We stopped overnight at Konzila. The guidebook recommends securing accommodation as the first priority but I politely walked with fellow saloon class travellers who assured me there would be no problem. By the time I got there, the best place (6Birr/night) was full so I was led by a street boy to another who unhelpfully hiked the price up to 20Birr. I put my things in the room and bought a padlock from across the road to secure it.

In the town, I bumped into one of the crew from the boat who told me I had taken the room that he had already paid for, he had no objection to me staying there but he wanted his money back. As I only had his word for this we went back to the "hotel" to discuss matters with the woman who had given me the room. It transpired he had paid the local’s price (5Birr/night), which helpfully revealed the street boy had not been a good ally. I sent him off with a "flea in his ear" and insisted that I should pay the same as the locals. Initially this was "not possible" but the matter was resolved by the boatman pointing out that he had already paid so it was up to him if he wished me to have it. Of course I settled up with him, which ironically was all he was asking me to do in the first place.

Mon 8 Dec
Morning came soon enough and seemingly without any visitors in the night (six legged or otherwise). A boy arrived to make sure I was awake and to carry my bags back down to the boat. Of course I could have managed but earning has more dignity than begging for handouts.

We stopped twice during the day, these villages relying on the ferry for movement of goods. In the first I went ashore with the helpful boatman and had breakfast in a mud hut.