The Amazing Race > RFF's Amazing Race: Design Challenge
The Amazing Race: Design Challenge VIII - Final Round Design Show on Page 50!
Kamineko:
Design #4 - MikeDodgers' Assigned Country Leg
[Baguio, Philippines]
Show contentFantasy Game style:
This is Ho Chi Minh City, also known as Saigon. Named for a former Vietnamese Prime Minister, it is now the largest city in Vietnam. In addition to being the economic center of the country, it also plays a vital role in the country's scientific developments. And in the middle of this metro powerhouse...
...Independence Palace. This is the start of the 10th leg in a race around the world.
Shawn & Camila won the last leg of the race and will depart first at 9:44 AM.
Other Departing Times:
Milo & Melissa: 9:51 AM
Pete & Jeff: 9:57 AM
Bopper & Mark: 10:12 AM
Trey & Lexi: 10:28 AM
Laurie & Melanie: 10:40 AM
FLY TO MANILA IN THE PHILIPPINES! WARNING! AT SOME POINT YOU WILL ENCOUNTER A DOUBLE YIELD! You have $77 for this leg of the race!
Teams must now fly over 1000 miles to The Philippines. When they land in Manila...
...they must make their way to the Manila Central Post Office to pick up their next clue.
Arriving first at Manila Central Post Office, Shawn & Camila find a Fast Forward!
FAST FORWARD: FIND A LETTER FROM YOURSELVES
This is the second of only 2 Fast Forwards on the race. The first team to complete it can skip all remaining tasks and go directly to the Pit Stop. In this Switchback Fast Forward, teams must sort through thousands of pieces of mail to find a letter addressed to themselves from the starting line of the race in Miami, written by another team. Once they find the right letter, they must then read it to their partner, then can hand it to the postal worker in exchange for their next clue. The first team to complete this challenge will win the Fast Forward!
They also find Route Info!
TRAVEL BY MARKED FORD BRONCO TO THE BANAUE RICE TERRACES...
Teams must now travel by marked 2021 Ford Bronco to the city of Banaue and find...
...the Banaue Rice Terraces. This pasture and farming ground is where teams will find their next clue.
CAUTION: BLIND DOUBLE YIELD AHEAD!
This is a Double Yield, where 2 teams have the opportunity to slow down 2 other teams by forcing them to stop racing for a predetermined amount of time. In this case, any team that Yields another will remain anonymous.
Arriving at the Rice Terraces in first place, Laurie & Melanie find an Active Route Info!
ACTIVE ROUTE INFO: HARVEST 2 POUNDS OF RICE BY HAND...
Rice is the Philippines' largest export and here at the Banaue Rice Terraces, teams must put in a hard day's work on the farm and help in this major export. They must go through the terrace and by hand, must harvest enough of the rice crop to fill up a 2 pound bag. Once they think they have enough rice, they can hand their bag to the foreman and if they've done their fair share, the foreman will hand them their next clue.
Completing the ARI in first place, Milo and Melissa find more Route Info!
TRAVEL BY MARKED FORD BRONCO TO SAGADA...
Teams must now pick a marked Ford Bronco and drive themselves to the city of Sagada....
...when they arrive, they must look for Sagada's iconic Hanging Coffins to pick up their next clue.
Arriving at the Hanging Coffins first, Pete & Jeff find a Roadblock!
ROADBLOCK: WHO'S READY TO HANG OUT?
The Hanging Coffins are the most popular tourist destination in Sagada. In this Roadblock, teams must dare to join the ranks of the Hanging Coffins and be hanged alive! They must choose one of the provided coffins and test it for quality control by laying in it among the hundreds of other coffins for 2 minutes. Once they give The Amazing Race seal of approval, they'll be rewarded with their next clue.
Completing the RB in first place, Shawn and Camila get a Detour!
DETOUR: VIRTUOUS VALUES OR DEEP IN THE DARK?
In this Detour, teams must choose between being whistleblowers or going on a scavenger hunt for a clue in one of the Philippines' many underground caves. Their choice - VIRTUOUS VALUES or DEEP IN THE DARK.
VIRTUOUS VALUES requires teams to go to the Alab Petroglyphs, where Lumawig's 5 values instilled into Bontoc people are inscribed. After memorizing the values: a man must not steal; one should not gossip; men and women must not commit adultery; one must be temperate in eating and in drinking alcoholic drinks; and all people must live simple and industrious lives....they must then go into the crowds and find 5 people violating these values. There is only one violator per value, so teams must be smart about who they call out. Once they've reinstilled Lumawig's values, the curator will hand them their next clue.
DEEP IN THE DARK requires teams to go into the Balangagan Caves, there, using the help of a local guide, they must spelunk through a marked path with no source of light whatsoever. Once they've completed their pathway, they must then find their way out of the cave in order to obtain their next clue from their guide.
Completing the Detour in first place, Shawn & Camila find their last piece of Route Info!
TRAVEL BY FORD BRONCO TO THE NEXT PIT STOP - PANAGBENGA PARK.
Teams must now return to their Ford Broncos and find this place...
...Panagbenga Park. This idilic landscape, one of the many parks in the Philippines, is now the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. The last team to check in here....MAY BE ELIMINATED!
