Racing report
Amazing Race Season 18, Episode 4
Film date: 2010-11-26 - 2010-11-28
Any driving times given are calculated using the web and assumes no other traffic. Also most of the times I list the order of the teams I also list how many spots they have gained(+) or lost(-) since the last order was given.
The teams are released from the pit stop at Commodore Perry's landing in the following order:
1. | Zev & Justin | 20:44 | |
2. | Gary & Mallory | 21:29 | (+0:45) |
3. | Ron & Christina | 21:38 | (+0:54) |
4. | Kisha & Jen | 21:50 | (+1:06) |
5. | Flight Time & Big Easy | 22:01 | (+1:17) |
6. | Jet & Cord | 22:34 | (+1:50) |
7. | Kent & Vyxin | 23:33 | (+2:49) |
8. | Margie & Luke | 23:52 | (+3:08) |
9. | Jamie & Cara | 00:42 | (+3:58) |
Route info: "Make your way to the city of Lijiang, China". Once there teams must make their way to Jade Dragon Mountain where they will find their next clue. Teams are provided with tickets for flights from Tokyo to Kunming and must use these tickets. They are then free to arrange their own transportation from Kunming to Lijiang.
The first step is to drive to Narita (135km 2:20). There is plenty of time since the flight leaves at 09:50 the next morning.
Choice quotes:
"
There's a lot of people in China, I'm not a people person", Zev
"
Both my dad and I have been to Lijiang already", Christina thinks they have an advantage
"
I do apologize for that", Jen apologizes for calling Luke a bitch in China during season 14
"
Everything's backwards here", Jet is still not used to cars with right hand steering
"
Our theme for today is PMA. Positive Mental Attitude", Kent & Vyxin, BEFORE the leg
"
So much for PMA", Vyxin a few minutes into the race
"
This is just the most stupid day ever", Vyxin when they are finally ready to drive away form the pit stop
Kent & Vyxin have no shortage of problems. First they have trouble finding their car. Then they have trouble getting into their car, and to top it off Vyxin make a major navigational blunder so they miss the airport. They are so lost that they miss the mandatory flight, which is:
NQ909 NRT-HKG 09:51-13:55
HX247 HKG-KMG 17:05-19:17
Choice quotes:
"
The million dollar question right now is where is Kent & Vyxin?", Justin at the airport
"
I don't understand where anything is", Vyxin tries to navigate
"
Well, I'm bad at directions", Vyxin takes the blame
"
Bye bye Amazing Race", Vyxin is convinced they will be eliminated
At 09.22, that is 30 minutes before the flight leaves, Vyxin realize they are heading in the wrong direction. And have been doing so for at least an hour. Once they realize this things starts to go better so they eventually arrive at Narita and find another flight via Seoul:
OZ103 NRT-ICN 15:30-17:56
MU2004 ICN-KMG 22:10-01:35
The first eight teams spend their time in Hong Kong to research how to reach Lijiang from Kunming. They all decide to take the train. Once they arrive in Kunming there is a mad dash to the train station.
Ron and Christina reach the station at 20.13 and catch the first train which leaves at 20:50 with arrival at 05:38.
The other teams (except Kent & Vyxin who are in Seoul at the moment) almost make it (we see teams trying to buy tickets at 20:47). But they have to take a later train (K9606) which leaves at 22:16 and arrives at 06:33.
Choice quotes:
"
Knowing that Kent & Vyxin are not on this train and not in China, makes this hard sleeper a little softer", Justin
Once in Lijiang teams make their way to jade Dragon Mountain. Ron feels a little peckish so they make a quick pit stop to get some local food. This starts a theme for this episode.
At the Jade Dragon mountain teams will be transported by marked buses to the next clue. The transfers starts at 08.00 so the first eight teams all comfortably make the first bus.
Kent & Vyxin have now arrived in Kunming and have found a flight to Lijiang.
MU5951 KMG-LJG 07:01-07:43
At the airport Vyxin forgets her passport at the check in desk, but they realize it in time to recover it.
As Kent & Vyxin are in a cab to the mountain we see the other teams reach the first clue box (at an elevation of 10629' = 3240m):
Route info: "Yak Yak Yak, saddle a Yak". Teams must properly saddle one Yak. Then one team member must ride it across the river to get their next clue. They reach it in the following order:
1. Jamie
2. Margie
3. Cord
4. Mallory
5. Ron
6. Zev
7. Kisha
8. Flight Time or Big Easy (not shown, but they are in the pack with the others)
9. Vyxin
Choice quotes:
"
We weren't Yakking around, we got it done", Jet & Cord
"
This altitude is no joke, I almost just blacked out", Margie
Route info, "Exit the valley. Ride the gondola to the station at the top", teams must now ride a gondola up the mountain and find Spruce meadow (at 14783' = 4506m) where their next clue awaits.
Road block: "Who thinks they are living a charmed life?"
The actual task is described as:
Search among tens of
thousands of Good Luck
Charms for the ones
depicting the animals of
the Chinese Zodiac.
When you have gathered
all 12 charms and
mounted them on their
display, you will receive
the next clue.
And this time we actually get to see the additional info as well:
Additional Information Sheet
- You must collect one charm for each of the 12 symbols of the
Chinese Zodiac. - A marked Zodiac Display is here for reference.
- You may not jump the fences and search the meadows.
- If you choose two of the same charms, you MUST make best efforts
to put the duplicate charm back where you found it. - Choose an empty Zodiac Display in the gazebo and claim it.
- Hang the charms you collect on your display. You may hang the
charms while you work wherever you find the, but[/b] to receive your
next clue the charms must ultimately be hanging in the correct order. - The non-participating Team Member must wait in the designated area.
