Racing report
Amazing Race Season 19, Episode 5, I feel like I'm in the circus
Film date: 27-28/6-2011
I have tried to estimate distances and driving times every now and then. This data, from Google, is an approximation at best and may have no relation to reality.
The last Pit Stop was at Koh Panyi, a floating village outside Phuket. Phil says this is where teams are released, but it rather looks like teams are released on the docks where boats to Koh Panyi leave. Teams are released in the following order;
1. | Andy & Tommy | 10:07 | |
2. | Justin & Jennifer | 11:01 | (+0:54) |
3. | Jeremy & Sandy | 11:44 | (+1:37) |
4. | Laurence & Zac | 11:45 | (+1:38) |
5. | Ernie & Cindy | 11:52 | (+1:45) |
6. | Amani & Marcus | 11:53 | (+1:46) |
7. | Bill & Cathi | 12:22 | (+2:15) |
8. | Liz & Marie | 13:35 | (+3:28) |
Teams receive $186 for this leg of the race.
Route info: "Travel by local transportation up the Koh Lang trek". Teams must now travel by Songthaew to Anda Adventures in the Ton Pariwat Wildlife Conservation Area (28km 0:41) where they will switch to a local transport, an elephant, and then ride it up the river to their next clue.
Liz & Marie find their speed bump at the start of the elephant trek. They will have to clean up after and then wash an elephant. This task suits them very well since they love elephants. And while they are washing their elephant Bill & Cathi emerge from the Jungle.
Choice quotes:
"
Faith in god definitely is very important to me", Andy
"
I guess I'm driving", Tommy gets to drive the elephant
"
If we win the Amazing Race I'm buying an elephant.They can do some serious four-wheeling", Andy is impressed with the elephants
"
I feel like I'm in the circus", Jennifer gets the title (on an elephant)
"
We are up on an elephant. It's a little scary for me, and all this rocking up and down these hills is making me a little nervous", Marcus is uncomfortable on top of the elephant
"
Ahh, excited!", Liz & Marie see the elephants
"
I'm actually really happy to do this because I love elephants so much", Marie, while shoveling elephant dung
"
This is like the best day of my life, no kidding", Marie is really really happy
At the end of the elephant trek teams find their next clue in a bucket. Teams reach this in the following order:
1(+0) Andy & Tommy
2(+0) Justin & Jennifer
3(+0) Jeremy & Sandy
4(+0) Laurence & Zac
5(+1) Amani & Marcus
6(-1) Ernie & Cindy
7(+0) Bill & Cathi
8(+0) Liz & Marie
ROAD BLOCK
Who wants to hear some
Water Music?
Contestants must follow the sound of a flute to a nearby pool. Then they must enter the pool and search it for their next clue. The next clue turns out to be a ceramic Koi-fish wrapped in cloth lying on the bottom (the pool is a little more than 1m deep). Teams have to break the fish to get the clue hidden within. None of the teams have any problems with this.
As usual Andy & Tommy play rock, paper scissors about who should do the task.
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) | Andy* & Tommy | (3-2) | |
2(+0) | Justin* & Jennifer | (3-2) | |
3(+1) | Laurence* & Zac | (2-3) | |
4(-1) | Jeremy & Sandy* | (3-2) | |
5(+0) | Amani & Marcus* | (2-3) | |
6(+0) | Ernie & Cindy* | (2-3) | |
7(+0) | Bill & Cathi* | (3-2) | |
8(+0) | Liz & Marie* | (1-4) | |
Route info: "Disassemble a spirit house". Teams must now travel back by elephant and then by Songthaew to a local shop (probably in Song Phraek which is nearby), disassemble a spirit house. They must then deliver all the pieces to Wat Chanathikaram (10km 0:17) where they will get their next clue from a leather bag.
All in all it takes about 1.5h for teams to ride the elephants out and back again (and do the water task in between).
Teams arrive and disassemble their spirit houses in the following order:
1(+0) Andy & Tommy, each memorize one side of the layout
2(+0) Justin & Jennifer, took a photo of the setup with the drivers phone
3(+0) Laurence & Zac, did not make any notes
4(+0) Jeremy & Sandy, made notes
5(+1) Ernie & Cindy, did not make any notes
6(-1) Amani & Marcus, made notes
7(+0) Bill & Cathi, made notes
8(+0) Liz & Marie, made notes
Choice quotes:
"
Justin does the driver have a camera phone?", Jennifer has a very good idea
"
We should take notes", Zac tries to think ahead
"
No, no, no", but Laurence is not interested
"
You don't have to remember it", Ernie to Cindy
Teams then travel to Wat Chanathikaram and here they find their next clue:
ROAD BLOCK:
Surprise! If you did the
Water Music Roadblock,
your partner MUST do
this one.