Leg 10 (Vietnam -> Philippines):
Pit Start: Independence Palace - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
- Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Tan Son Nhat International Airport) to Manila, Philippines (Ninoy Aquino International Airport)
- Manila (Manila Central Post Office) [FAST FORWARD: Sort through mail to find a letter addressed to yourselves from leg 1]
- Banaue (Banaue Rice Terraces) [BLIND DOUBLE YIELD] [ACTIVE ROUTE INFO: Harvest 2 pounds of rice crop by hand]
- Sagada (Hanging Coffins) [ROADBLOCK: Who's ready to hang out?] (DETOUR DECISION POINT)
- Bontoc (Alab Petroglyphs or Balangagan Cave) [DETOUR: Virtuous Values or Deep In The Dark]
- Baguio (Panagbenga Park) [PIT STOP - ELIMINATION POINT]
The Fast Forward for this leg was a Switchback to season 11's Roadblock. In this Fast Forward, teams had to go to the Manila Central Post Office and sort through mail to find a letter addressed to themselves from the first leg of the race, written by another team. Once they found the letter, they had to then read it to their partner before handing it over to the postal worker in exchange for the Fast Forward. The Roadblock for this leg sent teams to the Hanging Coffins in Sagada. There, one team member had to choose one of the provided coffins, then had to test it for quality control by lying inside it among the other Hanging Coffins for 2 minutes. If they were successful, they'd be rewarded with their next clue. The Detour for this leg was a choice between Virtuous Values or Deep In The Dark. Virtuous Values required teams to go to the Alab Petroglyphs - where Lumawig's five lessons to Bontoc people were inscribed. Once they memorized the 5 lessons, they then had to go into the crowd and search for people who were not abiding by Lumawig's rules. Once they've found 5 people violating Lumawig's rules, they'd be rewarded with their next clue. Deep In The Dark required teams to spelunk through the Balangagan Cave and follow a marked path without any source of light and only with a guide to help them. They had to then find their way out of the cave in order to get their next clue.
Additional Tasks:
- At the Banaue Rice Terraces, teams had to harvest enough rice by hand to for 2 pounds worth of crop in order to get their next clue.
Flight:
Notes:
- For the Virtuous Values Detour, the people called out will only be acting out the unvirtuous acts
- The Fast Forward is a Switchback to the 'LEVEL 5! ON THE TREADMILL' footrace between Charla/Mirna and Rob/Amber from Season 11 (All-Stars)
- Self-driving leg, thus the $77 starting cash
Kamineko:
Design #5 - betheactress' Premiere Leg
[Nyaungshwe, Myanmar]
Show content
5PM.
The most populous city in India is bustling with tuk tuk traffic. Mumbai, located on the southwestern coast of India, is the entertainment, cultural and financial hub of the country. The city, with its deep natural harbor has worldwide fame from being the heart of Bollywood's film industry.
Along this harbor stands the Gateway to India. This massive arch serves as a monument dedicated to the landing of King-Emperor George V and Queen-Empress Mary at Apollo Harbor. They were greeted by a cardboard sign, but now visitors arriving by sea are greeted by this arch. This will serve as the starting line in a race around the world!
Phil: In just a few moments, you'll embark on the adventure of a lifetime. There are 12 legs in this race, and as you travel you'll have to complete various tasks. At the start of each leg of the race you'll receive a small amount of cash that has to cover all expenses, except airline tickets, which you won't need to pay for. At the end of each leg there is a Pit Stop. 8 of these Pit Stops, are elimination points so you'll need to get to these as fast as you can because if you are last, you'll be eliminated. Everybody understands that. As for the other Pit Stops, you won't want to be last to those either. If you are, you'll face a speed bump on the next leg of the race, an extra task that only you'll be able to complete.
Your first clue, is to bring me a Hti, a local relic from your first destination: Myanmar. You'll need to bring me a hti with the flag of Myanmar underneath to receive your next clue.
Good luck...
Travel safe...
GO!!
In teams first task, they will have to search over 100 Htis for one that has the flag of Myanmar attached to it. A hti is a Burmese word meaning umbrella, and it is the finial ornament that tops almost all of Burmese pagodas. When teams find the one with Myanmar's flag attached, Phil will hand them their next clue, and they must travel with their hti until further notice.
Teams must now fly 1500 miles to their first destination city: Mandalay, Myanmar. Mandalay served as the final imperial capital of Konbaung dynasty before British annexation. Nowadays it is the second largest city in Myanmar and is the center of Burmese culture despite the rise in Yangon and Naypyidaw. It serves as the gateway to many of Myanmar's northern tourist sites such as Bagan, Shan and Saigan.
Teams will travel by tuk-tuk to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport where they will book one of two flights to Mandalay, connecting in Bangkok and Yangon. The first flight can hold 5 teams, and the second flight holds 6 teams.
"When you land in Mandalay, find the World's Largest Book and place your hti on one of the marked pagodas"
When teams arrive in Mandalay, they must figure out that the World's Largest Book is referencing the Tripiṭaka tablets at Kuthodaw Pagoda. The site has over 729 stupas that hold stone tablets containing the Buddhist canon in Burmese language written in gold. When teams arrive, they must place their hti on a marked pagoda to receive their next clue. Teams have $122 for this leg of the race.
Teams must now search the 729 stupas for one containing bus tickets to their next destination, Lake Inle. Each stupa has either a pair of bus tickets or a paper saying to try again. There are three arrival times: 5:30AM, 6:00AM and 6:30AM. The first departure time holds 3 teams, and the last two hold four teams.
Teams must now travel by overnight bus to Nyaungshwe, the small township located nearby to Lake Inle. Lake Inle is a freshwater lake that is the second largest body of freshwater in Myanmar. While it is large, the average depth is 7 feet, with the deepest point being 12 feet. This allows the locals to easily traverse the lake by manpowered boats. The lake is famous for its numerous floating plants that are endemic to Myanmar.
When teams arrive, they'll need to travel by tuk-tuk to the lake front and find Nam Pam village on the lake's southern side. Teams will find their next clue on the village dock.
"Who has a leg up on the competition?"
A roadblock is a task that only one person may perform.
The people of Myanmar have always believed in man powered vehicles. And with Lake Inle being shallow in large parts, have allowed the locals to invent a unique form of stand up paddle boarding - leg rowing. While keeping one foot on the stern of the boat, and one foot wrapped around the paddle, the locals can clearly see the weeds and fish below the surface of the lake. This has made it the preferred method of transportation across the lake. In this roadblock, teams must take their boat and must row like the locals do to a nearby above water tomato farm, where they must pick enough tomatoes to fill up their basket, roughly 5 lbs. When they collect enough tomatoes, they can row carefully back to the dock and exchange the tomatoes for their next clue.
