The Amazing Race > RFF's Amazing Race: Design Challenge
The Amazing Race: Design Challenge VIII - Final Round Design Show on Page 50!
Pi:
Design #13 - Stone
[Issyk Kul, Kyrgyzstan]
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This is Segovia, Spain. This city on the Inner Plateau of Iberia was declared a UNESCO Heritage City for its multitude of historic buildings and architecture, including the last gothic cathedral built in Europe, the Catedral de Segovia, the Nth pitstop in a race around the world.
Teams depart between 4:17 am and 5:43 am.
Clue: Fly to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the capital of the Land of Celestial Mountains. You have $87 for this leg of the race.
Teams may travel on one of two flights to Bishkek, departing from Madrid. The flights are scheduled to arrive within 25 minutes of each other, however, the flight that departs later, actually arrives first.
Once they land, teams need to travel to Osh Bazaar and search the Kyyal (Kyrgyz goods section) for the marked “төшөк” stand (national bedding & fabrics) to sign up for one of two buses to Karakol departing later tonight. The first bus departs at 12:30 am and the second bus departs 30 minutes later. The bus trip takes approximately 6 hours.
Once teams arrive in Karakol, they need to make their way on foot or taxi 4 blocks to the Holy Trinity Church, the town’s most iconic landmark and considered one of the most beautiful and decorated Orthodox churches in the whole of Turkestan.
Clue: Find the marked cars outside the church and drive yourselves 12 km into the mountains South of Karakol to Camp Karakol and retrieve your next clue from the Kyrgyz nomad woman. WARNING! Double U-Turn Ahead!
Detour: Kyrgyzstan is a nation built on its heritage as pastoral nomadic people, with most citizens continuing to practice nomadic pastoralism well into the 20th Century. Even cosmopolitan Kyrgyz from the cities often return to a semi nomadic lifestyle in the summer months by coming into the mountains with their herds to live in bozui. Estimates indicate up to 40% of Kyrgyz people still practice some form of nomadic pastoralism today. In this detour, teams will have to choose between two practices of the nomadic Kyrgyz people from the mountain pastures. Kyrgyz healing or Kyrgyz building:
Kyrgyz healing: In Kyrgyz healing, teams will have to make koumiss: a fermented, slightly alcoholic drink made from mare’s milk that was used by the nomads of Kyrgyzstan to treat a wide range of ailments. Summertime is koumiss season in Kyrgyzstan when nomad’s and their herds return to the jailoo’s (the high mountain pastures of the summer). Team members will have to choose a woman and don some of her clothes. Guests who milk the mares need to wear the clothes of their main milker to allow the horse to get acquainted with their smell before it allows anyone new to milk them. Each team member must then milk a mare. Once the woman is satisfied each team member has gotten as much milk as their mare can produce this morning, follow her to the bozui (a Kyrgyz yurt) where the milk is fermented. (Horses produce very little milk at a time compared to cows, but produce much more frequently, with women milking the horse 5+ times a day). Use the Bishkek (the capital of Kyrgyzstan was named for the koumiss churning paddles, signifying the drink’s significance) to mix the mare’s milk. Once its been turned for a short time, fill up the wooden koumiss jug and place it on top of the bouzi to ferment for the day. Finally, each team member must drink a serving of completed koumiss from the traditional bowl/cup. Once complete, the woman will give them their next clue.
Kyrgyz building: In Kyrgyz building, teams will have to construct a bozui. Bozui’s are the yurt’s of the Kyrgyz nomads. Teams will have to begin by selecting a pair of nomadic men to build the bozui with them. Teams will select an already errected khana on a bozui platform. The khana is a collapsible, lightwight lattice of wooden poles that form the skeleton of the bozui. Teams wil then have to tie the outer fabric to the khana with animal hair rope. Once the fabric is attached around the khana, teams will finish by placing the toono on the bozui, the roof or crown, and securing it with more rope. Once the bozui is fully constructed, teams will receive their next clue from the men who assisted them in construction. The men will not build the bozui for you, but will work with team's to secure the ropes.
Clue: Drive yourselves a short distance up the mountain to Baza Karakol, or Karakol ski base. This was once a training center for Soviet Winter Olympians and now operates as a ski resort in winter months. Double U-Turn!
Clue: Drive yourselves 27 km back through Karakol to Gorodskoy Plyazh, a beach on the shores of Issyk-Kul, one of the largest and deepest lakes in the world. Issyk-Kul translates to “warm lake” from Kyrgyz because despite being surrounded by snowcapped mountains, it never freezes. The lake was a stopover point along the Silk Road and many historians believe the lake was the origin point of the Black Death. In 2007, archeologists discovered remains of an advanced 2500-year-old metropolis that had been buried beneath the lake with research indicating the land around the lake may be one of the oldest cradles of civilization dating back up to 6,000 years.
Roadblock: who has the skills of a champion?
The World Nomadic Games are hosted every other year here on the shores of Issyk-Kul, the largest festival or event held in Kyrgyzstan, attracting thousands of nomadic athletes and spectators from 82 countries. Kyrgyzstan has also topped the medal table in each iteration of the games. In this roadblock, one team member must test their skill, strength, and intelligence to write their name in the Book of Champions that record's the game's event winners by competing in 3 events from the World Nomadic Games that have been the center of Kyrgyz past times and legends for millennia.