In this second road block contestants must reassemble their spirit house exactly as they found it. This is not all that easy since the display includes a number of figurines, candles and other small decorative objects, all of which have to placed exactly right.
Choice quotes:
"
Alright, we got Tommy doing the road block. Poor guy, he kind of got the hard part", Andy
"
We know the one true god and it's pretty straightforward when you read the bible", Andy does not feel anything special in the Buddhist temple
"
While it may not be the same religion as mine, it still warrants the same amount of respect", Jennifer
"
I need to go back and make notes dad", Zac realizes he will not solve this by guessing
"
This is something that I'd have been able to knock out pretty well, I think", Laurence thinks he could have done it easily
"
I'm glad I took notes", Amani finds that the note taking is paying off
"
I don't remember what this should look like at all", Ernie pays for his earlier haste
"
We should have written it down", Cindy blames their team
"
I think I've got it. But if I don't get it, I think Cindy is gonna kill me", Ernie after having looked at the example again
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) | Andy & Tommy* | (3-3) | Went back to look again, but still manage to complete before the next team shows up |
2(+0) | Justin & Jennifer* | (3-3) | |
3(+1) | Jeremy* & Sandy | (4-2) | |
4(-1) | Laurence & Zac* | (2-4) | Had to go back and look again |
5(+1) | Amani* & Marcus | (3-3) | |
6(-1) | Ernie* & Cindy | (3-3) | Had to go back and look again |
7(+0) | Bill* & Cathi | (4-2) | |
8(+0) | Liz* & Marie | (2-4) | |
Route info: "Travel by bus to Bangkok". When they arrive they have to make their way to the Bangkok Noi Canal where they must feed the fish to receive their next clue. Teams are give a small bundle of fish-food together with their clue.
Teams first travel by Songthaew to the Phuket bus terminal (97km 1:49), where they all get a shock when they find out how much they owe their driver. Most teams pay around $150, which does not leave them with much cash. They then learn that the bus ride will take around 13 hours.
Laurence & Zac are the only team on their bus, they see three other teams on another bus though. They then realize that their bus is a first class bus, and the race rules say they may not fly in first class. So they panic and leave the bus a couple of miles from the bus terminal. They then walk back to the terminal and take another bus. They arrive back at the bust terminal just as the 17:30 buses pulls out.
Ernie almost pulls a Colin and tries to pay less than the driver wants. The police is mentioned in the ensuing discussion, but in the end they cough up the cash he demands.
Liz & Marie have the most problems since their driver wants $190, which is more than they have. They buy their bus tickets and then give him all they have left. While they are arguing with him their bus leaves and they are devastated. But once the driver accepts the money they have he softens up and drives them to the bus, which is waiting for them outside the town.
Choice quotes:
"
We're screwed now", Laurence & Zac after having exited the first class bus
"
It was not our finest hour. That behavior is not acceptable in our life", afterwards Cindy feels ashamed for how they treated the driver
"
They look busted", Cindy see Laurence & Zac arrive at the bus terminal (after walking back)
"
So that's really really nice of him", Marie about their driver who is driving them to their bus
Teams eventually board the following buses:
Bus #1, leaves 16:30 with arrival at 06:00
Andy & Tommy, buy their tickets at 16:03
Justin & Jennifer
Jeremy & Sandy, buy their tickets at 16:14
Bus #2, First class bus at 16:30
Laurence & Zac
Bus #3, leaves at 17:30
Amani & Marcus
Bill & Cathi
Bus #4, First class bus at 17:30
Ernie & Cindy
Bus #5, leaves at 20:00
Laurence & Zac
Bus #6, leaves at 20:15 (but was delayed since it waited for Liz & Marie)
Liz & Marie
The buses make different numbers of stops so they arrive in the following order:
Bus #4,
1(+5) Ernie & Cindy
Bus #1
2(-1) Andy & Tommy
3(+0) Jeremy & Sandy
4(-2) Justin & Jennifer
Bus #3
5(+0) Amani & Marcus
6(+1) Bill & Cathi
Bus #5
7(-3) Laurence & Zac
Bus #6
8(+0) Liz & Marie
Now teams travel by taxi to the Bangkok Noi canal (10km 0:18). That is all teams but Liz & Marie. The twins have no money so they have no choice but to walk. They are told that the canal is 3 blocks away. After a short while they are told that it may take 5 hours to walk. But they keep walking, the area is poor and they do not feel it is right to beg. But after having walked for four hours they start asking taxi drivers for a free ride, and amazingly they find one who is willing to drive them there for free.