Teams must now make their way by water taxi to the Inn Paw Khon. Located on the lotus island, this small floating village is famous for it's silk weaving and textiles. Teams will find their next clue hanging from below one of the stilt houses.
The Kayan people of Myanmar are an ethnic group that live in the Shan state. They are most known for the brass rings around their necks that appear to lengthen it. This phenomenon is caused by the weight of the brass pressing down on the collar bone and the stretched neck comes from the deformation of the clavicle. Teams must search the village and must find the Kayan lady with the most brass rings around her neck. Once they count how many rings, they can insert the number into a lockbox which will open if correct. If they are incorrect, they must go back and try to count again.
Teams must now travel by boat to the Five Days Floating Market. This market, which rotates between 5 townships on the lake and showcases the local exports from gold leaf to produce and fish. Teams will find their next clue located on a marked canoe.
A Detour is a choice between two tasks, each with their own pros and cons. In this detour, teams must choose between two Burmese traditions. The choice, Healthy Paste or Golden Plate.
In Healthy Paste, teams must make their way on shore and follow the marked path to a marked vendor selling Thanaka paste. The paste is considered to be the secret to Burmese beauty. It is made from grounding thanaka bark that only grows in Myanmar into a fine powder and mixing with small amounts of water. The paste is placed on women's cheeks, nose and arms and is believed to keep them acne free. Teams must grind the bark into powder by using traditional slate slab called a kyauk pyin which has a small channel around the rim for water to drain into. When the vendor is pleased with their paste, teams must apply it to their face and arms before receiving their next clue.
The people of Myanmar are said to not have large saving accounts, instead purchasing gold leaf foil with their extra money to use to rub on various Buddha statues around the country. This is thought of investing in their next life. In Golden Plate, teams must go ashore and follow the marked path to the local gold leaf warehouse. Once there, they must help the warehouse artisans create a sheet of gold leaf. They must first cut the ribbon into 20 small pieces and place them between bamboo papers and deer skin. They then must hammer their small cube for roughly 15 minutes which will cause the gold leaf to spread into nice cube shaped forms. Once teams stack their new gold leaf to the approval of the artisans, they will receive their next clue.
Teams must now make their way to Phang Daw Oo monastery. This Buddhist site is home to 5 small gilded statues of Buddha that are annually rowed across the Inle lake during the pagoda festival. This site is the most striking place among the lake, and it is the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. The last team to check-in here, may be eliminated.
Producer Notes
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wiki leg is here!
So to start, I feel that most Amazing Race premieres play it safe country wise. Lots of Los Angeles starts that go to pretty standard countries. I wanted to throw teams right into the thick of it by starting in Mumbai and travel to an otherwise unknown country for culture shock drama on leg 1.
-Teams would not be given any clue to the flag of Myanmar, but this is Mumbai and tons of people would be willing to help them.
-I chose to go to Mandalay first because the largest book was really interesting to me and it's a shorter bus ride to Lake Inle. You could fly there, but the money goes to the federal government and TAR wants to support the locals by taking the local transportation!
- The buses take roughly 8 hours with stops so buses would leave around 9pm which does give teams roughly 5 hours give or take depending on how long it takes them to find their departure time. I also feel like this is a sorely missed aspect of leg 1 that modern seasons don't provide.
- Teams would have to maneuver their boat roughly 200m round trip with the roadblock, but there are a few turns involved in the tomato gardens which would provide plenty of kooky music moments.
-For the Kayan task there are roughly 15 women (paid of course) who are around the village, so teams have to really explore and be sure to count correctly!
- The variable in Healthy Paste is the ratio of water to powder. Teams will have to be very careful adding the water in fear of diluting it too much.
- A video that explains the process better than I can is shown here.
(yes I originally intended on a bagan leg and I actually changed to this like 6 hours ago woops I feel like a real TAR producer with this last minute change!)
Maps (google maps is dumb)
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Kamineko:
Design #6 - betheactress' Assigned Country Leg
[Kaohsiung, Taiwan]
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This is Bagan, Myanmar. This city is the remains of an ancient city of the Pagan Empire, in which Bagan was the capital from the 9th to 13th centuries. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to over 4,000 temples which still stand tall today to offer a glimpse into the past 1,000 years.
One such temple is the Thisa-Wadi temple. Built almost over a thousand years ago, it still stands today and is believed to be protected by the donation of land in 1334. This three story temple stands out among the Bagan complex, and was the first pit stop in a race around the world!
Eric & Pam, who were the first to arrive at the end of the last leg, will depart first at 1:05AM.
Pam: Fly to Taipei, Taiwan. Once there, travel by high speed rail to Kaohsiung.
Teams must now fly 2,000 miles to the shimmering capital city of Taiwan. After being ceded to the Japanese empire in 1895, it was given back to China after World War II. Although Taiwan strives to be independent from mainland China, it holds no seat in the United Stations and is only recognized by 14 UN countries.
When teams land in Taipei, they must travel by high speed rail to Kaohsiung. Once a meager fishing village, it has since turned into Taiwan's largest port and a bustling metropolis and center of southern Taiwan.
Teams will take their assigned taxis back to Mandalay international airport, where they can book a flight to Taipei, connecting in Yangon and arriving at 4:20pm.
Once they land in Taipei, they'll make their way to the Taoyuan HSR station and get tickets to Kaohsiung at HSR Zuoying Station.
(departure is 4th column, arrival is 5th column, last column shows travel time)
"Find the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas and enter through the dragon and exit through the tiger"
When teams arrive in Kaohsiung, they'll need to find the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas. Located on the Lotus Lake, the pagodas are two seven story towers connected via a bridge. Confucius paintings and sayings are spread throughout the pagodas. For good luck, it is said you should enter the complex through the dragon and exit through the tiger. Teams will find their next clue here. Teams have $349 for this leg of the race.
