Racing report
Amazing Race China Rush
Season 2, Episode 5
Disclaimer: I do not speak any Asian language, and furthermore is English not my first language so I am sure there will be mistakes.
The last pit stop was on a scenic lookout reached by cable car. But teams are released somewhere a bit more accessible. Which they should be glad of because getting off that mountain in the middle of the night would have been challenging. Anyway teams are released in the following order:
1. | Sun Bin & Hao Fei'er | 02:08 | |
2. | Elena & Tameka | 02:16 | (+0:08) |
3. | Lily & Jan | 02:28 | (+0:20) |
4. | Matt & Kylie | 02:40 | (+0:32) |
5. | Rhett & Howie | 02:52 | (+0:44) |
6. | Simon & Katherine | 03:04 | (+0:56) |
7. | Mary & Cecilia | 03:18 | (+1:10) |
Yet again the producers have compressed the start times. In the previous leg all but the first three teams took a two hour penalty, and it feels very improbable that all the first three teams should have made some horrible mistake in the latter part of that leg.
Route info: Travel by train to the local airport. Then fly to Hehua airport in Zhangjiajie in Hunan Province. There take a taxi to the bus terminal and then take a bus to Yellow Dragon Cave (Wu Ling Yuan), where they will find the next clue.
All teams travel on the same flight:
CZ3385 CAN-DYG 07:54-09:12
At the airport there is the usual stampede for the taxis. But the taxi roulette spreads teams out so they take different buses:
Bus #1 carries and arrives:
Rhett & Howie
Sun Bin & Hao Fei'er
Lily & Jan
After three teams the bus is full so Mary & Cecilia and Elena & Tameka must wait for the next bus. They are not happy about this.
Bus #2 carries
Mary & Cecilia
Elena & Tameka
Matt & Kylie
Bus #3 carries
Simon & Katherine, who had bad luck with their taxi
The teams in the first bus paid their driver extra to drive directly to the Yellow Dragon cave. A text on the screen says that bus #2 did the same, but nothing of this was shown.
Teams reach the clue box in the following order:
1. Sun Bin & Hao Fei'er
2. Lily & Jan
3. Rhett & Howie
4. Elena & Tameka
5. Mary & Cecilia
6. Matt & Kylie
7. Simon & Katherine
Route info: Teams must go to a Xiang Fi Farmhouse nearby and find a bamboo pole. They must then use traditional tools (a flimsy saw) to cut the bamboo into four pieces and pour the Baijiou (which is aging inside) into a container.
Choice quotes:
"
But then I realized that I don;t know how to use that tool", Mary had no idea how to use a saw
"
They had completely finished, but I hadn't finished cutting even one. I started to panic then", Cecilia realized things were not going well when Elena & Tameka left
Teams complete this task in the following order:
1(+0) Sun Bin & Hao Fei'er
2(+1) Rhett & Howie
3(-1) Lily & Jan
4(+0) Elena & Tameka
5(+1) Matt & Kylie
6(+1) Simon & Katherine
7(-1) Mary & Cecilia
Route info: Go to the Xiang Xi Theater to find the next clue.
Choice quotes:
"
We made a mistake. We took the No. 1 bus. The bus driver told us that it only takes 30 minutes to get there. And later we find it only takes 10 minutes by taxi.", Cecilia
Teams reach this clue box in the following order:
1(+1) Rhett & Howie, traveled by taxi
2(-1) Sun Bin & Hao Fei'er, traveled by bus
3(-1) Lily & Jan, traveled by bus
4(+0) Elena & Tameka, traveled by taxi
5(+0) Matt & Kylie, traveled by taxi
6(+0) Simon & Katherine, traveled by taxi
7(+0) Mary & Cecilia, traveled by bus
Detour: Name that view or Name that tune alternatively Look or Listen
In name that view (look) teams make their way to a gallery where they must test their luck by guessing the names of some of the famous peaks. They are given a poster with ten names and a bunch of photos (more than 10). They must place the correct photo by each name to get their next clue.
In name that tune (listen) teams travel to Baofeng lake up in the mountains. Once there they travel by boat out to another boat where local girls will sing four short songs from Xiang Xi (while showing signs with their names on). Then teams must remember the words and melodies while traveling on to another place nearby where a male singer will sing one of the songs. They must then guess which song he performed. If they guess wrong they must go back to listen to the girls again before making another guess.
According to a local there is a 20 minute walk from the taxi drop off point to the lake where listen takes place.
Here we encounter an odd discrepancy. The clue cards the racers read calls the detour options look or listen. But Alan, and the on screen text, calls them name that view or name that tune.
Choice quotes:
"
We should buy pictures of the mountains", Howie has a bright idea
"
I studied folk songs", Hao Fei'er feels confident going into the detour
"
It is not fair since we were team number one until then", Hao Fei'er is upset at their taxi driver who made a wrong turn
"
We're performing pretty pathetic today", Cecilia rates their performance
"
The more we kept going the more we kind of were changing(the pictures)", Howie about how their detour option turned to chaos
"
I don't want to climb the mountain anymore", Cecilia has had her share of mountains
"
I can't sing, I can't play an instrument, I can turn the radio on", Kylie is not into music
"
I was going to stop his singing, but my sister was really enjoying that song.", Cecilia
Teams complete the detour in the following order:
1(+2) Lily & Jan (listen)
2(+0) Sun Bin & Hao Fei'er (listen)
3(+1) Elena & Tameka (decided to do look, but couldn't find a taxi who knew where it was so they switched to listen), made one wrong guess
4(+3) Mary & Cecilia (listen)
5(+0) Matt & Kylie (decided to do look, but couldn't find a taxi who knew where it was so they switched to listen), made one wrong guess
6(+0) Simon & Katherine (went for look but when they couldn't find it they switched to listen)
7(-6) Rhett & Howie (started look but after an hour they gave up and switched to listen), got it on the third try
Route info: Make your way to the main entrance of the Wuling Yuan scenic area. Caution yield ahead.
