Gone fishing at Henti (North East) on the Onon River and other places too.

On the face of it, this trip should have been really boring for me. I didn't really fish - I threw the line in about 7 times and caught nothing. I chose to go on this trip because I knew that the fishing places in Mongolia are some of the most beautiful places to visit. And as usual I was right - it was brilliant! I ate fresh fish other people caught, got caught up in some harrowing moments, studied Mongolian language, camped, relaxed, cooked, joked around, slept a lot and experienced some of the stranger or lets say novel things that happen on trips like this. This includes stopping by a stranger's home for some shelter during a storm and meeting up with a watchmen/fisherman who then let's us stay at a closed tourist ger for the night.

The family we imposed on after a snow storm plus 2nd driver/mechanic man on the far left and Pete on the far right.

The watchman (and his fish) we met when we stopped to fish. He let us stay here:

So nice and warm. Having almost froze to death in my tent the night before I was thankful for this place.  

Interesting tree trunk. When fully functioning, you can use showers and western style toilets here. There is also a restaurant room with a mezzanine level with an awesome bar and other lovely things but it was locked. A place worth staying at in the future me thinks.

Our guide had to pull a few favours to get us into some of the better fishing locations so we felt lucky to be there. He used to be an ex fighter pilot so he took calculated risks while driving and pulled them all off or at least got us out of the bad moments - fun times :) I would highly recommend him to anyone - seriously. 

This is the type of plane Erden used to fly.

The town on the way to the Onon river. I could live out here.

Erden fishing - isn't it a lovely place?

Sam was reeling em in. Nice singlet.

I was sitting on this very comfortable branch until Pete came to sit next to me and then it collapsed. 

Erden and his catch.

Cooking up fish on the side of the river. Its quite a high bank. To make getting down the down easier, Pete built some stairs by digging into the side of the bank - very resourceful. Some might argue it was an act of environmental degradation but I was grateful for them anyway.

When they catch the fish, they beat it over the head. At that point, I freak out because the fish looks stunned with its mouth wide open. The blood is not from this method of killing. Its from Pete cutting into it.

Nice one Sam. That's dinner! 

I am tapping on ice on the top of the water. It was quite thick.

Pete taught me how to army roll.

Erden catches a fine baby Taimen (a rare fish found in Mongolia). When he took the hook out, it spat out this:

dinner for the baby Taimen has been spoilt.

On my walk I found a little wild mouse hiding under an abandoned jacket. Sorry to disturb cutie pie.

A story about a very special day we had:

Camping on the onon river we caught fish and ate it along the river. Delicious food and hot tea in a beautiful and calm setting that is until...
***
Next morning at 4am which felt like 1am, I wake to the sound of wind. Really really really strong wind. Umm, it will pass. I'll just try to get back to sleep. What felt like hours, hmmm, its still really strong. Holy crap, I wake up with my tent on me! Tent is collapsing around me, hmmm, I'll just wait here until something happens, like being flung, tent and all into the river. Hang on, the wind is blowing in the other direction. Phew, I will just be flung out into the vast plains behind me. Its ok, don't be a pussy, just take a few pictures and you'll be fine.

***

I hear voices, Sam and Erden calling out. We are getting the fuck out of here. Apparently the storm is not going to pass. I bolt upright, throw everything into my back pack, I start to take down my tent when I realise its disintegrating into my hands so I just tear it down and stuff it into the car. We are out of there.

***

Its snowing like crazy and Erden is doing a masterful job driving through slippery snow with visibility limited to about a meter in front. Whoopsie daisy, the Russian van glides almost gracefully out of Erden's control and comes to a stop in time before rolling or crashing into trees or tumbling into a river. Nothing too major at this stage. "Driving very difficult", Erden says kinda half laughing nervously and half dead serious. I can imagine, I think to myself. Pete is saying something but I am too busy removing myself from the situation to simply become a spectator.

***

Hmmm. You aren't proposing to... ok here we go, across that deep looking river flowing deceptively slowly with that extremely steep looking bank on the other side. It chugs, it grunts and it stops at that extremely steep looking bank. Ok. What now? Is just me or is this van on an extreme angle. Oh no, its fine surely. What was that? Water. In the car and exhaust. No. Really? Shit.

***

I don't give a shit what happens next, I am not getting out of this van into that water. I will be sure to die of hypothermia so I might as well stay here. I decide to speak, "Um Pete, will we have to get out?". Pete says something but again I move into my out of body state. This is an interesting situation these people have got themselves into, I think to myself.

***

Erden and 2nd driver/mechanic man negotiate with the engine which is cleverly accessible from inside the van between the driver and the front passenger seat.*

***

"What do you reckon we get out the fishing rod and just drop a line outside the window, hehe. Do you reckon Erden would find it funny?" Pete says under his breath. We all have a little giggle but agree Erden probably wouldn't see the humour in it at this point. Ah Pete. There is always time for a joke.

***

I recall Erden and 2nd driver/mechanic man getting out of the car into the cold, side stepping the water to get onto the bank, assessing the situation, getting back into the car and trying to start it again. Water has definitely entered the exhaust. Try something else. It was at the point when 2nd driver/mechanic man said "Fuck" in Mongolian that our hearts sank and we lost hope for it meant one thing. Our resilient, calm and resourceful pair were out of options.

***

At one point I wished I had my camera but I realised that I had stuffed into my bag, which is in a pile of crap at the back of the car, possibly getting wet. I also realised that now would not be a good time to be taking pictures of Erden and 2nd driver mechanic man quietly losing their shit.

***

Then something ingenious happened. Erden pumped the ignition over and over and over edging the car forward ever so slightly up the bank enough to allow the car to be high enough to start and then yank in reverse and drive straight the fuck out of that river bank on safe ground. What a van! I remember cheering, some elation and a few laughs. Then I thought, hang on a sec. Erden. you aren't going to try cross it again, woah! Its ok, he's just turning the car around in slippery snow, a little too close to the edge of the river and going back the way we came.

THE END

*The design feature of having the engine inside the car, being quite clever for situations such as this one, also makes the car very hot in that particular area. Men seem to notice it the most. They tend to describe their ass and balls as sweaty (how'd you like that one - nice little visual). My bottle of hand sanitiser melted slightly after being wedged in front of it. "Can anyone smell burning detergent?" Sam asks. "You're imagining things you crazy bastard" Pete and I balk. As we unpack the car at the end of the journey, oh that's where my hand sanitiser went.

PS: My camera didn't get wet :) but other stuff did. Thankfully none of it was mine.