When teams arrive to the pagoda, they will see hundreds of boxes labeled with years (like 2020, 2019, etc), along with a wooden plank revealing their earlier clue of "enter through the dragon and exit through the tiger for good fortune". Some of these boxes are locked, some are not. In order to unlock their next clue, they must recall their clue where it says enter through the dragon and exit through the tiger. Teams will first find a key in a box labeled with a year that was a Chinese year of the dragon (ex: 2012). They must then use that key to unlock box labeled with a year that was a Chinese year of the tiger (ex: 2010). Other boxes have keys in them, but only a key from a dragon box will unlock a tiger box.
Teams must now travel by taxi to the Heart of Love waterfront area. Located near Tongmeng, it is a winding trail along the river that's been converted into a public park with winding paths and narrow bridges. Teams will find their next clue here.
A Detour is a choice between two tasks, each with their own pros and cons. In this detour, teams will have to choose where they want to spend their money in Taiwan. The choice, Stickers or Stalls.
Taiwan is home to over 10,000 convenience stores and has the world's greatest density of convenience store per person. It's not strange to see two 7-11s on the same road, or even across the street from each other. For the fast moving pace of Taiwan's citizens, stopping at these stores makes it easy for them to do a lot.
In Stickers, teams must go to the indicated 7-11 store to receive their sticker book, a common loyalty program for shoppers. They will then need to search over 20 marked 7-11s in the district for common items, such as tea eggs, Lays chips, juices, etc. Each item corresponds to a different sticker number from 1-30, and only some items in the store correspond to a sticker. Some items correspond to different stickers between stores (such as tea eggs giving teams sticker 1 in store a, but sticker 8 in store b). Once teams have bought all the items and retrieved all 30 stickers, they can exchange it for their next clue with the cashier.
In Stalls, teams must make their way to the Rueifong Night Market, one of Kaohsiung's busiest nightlife markets. Once they get to the sprawling 3000 square meter market, they must search the crowded streets for 5 vendors offering a Taiwanese delicacy. Once they find a marked stall containing one of the delicacies (intestine soup, frog eggs jelly drink, mall sausage in large sausage, broiled squid, oyster omelet), they must purchase one serving and the team must eat it before receiving one fifth of their clue. When they've gotten each delicacy eaten, they will receive their next clue.
Teams must now travel by taxi 38 miles to the neighboring city of Tainan. Known as Taiwan's culture capital with its many Taoist shrines and ceremonies and vast cultural traditions from childbirths to funerals. Teams will find their next clue at the Yanshui Wu temple in the Yanshui district.
"Who can ignite the light?"
A roadblock is a task that only one person may perform.
https://www.youtube.com/v/HlUeBGpTNzk
While most of Asia believes that red decorations or sky lanterns can bring good luck for the year, in Tainan the locals believe that the more you get hit by ignited fireworks, the better. The Yanshui Fireworks Festival originated a century ago from a cholera epidemic. The locals believe the fireworks staved off the demons who started the plague. In this roadblock, the person completing must help prepare the celebrations for the upcoming lunar new year. After donning flame retardant clothing and helmet, they must set up a palanquin filled with tons of bottle rockets. Once they fill the cylinder up, they'll join the procession and walk their palanquin down the village. Once they reach the plaza, they'll back up a safe distance while their work is lit up. Once they enjoy the beehive explosion, they will receive their next clue.
Teams must now make their way to the next Pit Stop, Zhongshan Pavilion. The heart of the city, the park is home to tons of dance clubs, Mahjong games, and retirees fishing. Teams will find Phil and their next Pit Stop at the Floating Pavilion. The last team to check-in here, may be eliminated!
Producer Notes:
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-Wiki leg is here!
-Taxi companies offer service from Bagan to Mandalay for roughly $70USD. That, and the train tickets and detour and Taiwan taxi fares is why teams are given so much cash.
-If teams don't know what zodiac year they are (cause who doesn't??) they can ask the locals because they are in a busy part of the city.
-Production will clearly be monitoring the keys if teams start to take keys out and put them in places they shouldn't be.
-Each tiger year box only has 1 clue, and there are only 12 tiger year boxes. Each year only appears on a box once, so the only way teams can help each other out is by giving each other a starting point.
-I feel I explained the mechanics and logistics of the sticker detour in the design itself, but on googlemaps there is at least 11 within 5000 feet of the detour clue, not counting the ones not there. Teams would see the sticker below it next to the price like you would in your normal American supermarket/big box store. There is only a few correct solutions, so teams could be taking notes on what each item gives what sticker, or they can splurge and buy every sticker item in the store before moving on. Different strategies would be nice to see tested, lol.
-For stalls, the market at the time teams would be there (around 8pm) would be at PEAK capacity and would be crowded and thus hard to navigate (since it's not just down one street like other markets in Kaohsiung). Teams also have to finish each dish, which would take time and help balance the detour in my mind.
- For the fireworks festival, There are barrels of firerockets (think this for roadblockers to place in. These are 100% safe until lit. Teams would not be lighting them, but they do get to watch from a safe distance to experience the mayhem it is of the locals running in them and seeing the lights. The actual "beehive explosion" part lasts roughly 2-3 minutes so it would be fast once they are done.
-The thing teams set up is shown at :45 in the video!
Maps
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Kamineko:
Design #7 - Lemontail's Premiere Leg
[Ambon, Indonesia]
Show contentLeg 1: Hagåtña, Guam, United States to Ambon, Indonesia
Phil: Welcome to Guam, United States. Guam is a U.S. island territory in Micronesia, in the Western Pacific. It is distinguished by tropical beaches, Chamorro villages, and ancient latte-stone pillars. Its capital is Hagåtña. With its tropical climate, clear waters, world-class hotels, and great tax-free shopping, Guam is a major tourist destination around the Southeast Asia region, especially among the Korean and the Japanese tourists.
