how I learned to stop worrying and love public transport

The first days we travelled through Xiamen by taxi, like non-chinese tourists (very exceptional) or rich people (not so exceptional). However, we don't like taxis for several reasons. First, they can fall apart every moment. Secondly, you see your money vanish into thin air on the counter and finally we don't like the taxi drivers: they smell, they're blind and they make detours (and even when you know it, you can't tell them (language problem) or not pay it (even wreckedly taxis have intact locks)).
Although we saw a lot of busses passing al through the city, our translators and coaches maintained that it would be impossible for foreigners to take a bus. The two biggest obstacles were the timetables written in chinese only and the absence of maps (not common in china).
After a few days of busspotting, we wrote down the numbers of the busses that stopped at some key stations, we are able to travel from the hotel to the centre of the city by bus.

The third means of transport is the bicycle. It is widely used in China, except for Xiamen, where the government doesn't support it (note: motorcycles are forbidden). Nevertheless, more and more people start to ride the bike. We wanted to be one of them.
So Mathieu took two translators in tow to buy a second handed bike (a new one is stolen immediatly) on the street, while it was Barbara's turn to stay in bed (being sick).
Mathieu was told to wait untill dusk was falling on a specific corner in town (thanks to some inside information). In the meanwhile, he tried a delicious meal with pig's blood on the recommendation of the translators.
Suddenly more than thirty shady characters appeared with all kinds of bikes, even a professional racebike (for 30 euro). After an hour of negotiation with several "salesmen" we had a bike but it turned out the hotel was kind of far (3 hours)! Solution: we put the bike in the bus.

We travelled by bus, we have a bike, mission accomplished!!
At your service,
Barbara & Mathieu