Choice quotes:
"
It was like a hopeless cause, but I would've felt really guilty and really bad asking people for money", Marie
"
Never underestimate the generosity of people", Liz
The other teams travel by taxi, but it is rush hour and traffic is bad. Some taxi drivers apparently know better routes than other because some teams get a much quicker trip than others.
Choice quotes:
"
We don't know how many teams are in front of us or how many teams are behind us", Marcus, like most others, have no idea where in the pack they are
"
We have gone one straight block in 20 minutes", Sandy is frustrated by the slow progress (there is some traffic)
"
Our cab driver took a little shortcut", Marcus knows they had a quick ride
Teams eventually reach the canal and feed the fish in the following order:
1(+0) Ernie & Cindy
2(+4) Bill & Cathi, seconds before #3
3(+2) Amani & Marcus
4(-2) Andy & Tommy, a few seconds before #5
5(-2) Jeremy & Sandy
6(-2) Justin & Jennifer
7(+0) Laurence & Zac
8(+0) Liz & Marie
ROUTE INFO
Make your way to the
next Pit Stop: M.R.
Kukrit Heritage Home.
Warning!! The last Team
to check-in may be
eliminated.
Teams must now make their way to the pit stop at the M.R. Kukrit heritage home (13km 0:18).
Andy & Tommy are told it is just across the river so they start off on foot. However they do not find the place across the river so they stop by at a local school to ask for directions. A woman takes their clue and goes off to search, but she does not return. It turns out she has gone to teach a class and can't be disturbed. Andy & Tommy get frustrated but eventually manage to get somebody (the headmaster?) to retrieve their clue. They finally jump into a taxi.
Meanwhile Liz & Marie manage to find another taxi driver willing to give them a free ride.
Ernie & Cindy get frustrated when stuck in traffic so they exit their taxi and continue on foot. This probably cost them the first place of this leg.
Jeremy & Sandy also get told to continue on foot. They get lost and are later told that it takes 30 minutes to walk there from where they are. They jump into a taxi again.
Choice quotes:
"
I'd hate to have to run this thing against Bill & Cathi, but we gotta do what we gotta do", Marcus sees a footrace in the near future
"
They may look like Ma and Pa, but they can run", Marcus have respect for Bill & Cathi
"
It's really frustrating sitting in traffic on the way to the pit stop because we don't really know how much of a buffer we have on the other teams", Cindy is frustrated
"
I'm so pissed we got out of that cab", Cindy practices hindsight
"
In a few minutes, I come back. You wait here", The teacher to Andy / Tommy
"
We're wasting time, we know that much", Andy gets impatient waiting for the teacher
When Jeremy & Sandy arrive at the Pit Stop they are pretty certain they are going to be eliminated. Phil toys a bit with them before letting them know they are not last.
Teams eventually reach the pit stop in the following order:
1(+2) Amani & Marcus, win a trip to Bali
2(+0) Bill & Cathi, a few seconds after #1
3(-2) Ernie & Cindy
4(+2) Justin & Jennifer
5(-1) Andy & Tommy
6(+1) Laurence & Zac
7(-2) Jeremy & Sandy
8(+0) Liz & Marie, are eliminated (about two hours behind #7)
Choice quotes:
"
With regards to first class travel. That rule only refers to air travel.", Phil clarifies the rules (so Zac & Laurence could have continued on their bus)
"
Jeremy & Sandy, I guess you have a pretty good idea what I'm gonna say", Phil lets them think they will be eliminated
"
I can just eliminate you if you want to", Phil is helpful to Jeremy & Sandy (after having told them they are #7)
Edit to add, we are still unsure exactly which temple they did assemble their spirit houses it.