This is the Fort Santa Agueda, a fort built in 1800 by the Spanish, and is the only surviving Spanish fort in Hagåtña, Guam, and sits atop Apugan Hill on the western coast of Guam. The fort, which is now commonly called Fort Apugan, was in ruins by 1887. It was used by Americans as a signal station until 1933, and was converted to a gun emplacement by the Japanese occupiers during World War II.
This historic fort now serves as the starting line of The Amazing Race. And from here, eleven teams of two will embark on an around-the-world race in a quest to win one million dollars.
The eleven teams are…
Et cetera… et cetera… et cetera…
Welcome, everybody, to The Amazing Race.
In only a few minutes, you’ll be starting an incredible journey that is going to take each of you around the world. An adventure that will change the course of your lives forever.
During that journey you will be challenged mentally, emotionally and physically, pushing you into limits that you never before thought were there. But trust me when I say that such display of effort, all the exhaustion and the difficulties you’ll face will be paid with the reward waiting at the end of the road.
There are twelve legs on this race, and the team that steps first into the finish line at the end of it will not only win The Amazing Race, but also one million dollars.
Now, before we start with this…
There is one thing you all have to do before departing…
Your bags are locked away in your cars, which is located in somewhere not so distant. There’s one way to find your car and that is by doing a task over there.
You see, there are bamboo stalks and saws over there. That will help you all in finding your next clue.
Now, all you have to do is to grab one of these bamboo stalks and saws for your next clue. You see that route marker over there? That’s where you will follow the clue. Along the streets you will have to spot and grab these route markers and you have to carry your bamboos to there. Once you arrive at each route marker, you must grab one route marker, then use these saws to cut off the marked lowest stalk, to open the clue inside, which will provide the directions to the next route marker, then cut again at the next route marker, and again at another, and so on. You have to carry the route markers and the bamboos pieces somehow all the way to your next clue location. Whoever goes to their next clue fastest will receive a spot on the first flight out of here. There are limited spots available on the first flight, so better be quick.
You all ready to go? OK. The world is watching.
Good luck! Travel safe…
GO!
The teams, after finding and collecting several route markers, arrive at the Senator Angel Leon Guerrero Santos Latte Stone Memorial Park nearby.
The Senator Angel Leon Guerrero Santos Latte Stone Memorial Park is a commemorative park with a statue of Chamorro activist Angel Leon Guerrero, who fought for the implementation of the Chamorro Land Trust Act and the return of excess federal lands, and was an advocate of social justice for the indigenous Chamorro of Guam. This park also contains eight stone pillars, known as latte pillars, a commonality in pre-European contact Guam as an architectural support for various buildings, similar to buildings in stilts.
In here, teams find a clue box and also spot their marked cars on a parking lot across the street. They also see a sign overhead which spells out “BON VOYAGE!”. We later find out that this is instrumental in solving the clue.
Teams find out by from cutting bamboo stalks that there is clue carved inside the walls of each section of the bamboo stalk cut, which, in alphabetical order, spells out A, B, D, I, M, N, O, plus a comma. Teams have to figure out, by arranging the cuts together to spell out A-M-B-O-N then a comma then I-D, that they will fly to Ambon, Indonesia and must deliver their answer to Phil, who is standing at the park and will give the teams a pass if they are correct. They will get their clue at their assigned marked cars at the parking lot across the park.
Additional note:
Show contentThe task combines navigation, agility, physicality, and brain. There are 8 route markers to find, matching the bamboo pieces and the pillars. Teams cut the bamboo stalks at the line separator thingy. The route marker looks like this.
Route Info: Fly to Ambon, Indonesia
Teams have to fly 1,640 miles (2,639 kilometers) to Ambon, Indonesia.
Ambon is the capital and largest city of the Indonesian province of Maluku, which comprises a part of the Molucca Islands, known for its spice trade in its pastime. This city is also known as Ambon Manise, which means "beautiful" or "pretty" Ambon. As one of the earliest places in Indonesia to be occupied by the colonial powers, Ambon has a rich and ancient history. Many of the Ambonese today have mixed European and Ambonese heritage.
The first five teams are flying to Ambon via Taipei and Jakarta.
The other six teams are flying to Ambon via Manila, Jakarta, and Makassar.
Once there, teams must make their way to the Fransiscus Xaverius Monument. You have US$100 for this leg.
The Fransiscus Xaverius Monument is a monument in Ambon which commemorates a statue of Francis Xavier, who was a Spanish Catholic priest, missionary, and saint from Navarre who was the co-founder of the Society of Jesus. He also was the first Christian missionary to venture into Japan, Borneo, the Maluku Islands, and other areas for his missionary mission.[/font][/size]
Detour: Touch the Food or Feel the Sound
The Moluccas stands between Weber and Wallace lines separating Asian and Australian fauna and flora, and as such, coincidentally, this also reflects the mix of Malay and Melanesian cultures found on this archipelago, such as food, music, dance, and society in general. Ambon is known for its music scenery, so much that Ambon is nicknamed as the ‘World City of Music’ by UNESCO in 2019.
In Touch the Food, teams have to proceed on taxi to Rumah Makan Seafood Apong Ambon, a restaurant in Ambon specializing in Moluccan seafood. Once there, they have to cut off the provided bamboo stalks in two sections for each stalk to carve out skewers. After that, they have to bring the bamboo skewers to a shore behind the restaurant, where they will be greeted with a sight of tuna fishes ready to be skewered, meaning they have to use the skewers to skewer the fishes. This is the essence of Ikan Asar, a traditional Moluccan dish, where the tuna fishes are skewered and is smoked before serving. Once done, teams may receive their next clue from the restauranteur.
