After a good nights rest, we packed up our bags and loaded the car for another long day of driving. It was only in daylight were we able to see where we stopped for the night. Apple orchards surrounded us, and in the distance you could hear the morning chatter of men while they packed boxes of Himachal Apples.

Our next leg of the journey was from Banjar to the Jalori Pass. En route, we stopped at the top of one of the mountains to take some amazing photographs of the valley. This is the beauty of travelling in your own group, we get to stop wherever and whenever we pleased.

When we made it to the pass, we decided to stop there for a parathas lunch at a local tea shop.

While we waited, we threw the rugby ball around, with some near misses where we would have had to climb down some really dramatic drop-offs on a side of the cliff. Also in the area was the Shringa Rishi temple at Bagi, most visited for it is considered the patron deity of the Banjar Valley. The deity is made of brass and stone and is seen riding a chariot.

We were getting increasingly excited. Every day this land brings about a new level of awe inspiring beauty. Every time you think this is the best the country has to offer, she surprises you again and again. Have a look at the photos to see the beautiful landscape!

Doesn’t Roh look like a Bollywood star in the photo below?

Bottom left photo below were these 2 guys on their Royal Enfields, a very popular tour option by Europeans and locals. I would have loved to do that! Cross country on your bike and what you could fit on it.

Because of the Rohtang Pass closure, we had to do a BIG detour to get to Spiti Valley. From Palchan, we were on the road for HOURS! Hoping to cover as much ground as possible. When we finally decided to call it a day, we had no idea which exact town we were at or where we were going to stay for the night?

Group decision was to keep driving until we see a guesthouse.

That’s when we came across this gem of a place somewhere in Banjar. I didn’t remember seeing any name at this place, but it was a designated tourist guesthouse. It was dark, and the owner had woken up to greet us and show us the room. Looked decent, and big enough to squeeze 5 of us in.

The guesthouse was completely made of wood, and we had just one bulb to light the room. There was a nice little balcony but it was pitch black outside so we had no idea what was beyond that. All we could hear was a running stream.

Instead of sleeping in the room, Saskia, Tobs and I decided to wrap ourselves up and sleep on the balcony. The reward was waking up in the morning to an amazing picturesque setting. It was one of the best nights of our trip. Expecting nothing and getting much much more back. I was having a “moment” just sitting on that chair, hearing the gushing water below, see the sun hit the mountains and slowly spread down to the rest of the valley. It was a good time to sit quietly and be grateful for everything in life. I then spent 15mins sketching in my book so I’d remember this moment.

Here’s a video walk through.