change ferries at Wuhan

Friday 5th April
 up early to catch breakfast.
A hot steaming bowl of rice gruel - congee. Surprisingly nice to sip on a chilly morning. It’s grey and cloudy with a hint of rain. Today is world economics day for my friends in the dormitory. How much I earn? how much my trousers? how much my padded silk jacket? 50 to 100 yuan a month seems to be their salaries. Plus food vouchers, and a flat.
Write up diary in 2nd class lounge. It’s a mistake to lean over the rails on the fourth deck, there is a continual light drizzle of gob from the decks above.

Fellow travellers

Arrive at Wuhan late afternoon, my friends take me in hand as they are also continuing down the river. There’s a ticket office on the pontoon at which we moor so I’m directed over and we join the queue. After a while the lady shepherding the queue starts giving me the big 'no no' about sleeping on the boat tonight-it leaves in the morning. (It could have been the big no no for a ticket for all I knew, but mates explained to me later) however her a rock like face begins to crack after five minutes of good humoured persuasion from my friends. A smile breaks through, out comes my money, and she gets me a ticket to Shanghai 4th class plus sleeping overnight for 17.50 Yuan.
Wander around Wuhan with my companions for a few hours. Eat bowl of noodles, two baozi, fried black beans and Chinese vodka for 0.5 Yuan in a dock side Café.
Board, ferry, a different one, older and tattier. But I am in a different dorm to my pals.