In Feel the Sound, teams have to proceed on taxi to Balai Pelestarian Nilai Budaya (BPNB) Ambon, a governmental office in Ambon specializing in preserving cultures, where they will be led to a yard behind the office. In there, teams have to carve bamboo stalks to make traditional Moluccan musical instrument known as Bambu Hitada, which is usually played with other musical instruments. To play this instrument, one has to stomp a bamboo stalk alternately with other bamboo stalks. And the bamboo has a burlap sack so that it doesn't damage the floor and to keep the sound production stable. Once done, they have to learn to play them along to some music. Once done correctly, they may receive their next clue from the music instructor.
Additional note:
Show contentIn Touch the Food, teams use some cutting tools to cut off bamboo stalks. They have to make 20 skewers. This task combines physicality, creativity, and agility.
In Feel the Sound, the video for Bambu Hitada is shown below. This task combines physicality, music, playing skill, and creativity.
https://www.youtube.com/v/HBdPE1KvaJ0
Route Info: Make your way to Lapangan Galunggung
Lapangan Galunggung is a public soccer field in central Ambon. This field serves the city population its sporting needs.
Once there, find a clue box in there.
Roadblock: Who could pull it off?
The Pamali stone is a symbol of indigenous material for the Maluku people. Pamali stone is the base stone or the foundation stone for the establishment of a negeri adat (Moluccan counterpart to village customs) which is always placed next to Baileo's house (a traditional Moluccan house), as well as a representation of the presence of the ancestors in people's lives.
In this Roadblock, a team member has to assemble Pamali stone, a traditional Molucca stone ritual, using several provided stones and materials according to a model provided, then learn the rituals of Pamali stone accordingly, then perform a mock ritual. Once done correctly, they may receive their next clue from the village council member.
Additional note:
Show contentThe Pamali stone looks like this. This task combines physicality and attention to detail.
Route Info: Make your way to the Statue of Pattimura
The Statue of Pattimura is a monument that commemorates Pattimura, who was an Ambonese soldier and the National Hero of Maluku. Born on the island of Saparua, Pattimura joined the British army after they took the Maluku islands from the Dutch colonials. Concerned that the Dutch would implement programs that limited his people, Pattimura led a successful armed rebellion that captured Fort Duurstede in 1817. He was later captured and hanged by the Dutch forces.
Once there, find a clue box in there.
Active Route Info: Participate in traditional Moluccan dance
Dance is an important part of Moluccan culture. Dances of various types has been performed by Moluccan people for generations. Moluccan dances typically combine rhythm, music, and moves whilst also occasionally contains some mystic elements that are derived from traditions and rituals of the Moluccan peoples.
In this Active Route Info, teams have to procced on foot to Merdeka Field nearby, where teams have to learn to perform Saureka-Reka, a Moluccan dance that uses the sago palm fronds. The dancers are in charge of holding the sago tree trunk and other dancers do movements on them like a hopscotch game. Dancers must be able to jump and avoid so that their feet are not exposed to sago fronds. This dance requires a good level of focus and leg agility. Once done learning, they have to perform the dance for six minutes without touching the sago palm fronds. If they have done it successfully, they may receive their next clue from the dance instructor.
Additional note:
Show contentA video of the dance is included below. This task combines dancing skill, physicality, and focus.
https://www.youtube.com/v/DP4RRahhMT0
Route Info: Make your way to Rumah Makan Dua Ikan
Rumah Makan Dua Ikan is a well-known seafood restaurant in Ambon. It is popular among domestic and international tourists alike. Its menu includes not only seafood, but also land foods like sago, rice, red meats, and others.
Once there, find a clue box around there.
Roadblock: Who likes taste and texture?
Note: Whoever did not perform the first Roadblock, MUST perform this Roadblock.
The Moluccas is known for its spice trade history, which has been woven into its cuisine, which includes many varieties of ingredients like nutmeg, mace, and cloves, and also various mismatches of Malay and Melanesian cuisines as the Moluccas sits in Weber line, an imaginary line dividing the flora and fauna of Indonesia into Asian and Australian sections.
In this Roadblock, a team member has to eat papeda, a traditional Moluccan congee made from sago, a staple food in the Moluccas, known for its appearance and texture. It uses a special wooden fork called gata-gata to separate a serving from the bowl of papeda. One thing, is that the participants have to match taste of several types of fish buried in several bowls of papeda with actual meat of aforementioned fishes. Once they can match the bowls of papeda with a plate of the fish that corresponds to the fish meat buried in papeda correctly, they may receive their next clue from the chef.
Additional note:
Show contentThis Roadblock requires participants to eat bowls of papeda (small portion, has fish buried on it) along with plates of several types of fish (also in small portions), then they have to arrange a table of them to match them according to taste. The fishes buried in the bowls are the skins of the fish meat, meaning this would require teams to match the taste and textures too. The fishes used are mackerel, tuna, sardines, snappers, and epinephelus, thus there are five bowls to match. This task combines taste and ingenuity.
Route Info: Make your way on foot to the Pit Stop at at the shores of Telaga Tihu
Telaga Tihu (also known as Danau Tihu) is a small lake in the outskirts of Ambon and has a depth of 40 metres. Telaga Tihu is situated northeast of Ambon, and offers the natural views of its surroundings. This beautiful lake will now serve as the first Pit Stop of the race.
The last team to check in may be eliminated.
The outcome:
Show contentDating couple Ian & Serena came in 1st place and won two Express Passes, with one to be given to another team before Leg 5. The other nine teams checked in safe. Hairstylists Megan & Donna came in last place (11th) and were eliminated.
Notes:
Show content• The Race started at 1:00 am, February 11, 2021, so it’s pretty early morning for a starting line.
• The starting line is the first task itself, related to the first destination by the virtue of having bamboos, commonly used in Moluccan cultures. This task should take around 20-30 minutes, including the walking time.
• Although the starting line task for the most part ended in another location nearby, the teams did have to do something at the starting line, grabbing one of the 11 bamboo stalks and one of the 11 saws.
