Can you elaborate, because if it means 90 minutes on a bone shaking bus on dangerous roads in the cold to get to one place, with other classes afterwards, then to some FT's that would be a big deal.

Arne't these bone-shaking experiences an integral part of the rich tapestry of an FT's life in exotic China? What about building up those little Pickwickian anecdotes to thrill customers in The Great White Horse, Ipswich, when you get to sixty? We all need to be interesting, so we need to have roughed it a bit. Isn't China all about roughing it? What if everything went according to plan during your stay in China; not many anecdotes to be gleaned out of went-to-plan. I don't feel we should always be complaining; that's not very character building? Cheers&beers.