Shirley, our delightful blogger from Hue, has responded to JonLover's and my questions in a joint email
--we both seem to have asked her lots of questions about the teams she saw...so hope it's okay if I share this reply!
From JonLover's previous post:
.
It was 25 May. It was about late 2pm to 3pm. I remember I was starving then.
I saw Allan Wu and his crew in the imperial palace. After I left the imperial palace, right outside the gate, I saw a Caucasian pair, (they are quite big) running towards the imperial palace.
Following behind them were two ladies, they are quite big, carrying their backpacks. I was carrying a bottle of water, and she asked if that was hers.
The third team I saw (I think, I can't remember with the time lapse) was cycling/riding a cyclo (a traditional mode of transportation in Vietnam). They had to ride the cyclo to the destination I think. I saw them hold a TARA slip, possibly the clue. These teams were quite close to each other.
Then as I was walking across the Perfume River, I saw another team. I was quite tickled so I stopped to take a picture. That's the only picture I took. It was actually the guy cycling/riding the cyclo, but he stopped where I was to change with the girl. That's the team who asked me for direction. I pointed them to the flag of the Citadel (which was the general direction they were headed for). There was a cyclo driver/rider behind them. He looked at me and we laughed together, tickled by the fact that 'tourists' were riding the cyclo. This team is quite a distance from the rest. Say, about 1km or so.
It's quite easy to spot the teams. There's always a slow-moving jeep/4WD following and filming behind them.
As I was walking away from their destination, I saw another jeep/4WD. But I didn't see any participants with them.
Shirley
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I tried to put a number for reference to the teams she saw--and this is what she replied about each team:
Team 1: "I saw a Caucasian pair, (they are quite big) running towards the imperial palace."
The first pair I saw, I vaguely remember a bald/clean-shaven Caucasian man. I can't remember his companion.
Though I can't remember much of the first team,
Team 2: "two ladies, they are quite big, carrying their backpacks"
The second pair I saw was 2 ladies. One of them has curly short hair
Team 3: "The third team I saw (I think, I can't remember with the time lapse) was cycling/riding a cyclo" "had a slip"
The slip, if I don't remember wrongly is yellow.
the third team or rather the team I saw with the slip and riding the cyclo was made up of two women. I don't remember seeing many Asians that day, possibly the 2nd team of 2 women carrying their backpacks, had an Asian. I remember the lady asking me for water is quite big-sized, I am not quite sure of her companion right now.
Team 4: The ones in the photo that she gave directions to...
And more answers about where the teams were and re Allen Wu and where/what he was doing:
The first three teams I saw was rather close to each other. The first and second teams were on foot already when I saw them, possibly about 200-300m away only. The one that I saw third on the cyclo was further away. Possibly 500m away from the second.
The team that asked me for direction, the lady in the team asked, "do you know where is the imperial palace?" The imperial palace is just across a small road from the citadel where there is a Vietnam flag. So I pointed to the flag and told them to head that way.
Allan Wu was talking to some of his crew while others were setting up the equipment. They had lotsa packed food there. And they travelled in pretty nice vehicles for a country like Vietnam. Can't remember the make of the cars but they looked pretty big.
There was no mat there when I was there. It could be because they were still setting up. But I didn't see anything that looked like it's a mat.
And:
No, I didn't see any pit stop mat, or any mats on the floor for that matter.
I sent her this photo
and a few others but none of mine looked familiar to her
I am sorry I can't quite recognize any of the people in the picture.
But she did say:
The one in the yellow box could be the 2nd team I saw. I cannot confirm, so sorry about that.
Perhaps JonLover knows which photo this might be??
Many thanks to Shirley for her time and generosity in sharing!