• The bamboo stalks itself has been modified by the production so each stalk has several sections closed off like a can.
• The route markers are lit as it is still dark outside.
• Teams drove their cars to the airport, which took 9 minutes.
• There were five spots on the first flight to Ambon, plus the six spots on the second flight.
• The first flight departed at 4 am, arrived in Ambon at 5 am next day, with connection in Manila and Jakarta.
• The second flight departed at 6 am, arrived in Ambon at 6 am next day, with connection in Taipei, Jakarta, and Makassar.
• There were only one hour and 10 minutes difference between the first flight and second flight at their arrival in Ambon.
• I chose Ambon for this round because eastern Indonesia is somewhat underrepresented in TAR and I wanted to showcase the Moluccan culture.
• The rolling hills around the city may prove a challenge for the teams to travel through, as there is little public transportation in Ambon aside from taxis, buses, and online hailing services.
• The Touch the Food Detour should take around 40 minutes.
• The Feel the Sound Detour should take around 40 minutes.
• The first Roadblock should take around 30 minutes.
• The ARI should take around 40 minutes.
• Although the ARI task is ostensibly similar to the TAR 22 task in Vietnam, it’s really performed differently.
• The second Roadblock should take around 20 minutes.
• The Ambonese part of this leg overall should take around 3-4 hours, ending around noon.
• Teams, if converted all of their money, will have $100 = Rp1,490,000 free to use.
• I had some difficulty finding pictures of certain places.
• The taxi from the airport to the monument should cost around Rp120,000.
• The taxi to the Touch the Food Detour from the monument should cost around Rp30,000.
• The taxi to the Feel the Sound from the monument should cost around Rp40,000.
• The taxi to the soccer field from Touch the Food Detour should cost around Rp120,000.
• The taxi to the soccer field from Feel the Sound Detour should cost around Rp90,000.
• The taxi to the statue should cost around Rp40,000
• Teams walk from the statue to the field.
• The taxi to the restaurant for the second Roadblock should cost around Rp130,000
• The taxi to the Pit Stop should cost around Rp150,000
• Total cost for this leg should be around Rp590,000 if chosen Touch the Food Detour and Rp560,000 if chosen Feel the Sound Detour. Switching to either Detour would cost them around Rp30,000 and a 3-minute taxi.
• The entire leg, with all eleven teams shown participating, should be enough to fill a 2-hour premiere, which is really 88-90 minutes if commercials were included in its premiere.
• Thanks for reading!
Flights:
Show contentFirst flight:
Second flight:
Maps:
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Kamineko:
Design #8 - Lemontail's Assigned Country Leg
[Lampang, Thailand]
Show contentLeg 4: Darwin, Australia to Lampang, Thailand
This is Darwin, Australia. The capital of Australia's Northern Territory, this city started out as a frontier outpost. It is the smallest, wettest, and most northerly of the Australian capital cities and acts as the Top End's regional center.
This is Lake Alexander, a man-made lake named in honor of Alec Fong Lim who was Lord Mayor of Darwin from 1984 to 1990. The lake is located in Fannie Bay Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia and was officially opened on the 21 July 1991 for recreational use by the people of Darwin. The water in the lake is refreshed with pumps bringing water from the adjoining harbor through filters intended to prevent marine organisms from entering. The shores of this pristine lake now serve as the third Pit Stop of the race.
The first team to check in, engineers Cordelia & Diana, will depart at 11:28 am.
Other seven teams departed from at 11:33 am to 12:40 pm.
Route Info: Fly to Lampang, Thailand
Teams have to fly 3,010 miles (4,845 kilometers) to Lampang, Thailand.
Lampang, also called Nakhon Lampang, is a city in Lampang Province in Thailand. It is the third largest city in northern Thailand and capital of Lampang Province and the Lampang district. The city is a trading and transportation center in northern Thailand.
Once there, find your marked car and drive yourselves to Dhanabadee Ceramic Museum. You have US$10 for this leg.
Teams are flying to Lampang, Thailand.
All teams took a flight to Lampang via Singapore and Bangkok Don Mueang, arriving the next morning.
Dhanabadee Ceramic Museum is a pottery museum in Lampang, which was established by Phanasin Dhanabadeesakul, whose ancestors were the first group that built a ceramic factory in Lampang.
Roadblock: Who's more magnetic?
Lampang is famous throughout Thailand for its ceramics and its iconic ''chicken bowl'' arts. Lampang has a large deposit of kaolin which is widely utilized in the ceramics industry. Thus, the ceramics industry is an important part of Lampang’s history.
In this Roadblock, a participant has to prepare themselves to move 30 magnetic (fake ceramic) eggs from one ceramic egg carton to another two ceramic egg cartons using a magnetic attractor tool. One thing, is that these eggs are somewhat fragile and thus must be carefully moved. If one of these eggs falls into the floor, they must make a new one from clay then apply magnetic iron coil over it and try again with the egg anew. This also applies for every egg that fell. Once they have moved all 30 eggs, they may receive their next clue from the ceramist.
Additional note:
Show contentIn this Roadblock, teams would move the eggs with a magnetic attractor tool (pictured below) for about 20 feet from one egg carton box to two separate egg carton boxes that contains 15 eggs each, separated by five feet apart. The process of making fake magnetic eggs out of clay is relatively easy. Just shape the clay into egg shape using a small half-egg-shaped bowl, then combine both into one (doesn’t matter if it’s still not frozen). Then, apply magnetic iron coil all over it, then paint it with the color of the eggs. This task combines attention, brain, carefulness, and readiness.
Route Info: Make your way to Lampang Cultural Street Market
Lampang Cultural Street Market is a market in Lampang that sells numerous traditional Thai foods, souvenirs, ornaments, and others. This market is one of places to immerse into Northern Thai culture.
Once there, find a marked stall.