Teams complete the road block in the following order:
1. | Gary & Mallory* | (1-2) |
2. | Ron & Christina* | (1-2) |
3. | Margie & Luke* | (1-2) |
4. | Jet & Cord* | (1-2) |
5. | Flight time & Big Easy* | (2-1) |
6. | Jamie & Cara* | (1-2) |
7. | Kisha & Jen* | (1-2) |
8. | Zev* & Justin | (1-2) |
9. | Kent & Vyxin* | (1-2) |
Choice quotes:
"
I know it in Chinese", Christina knows the zodiac by heart
"
Rooster? *making rooster sounds*", Cord tries to get an onlooker to help searching
"
Zev, you gotta move quicker than you're moving", Justin is feeling the heat after everybody but the Goths have left the road block
"
Did you just see Kent & Vyxin?[", Jet & Cord spot Kent & Vyxin going up in the gondola while they are going down
"
We hope Kent & Vyxin are way back somewhere", Justin, just before they arrive
"
You might be good at this, Charms are like puzzles", Kent know his weaknesses
"
So the flight you took was not the flight you were supposed to take", Justin sums it up for Kent
"
Now I'm starting to panic a little bit", Justin is nervous
"
That little pink Kitten is trying her best", Kent hops for a miracle
At the road block Zev is having lots of problems. First he can't find all animals and then he can't figure out how to hang them satisfactory. We get to see many nos from the judge. They are still there after the other teams have left. They are still there when Kent & Vyxin arrives. Unfortunately for the Goths Vyxin also has a meltdown when doing the roadblock so they do not manage to pass Zev & Justin.
Route info, teams must now go back down on the gondola. Then locate the marked buses and ride to old town Lijiang where they will get their next clue next to an ancient prayer wheel at the "Selling Grass Place".
Ron & Christina jump into some sort of electric cart instead of a bus, and takes a while to realize their mistake. Once they do Ron looses it. He starts screaming, Christina jumps out to catch a passing bus and Ron starts throwing stones after it. Flight Time & Big Easy who are on that bus tell their driver to stop so Ron & Christina can hop on.
Teams reach this clue box at the 'Selling Grass Place' in the following order:
1. Margie & Luke, meet #2 at the wheel
2. Gary & Mallory (probably at 10:25)
3. Ron & Christina, meets #4 & #5 at the wheel
4. Flight Time & Big Easy (probably at 11:20)
5. Jet & Cord
6. Kisha & Jen
7. Jamie & Cara
8. Zev & Justin
?. Kent & Vyxin, not shown reaching this task
Route info
What's your sign?
Now that you are intimate
with the Chinese Zodiac,
each of you must figure
out which sign you are.
Each of you should then
write a wish on a piece
of paper and deposit it
into the proper slot on
the golder prayer wheel.
When you do, you will
receive your next clue.
Note: You must verbally
announce your sign as
you place the wish in
the slot!
Flight Time & Big Easy are the only ones having problems with this task. After many false tries they figure out that they are Dragon & Rooster and get their next clue.
Choice quotes:
"
First of all I wished I new what my Zodiac sign was", Flight Time
Teams get their next clue in the following order:
1(+0) Margie & Luke
2(+0) Gary & Mallory
3(+0) Ron & Christina
4(+1) Jet & Cord
5(+1) Kisha & Jen
6(+1) Jamie & Cara
7(-3) Flight Time & Big Easy
8(+0) Zev & Justin
?. Kent & Vyxin, not shown
Detour: Horn or Hammer
Horn: Carrying a ceremonial
Chinese horn, lead a
procession of dancers
through the streets to
Wencheng Palace to
receive your next clue.
Hammer: Using wooden
mallets, hammer molten
candy into its proper form.
When the candy maker is
satisfied with your work, you
will receive the next clue.
Note: You should eventually
take a box of the candy with
you and deliver it to Phil at
the Pit Stop.
Choice quotes:
"
Can I get some white yogurt?", Ron is feeling hungry again
"
No, after the task", but Christina is not tolerating anything
"
I need to pay my dues, making some candy for a change after all the candy I have eaten", Mallory
"
Wow, this is good stuff", Ron can abstain from tasting the candy
"
Stop eating and get dressed, you can eat at the pit stop", Christina is tired of her father snacking all the time
"
It's not going that well, we are not all that convinced we are heading in the right direction", Justin
Teams complete the detour in the following order:
1(+0) Margie & Luke, hammer
2(+0) Gary & Mallory, hammer
3(+1) Jet & Cord, hammer
4(+1) Kisha & Jen, hammer
5(-2) Ron & Christina, hammer
? Flight Time & Big Easy, horn
? Jamie & Cara, starts horn but switches to hammer
Zev & Justin, start horn and are not shown completing
Kent & Vyxin, does not reach the detour
Route info: "Make your way to the top of Lion hill". At the top of the hill they will find the Eternal tower where the Pit Stop is located. Teams reach this in the following order:
1(+0) Margie & Luke, win a trip to Aruba
2(+1) Jet & Cord
3(-1) Gary & Mallory
4(+1) Ron & Christina
5(-1) Kisha & Jen
6(??) Flight Time & Big Easy
7(??) Jamie & Cara
Zev & Justin, do not reach it before the end of the episode
Kent & Vyxin, do not reach it before the end of the episode
But there is no rest for the teams. This is another fake Pit Stop and teams get a new clue from Phil.
Choice quotes:
"
You can enjoy that after the race, but right now you are still racing", Phil
"
You don't know what I want to say right now", Margie, who looks exhausted, to Phil
"
Sweet", Cord
"
Awww, nuts", Mallory
To compound their problems, Kent & Vyxin are not only last but in the bust to Lijiang they realize they forgot the fanny pack in the gondola. This has their passports and all money so it is kind of important.