the best journeys are often the ones we never planned. For more videos and travel stories, search "Sunil Azaad".