*transport

Ferry was free from amoy to Gulang Yu.  you only need to pay 8 kuai to come back.  the first day we paid 15 kuai going there (because we were not creative enough to imagin free ferry rides, damn!) .  being the stupid tourists, of course you are seated on a tacky flashy boat with well-built shipmen in uniforms (wow) renting telescopes to 10-year-olds, so that they can see part of Tiaw an.  why do they need to see ta iwan?  the loudspeaker told us about the surroundings, with quite intersting English translation, which was 90% fast-forwarded, just when you start to get into it.

 

ah, mixed feeling towards buses!

 

after several attempts of making full use of the city's public transport system, with fair success, we decided to risk a long ride.  the limited choice led us to be patiently waiting for Bus 503.  oh good old 503, reminds me of my university life back in Beijing.  the shabby little bus stopping very so often in front of the university gate, shouting for customers for a 1-kuai ride to the underground.  anyway, this 503 would take us all the way from the southeast point of the city to Marco Polo Plaza in the west (of course that has to be the 'west'), after only, 14 stops.

 

taking all the time and effort we spent on this 503 bus and then walking in the winter chill for a while, it was not a great surprise that we enjoyed our very late afternoon lunch (nothing before that).  thanks to our good education in manners, we did not eat the posters on the wall with pasta and bread.  but after a nice tea and post-lunch chat, we rejoiced with new gained energy, and faith in buses, again. 

 

i studied the route in the bus stop.  then decided to go to the opposite bus stop across the road.  then decided to go across the road.  then

back to this side of the road.  after THREE times of crossing the lovely broad road, we hopped on a nice bus 76.  not many people on it at all, we even got seats to enjoy the night view at ease.  it was indeed a pleasant journey, until when the sweet lady in the loudspeaker said 'next stop, the terminal', and it was a name that was not the Ferry we were going, well, we thought we were going.  we sat on the right bus but the OPPOSITE direction!!  i couldn't bring myself to tell Mr T what happened.  my knees were softened by laughter. after getting off the bus i could barely stand staight, wiping tears from laughing.  with all the effort and caution!!  now we are in the middle of NOWHERE!

 

on the final day we were still brave enough (stubborn more appropriately) to take Bus 27 to the airport.  early it was for us to get up and got to the Ferry two hours and 20 minutes before the flight.  long it was to wait for the bus which BEFORE that day was ALWAYS on the show.  it took its sweet time going to every possible cornor of the city and then parked a mile away from the airport, after passing by it.  we were not late, given the fact that the lady at the 'fast pass' let us go.  she came all the way to the boarding gate when our flight starts to board, telling us they needed to open the luggage because 'there are some bottles of liquid in', which apparently enough (to me) were shampoo and showering gel.  we were the last to board.  but it's ok, we were on row 7.