First, the team member must compete in Ordo, traditional Kyrgyz archery. The team member will have to hit a target from 30 meters with a wooden Kyrgyz bow. (Every 20 minutes that passes with the team member failing to hit a shot, they will move 5 meters closer).
Next, the team member will compete in Alysh, Kyrgyz belt wrestling. A statue depicting Alysh has been discovered and dated to be 6000 years old. The sport has been central to Kyrgyz folklore and legends since the origin of the Kyrgyz people. The team member will select a wrestler from their same sex and weight class. Then they will attempt to pull and pin the wrestler to the ground using their opponents’ belt while their opponent attempts to do the same.
Finally, the team member will compete in Togoz Korgool, a traditional intellectual game similar to mancala that is comparable to the roll chess has played in western society. The game was meant to develop strategic military thinking for Kyrgyz warriors. Once the team member can defeat the Kyrgyz student in a game of Togoz Korgool, they can write their name in the game’s Book of Champions and the student will give team’s their next clue.
Clue: Make your way to the pitstop, Jeti-Ögüz Rocks, or Seven Bulls Rocks. This rock formation of red sandstone cliffs is a national symbol of Kyrgyzstan and has been the source of countless Kyrgyz legends around their origin and how they came to be. The last team to check in here, may be eliminated.
Notes for judges
* If you're a normal person, you probably know next to nothing about Kyrgyzstan. So first off, you're probably wondering if its safe/feasible for a TAR leg? Absolutely! The U.S. State Department has designated Kyrgyzstan as a level 1 travel advisory, their safest rating possible. A rating higher than many European countries like the UK or Belgium that TAR wouldn't hesitate to visit. Additionally, Karakol has a USAID center so the folks in city administration have already worked with U.S. organizations and would likely be welcome a visit by TAR.
* Next, why Kyrgyzstan? A few days into the week, I actually had the leg planned for Cappadocia but ended up changing to Kyrgyzstan for a few reasons. 1. Perhaps no country in Asia or the world has been built around mountain life like Kyrgyzstan. 94% of the country is comprised of mountains, which the Kyrgyz people have come to develop their lives and lifestyles around for millennia. It's the perfect place to feature within this leg's theme, with the whole nation's history and culture revolving around life in the mountains. Plus it has never been visited on TAR US. 2. Travel writers and photo journalists describe it as one of their favorite countries they've ever visited for its uniqueness and stunning beauty, hence the name Land of Celestial Mountains. It is one of the best hidden gem destinations in the world. Even my photos in this leg are too small of scale to really do the Kyrgyz landscape so check out this link for you all to enjoy some of the most stunning landscapes in the world https://mymodernmet.com/albert-dros-kyrgyzstan-photos/
* My reasons for choosing Osh Bazaar for the bus signups in Bishkek are twofold. 1. I'm a huge fan of any market when I travel to a new city or country and its the place I usually want to go first and often enjoy most. So naturally, I'd be interested in Bishkek's main market. 2. For logistics reasons, the Osh Bazaar is just a short walk to the Bishkek bus station. The Holy Trinity Church is also conveniently located near the Karakol bus station, making it clearly the best choice for the location where teams pickup their cars aside from being a symbol of the city.
* The importance of the detour tasks to Kyrgyz mountain culture can't be understated. The process of making koumiss doesn't lend itself to industrial production so it remains a product for the nomads of the mountain to produce. Its the unofficial national drink of Kyrgyzstan and Turkic people, dates back at least 2500 years, and is used for treating a wide array of ailments and to boost the immune system. Kyrgyz and tourists alike come to mountains to reside in bozui and detox by drinking koumiss 5+ times/day in the fresh mountain air. As I mentioned, the capital of Kyrgyzstan is named for the koumiss churning paddle, showing its importance to Kyrgyz culture and life for centuries in the way Americans would revere a founding father. Additionally, the bouzi is how the Kyrgyz lived and traveled through the mountains for millennia and continue to do so today. The bozui yurt is even represented on the Kyrgyz flag.
* Both sides of the detour have been highly balanced to both take a little over 30 minutes. According to National Geographic, a group of a few Kyrgyz nomads can build a bozui in around 30 minutes. The addition of the nomads to help teams build is meant to balance the task with koumiss making, similar to the raise the roof detour option in Ethiopia in S6. Koumiss making should also take around 30 minutes, between ~10 minutes for milking, as horses don't produce a lot of milk at once, ~10 minutes for mixing, as it does not need to be mixed, and ~10 minutes for filling the jugs, placing on the bozui roof to ferment, and drinking.