Teams reach the yield and clue box here in the following order:
1(+0) Lily & Jan, yields Mary & Cecilia
2(+0) Sun Bin & Hao Fei'er
3(+0) Elena & Tameka
4(+0) Mary & Cecilia, are passed by two teams while they wait for the incense to burn down
5(+0) Matt & Kylie
6(+0) Simon & Katherine
7(+0) Rhett & Howie, arrive after Mary & Cecilia have been released
Choice quotes:
"
I'm sorry but they are just a big threat to us the whole time", Jan justifies the yield
"
Are you serious?", Mary & Cecilia do not appreciate being yielded
"
The only thing I can think of now is I must get my revenge", Cecilia wants to strike back
"
A non-elimination is our only hope for today bro", Howie thinks they are dead last (and he is right)
Inside information tells us that production had planned to have an intersection here. But since Summer & Eachan quit the previous leg there is now an odd number of teams so they replaced it with a yield instead.
Road block: Who is the spice lover? In this road block contestants must chop 3.5kg of onions, garlic and chili peppers. The road block is made slightly more endurable by the fact that it is performed outside in the rain.
Teams must travel by bus, cable car and buggy to the actual road block location at Tujia village (probably near Shentangwan gulf).
Choice quotes:
"
Just continue to remind me to do it quickly", Hao Fei'er with just a small hint of sarcasm
"
The garlic and chili were making her cry. That's funny", Sun Bin has a little humor
"
Oh my god, the garlic is insane", Kylie finds that chopping garlic is harder than expected
"
Smash it with the knife, the garlic", Simon gives detailed instructions to Katherine
"
Everywhere I touched the chilies with my hand it's on fire", Kylie found the spices hot
"
My parents are from Jamaica so I'm quite used to cutting up hot chilies and that kind of stuff", Tameka did not have any problems with the road block
"
Don't chop it, slice it. Smaller, smaller. When you cut it make it smaller. No no no no don't make it like that", Simon keep giving detailed instructions
"
Get angry! Vent!", Cecilia tries to motivate Mary
"
I love you more than I can say", a little later Cecilia tries a different tack
"
It smells soo good, smell it", Mary to Cecilia after the road block
"
Yummy", Rhett & Howie like the spices
"
Men can cook too, you know", Rhett & Howie joke with the locals
During this roadblock Simon behaves like a true control freak. He keeps very close to Katherine and gives her a steady stream of directions on how to chop. Perhaps he ought to have been a bit more careful since Katherine does after all hold a rather sharp knife in her hand. But she resists the urge to apply it to him and keeps chopping spices. But he partly redeems himself when he a little later gives her a massage (and shuts up).
Rhett & Howie arrive after all other teams have left. They know that they are last and do not hurry. Instead they take time to juggle with the onions banter with the locals. After a while Howie ties a scarf over his eyes and performs the rest of the task blindfolded. It feels like he does this both because it is more fun that way and to protect his eyes.
Teams complete the roadblock in the following order (* denotes team member performing the road block, and the numbers how many roadblocks each team member have performed):
1(+0) | Lily* & Jan | (2-2) |
2(+0) | Sun Bin & Hao Fei'er* | (2-2) |
3(+0) | Elena & Tameka* | (2-2) |
4(+1) | Matt & Kylie* | (3-1) |
5(+0) | Simon & Katherine* | (3-1) |
6(+0) | Mary* & Cecilia | (3-1) |
7(+0) | Rhett & Howie* | (2-2) |
Route info: Make your way to Lianxin bridge near Hallelujah mountain.
Teams have to travel first by shuttle and then by foot to reach the bridge.
Choice quotes:
"
Some guy told he, hey it's this way, and it was actually the other way", Jan got bad directions on the way to the bridge
The teams reach the bridge in the following order:
1(+1) Sun Bin & Hao Fei'er
2(-1) Lily & Jan
3(+0) Elena & Tameka
4(+0) Matt & Kylie
5(+0) Simon & Katherine
6(+0) Mary & Cecilia
7(+0) Rhett & Howie
Route info: Make your way to the Bai Long Elevator. Take the elevator to Bai Long Square. It's the Pit Stop for this leg.
Again teams have to travel by foot, shuttle and foot again to reach the elevator.
Choice quotes:
"
The passengers were scared at first. They thought it was a robbery.", Hao Fei'er was very determined to get the shuttle bus to depart at once
"
Maybe we should have yielded the Rockers?", Lily has second thoughts (but it's too late)
"
Could be a non-elimination, but I don't think so", Howie thinks they are about to be eliminated
When they arrive at the elevator the Rockers find out that they have to wait four minutes for the next departure. This is inconvenient since Lily & Jan are only 2 minutes behind. Once in the elevator both teams guard their positions by the door and when it gets down there is a footrace. But Hao Fei'er turns out to be faster than Lily so the Rockers win.
Teams reach Alan in the following order:
1(+0) Sun Bin & Hao Fei'er, win a seven day trip to Thailand
2(+0) Lily & Jan
3(+0) Elena & Tameka
4(+0) Matt & Kylie
5(+0) Simon & Katherine
6(+0) Mary & Cecilia
7(+0) Rhett & Howie, are saved by a non-elimination (but they will encounter a speed bump in the next leg)
The area where this episode was filmed is probably breathtakingly beautiful. And it is mentioned multiple times that it was part of the inspiration for the floating mountains in Avatar. However then impression is spoiled a bit by the fact that it rains quite a bit throughout the episode.