Active Route Info: Cook and sell Kai Paam
Thailand has many varied cuisines. Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge. Northern Thailand emphasizes the cuisine of the cooler valleys and forested mountains of the Thai highlands, once ruled by the former Lanna Kingdom and home of Lannaese, the majority of northern Thailand.
In this Active Route Info, teams have to learn to make and sell Kai Paam, a Northern Thai street food that consists of grilled eggs on banana leaves. It tastes like omelet, but it has an aroma of a charred banana leaf and the eggs on it are not greasy due to lack of any oil used. One thing, is that the food has to be approved by a chef before teams could sell these grilled eggs. If they can successfully make and sell 20 Kai Paam, they may receive their next clue from the chef.
Additional note:
Show contentEach team gets their own stall to do their tasks. Teams would have to assign their members to do tasks such as cooking, preparing, and selling. Teams also have to navigate the streets as their stall have to move too, as they can only stay at one place for ten minutes, meaning they have to disassemble and assemble their stall. The video of making Kai Paam is shown below. This task combines cooking, communication, navigation, and selling.
https://www.youtube.com/v/POOcVylHYJ8
Route Info: Make your way to Baan Sao Nak
Baan Sao Nak is an ancient wooden house in Lampang. It was built in 1895 by Mhonh Chang Ong, a wealthy vendor. Baan Sao Nak is supported by 116 square teak pillars. The area of the house is around 3 Rai, consisting of large houses in group, garage, and granary. The architecture of this house is combination with Myanmar and Lanna Style.
Once there, find a clue box in there.
Detour: Dress Up or Cover Up
Lampang and its surroundings is known in Thailand for its textile industry, Buddhist temples, and its climate. In the 1970s, Larsen created a collection and then also a company named Thaibok Silks, which distributed fabrics for the Thai Silk Company, which is headquartered in Lampang. One of the innovations Larsen brought to the Thai Silk Company was the Southeast Asian tradition of weft ikat, or mud mee, as it is known in Thai, woven in long lengths suitable for home furnishings. Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school, which is followed by 95 percent of the population.Thailand has the third largest Buddhist population in the world, after China and Japan, with approximately 64 million Buddhists.
In Dress Up, teams have to proceed to Komol Antique Textile Museum, a colorful textile museum in Huai O, specializing in Thai textiles. There, team must dress six Barbie dolls with traditional Thai garments. One thing, is that they have to search specific Thai garments based on a list given to the teams that only details what do the garments look like, not names. Thus, teams have to search in a sea of diverse garments from all over the world. If they can get six Barbie dolls dressed correctly, they may receive their next clue.
In Cover Up, teams have to proceed to Wat Phra That Doi Phra Chan, a scenic Buddhist temple in Amphoe Mae Tha, where teams have to partake in a puzzle in which teams have to take a bucket of flowers and banana leaves. Then, teams have to go around the temple to find several marked Thai offerings scattered around, where they would have to open one of the cones made from banana leaves, which one of them contain the clues needed to proceed. One thing, is that they have to replace the cone with another cone that they will make from their bucket. Thus, after collecting all clues from all over the temple, they may proceed to a monk at the temple’s main building. There, they should write on their small portable whiteboard their clues correctly to the monk in order to receive their next clue.
Additional note:
Show contentIn Dress Up, teams would search through a lot of shelves containing various garments from all over the world for correct Thai garments as listed on their assigned list that specifics their appearance and texture, such as color, texture, material, and others. These Thai garments would look similar to the picture below. This task combines attention, brain, and dressing skills.
In Cover Up, the puzzle consists of Thai numeral system, on which teams have to notice by uncovering one of the cones made from banana leaves on every marked offering bowl they encounter. The Thai numeral system is scribbled on the banana leaves, as a series of numbers from 1-10, such as 1-3-708 or something like that, requiring teams to memorize the numbers. Then, they have to write the numbers on a small portable whiteboard then show it to the monk. Every team gets the same answer. Teams cannot use the cones as a note whilst writing on the whiteboard, because of that teams are required to place their buckets beside before meeting the monk. This task combines detail, memory, and brain.
Route Info: Make your way to the Pit Stop at Chao Luang Muen Dong Nakhon Monument
Chao Luang Muen Dong Nakhon Monument is a monument that commemorates Chao Luang Muen Dong, the founder of Na Dan Wiang Dong Nakhon and was alive around 1409 to 1476. He was the the commander of the Sri Ayudhaya Army and he once ruled the present-day Lamphun, Lampang, and Phrae provinces. He was later executed around 1476 when he refused to follow the rebels, instead keeping on his integrity to protect the cities Chiang Mai, Lampang, and others. This historic monument will now serve as the fourth Pit Stop of the race.
The last team to check in may be eliminated.
The outcome:
Show contentPersonal shoppers Sharon & Patricia came in 1st place and won a trip for two to Greece. Brothers Oscar & Oswald came in last (8th) place, but they're not eliminated as it is a keep-on-racing leg.
Notes:
Show content• The teams departed the Pit Start on February 8th.
• The teams took around 12 minutes to get to the airport.
• The teams took a flight to Lampang via connections in Singapore and Bangkok (Don Mueang).
• I chose Lampang because I wanted to use an unvisited Thai city that had so much things to do.
• All transportation on this leg were self-driven, meaning teams were left on their own to navigate the city and its surroundings.
• The self-driving for this leg should be a challenge for the teams.
• USD$10 should be enough for this leg, as the fees are specified below.
• The museum (RB) fee is 100 BHT (3.17 USD).
• The entry fee to Baan Sao Nak is 50 BHT (1.58 USD).
• The Roadblock should take around 30 minutes, plus 10 minutes for molding one egg each.
• The ARI should take around 30-40 minutes or more.
• Both sides of the Detour should take around 30 minutes.
• The transportation to the Detour and to the Pit Stop should be balanced enough.
• This leg should take around 2-3 hours, ending around noon.
• Thanks for reading!
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