Hello Peach [et al],
I'm a huge fan of your community, and just wanted to contribute my two cents re: the revelation that Laos was the country skipped over last time. I have been doing PhD research/Fulbright Grant in Laos for about four months now (in Luang Phabang) and it is highly unlikely that they used the country this time around (although I hope to be corrected!). If they came here, they most likely would go to Vientiane or Luang Phabang--I would have no way if they went to Vientiane. However, this month in Laos is the tourist high season, and given the adversity (and lack of sightings/paucity of obvious locations to place clue boxes) of TAR to attract attention, it doesn't seem likely they were here. Furthermore, this month in Luang Phabang was an international film festival and the Lao National Games are going on. While this would make for an EXCELLENT clue/route info task, the city is literally flooded with people, infrastructure is totally clogged, and all around, the city is burgeoning to its breeches with outsiders. I'm hoping I'm proven wrong (and I get to see the city I've lived on and off in for two years on TV!), but, it might have to wait to another cycle.
to RFF, EagleSpirit0!
We were hoping to see our missing 19 leg again, but then again I am still waiting for my lost Tanzanian season 11 leg.
Thank you so much for the good info! If this Nepal/Doha thing proves not to be anything, then we could still have a chance. If they are reversing as Apskip points out is possible (and looks reasonable to me), then it would have to have happened already, or not at all. No way to tell unless we get a sighting!
But please stay around, if and when they go again we would LOVE your expertise!!
I don't know if crowds are considered a plus or a minus at this point.
I never would have thought they would have done Christmas Markets, or other crowded places, but perhaps they think of it as camoflage??