* My inclusion of the double U-Turn is twofold. 1. I believe the koumiss making/drinking detour has the potential to be an iconic TAR task from teams milking horses (behind the backdrop of stunning mountain vistas) and drinking naturally carbonated, fermented, alcoholic horse milk. Therefore, I included the double U-Turn to force as many teams to do the task as possible. Second, I was concerned some judges may not consider the roadblock featuring the World Nomad Games beside Issyk-Kul to be featuring my landscape enough. So I included the visit to Baza Karakol to ensure I fully hit my quota and highlight the nation's Soviet history in a way the leg doesn't touch on otherwise. Baza Karakol is just a short distance up the same mountain from camp Karakol and could even be in walking distance, but due to elevation, best to drive. Side note, my leg doesn't take place in winter, just any photo of Baza Karakol from the summer time was poor quality or had obstructive water marks. In terms of other Soviet history in my leg, the church in Karakol often changed hands between the church and government during the Soviet era and the town of Karakol went through great effort to return it to its status as a highly decorated church revered in Turkestan.
* The roadblock has been balanced to test a wide range of skills and disciplines, so the team member performing should be well rounded and preventing any teams from powering through it. By featuring 3 distinct Kyrgyz sports of the mountain nomads, we are testing 3 unique skills. It has been balanced in the same way sides of a detour might be balanced to test different skills. All 3 sports have integral roles in Kyrgyz history and culture. You can read more about Kyrgyzstan's World Nomad Games if you're interested here and see some great pictures http://worldnomadgames.com/en/. Mild potential trigger warning: some sports at the games involve what may be deemed animal cruelty such as horse wrestling and headless goat carcass polo. These sports haven't been featured in my leg for obvious reasons.
* I envision this leg taking place with 7 or 8 teams left in the race. This further justifies my use of the double U-Turn, because its a pet peeve when the U-Turn is effectively a death sentence for a team towards the end of the race. It is also due to this pet peeve of mine that the Detour takes place before the Roadblock, which allows U-Turned teams to make up ground before the pit stop.
* $87 for this leg covers the cost of:
* $19, or 16 euro, the price of a taxi from Catedral de Segovia to Segovia Guiomar train station, according to taxifare.com
* $60, the price of 2 train tickets from Segovia Guiomar to Madrid Barajas Airport, according to raileurope.com
* $8, or 572 лв (Kyrgyz som), the price of a taxi from Manas International Airport in Bishkek to Osh Bazaar, according to Numbeo.com.
* Final misc. notes: 1. Summertime sunrises in Kyrgyzstan are around 5:30 am, so this leg takes place in daylight, even the early morning tasks like flight & bus arrivals. 2. Issyk-Kul is the name of the province where all leg tasks take place once teams arrive in Karakol, hence naming the leg destination as Issyk-Kul. 3. If I haven't made it clear already, this leg takes place in the Kyrgyz summer. In winter the rugged mountains of the country make overland travel by vehicle very difficult if not impossible. Finally, I also upgraded my graphics this round, I hope you enjoy them!
Maps
Bishkek Airport -> Osh Bazaar -> Bus Station
Bishkek to Karakol bus ride
Leg once team's arrive in Karakol
Pi:
Design #14 - Bookworm
[Lamu, Kenya]
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Phil: Evening falls over Addis Ababa. The capital and largest city in Ethiopia, it is also known as the Capital of Africa, due to hosting the headquarters of several international organizations, such as the Organization of African Unity.
Phil: And in the middle of this city, the Lion of Judah. A statue symbolizing African sovereignty and Emperor Haile Selassie, it is from this point that teams will begin the xth Leg of the Race.
Phil: Henry & Jed, who were inexplicably the first team to arrive, will depart at 6:25 pm.
Henry: Fly to Lamu Island, Kenya! Ah, the great tropics!
Jed: Kenya! Let's not collect any specimens this leg, ok? We'd be tried as poachers.
Henry: Oh, relax Jed! "You have 19 USD for this Leg of the Race." Maybe I can barter...
Phil: Teams must now fly to Lamu, Kenya. Nestled on an eponymous island on the shores of the Indian Ocean, this small island experienced a Golden Age during the height of the Swahili Coast. Competing amongst giants such as Oman and Zanzibar, this town is the oldest Swahili settlement in East Africa and is today Kenya's oldest continually-habited town.
All teams depart between 6:25 and 8:00 pm and take the roughly half an hour drive to Bole International Airport. From there, they book passage to Lamu's Manda Airport.
Phil: All teams are now on one of two flights, via Nairobi, to Lamu, Kenya, set to arrive 5 minutes apart.
Phil: When teams arrive at Manda Airport, they must make their way on foot to the Manda Island Jetty. Once there, they must take one of the waiting speedboats across a small channel to Lamu's Museum Jetty. It is here that teams will find their next clue.
Detour: Donkey Routes or Trade Routes?
Phil: As a small island at a once-important crossroads, Lamu has a unique history regarding transportation. In this Detour, teams will get a chance to either help out the main mode of moving goods on the island, or experience the chaos of shipping goods on the once-prosperous Indian Ocean trade routes.
Phil: Cars are hardly allowed on Lamu Island. Therefore, donkeys provide an incredible valuable service, comprising the labor necessary to move material across this historic town. These donkeys are so beloved on this island that an annual festival hosts a donkey race and a Donkey Sanctuary was established here to ensure these animals remain in good health. In Donkey Routes, teams must help fill three feed stations scattered along the ancient and winding streets of Lamu.
Phil: First, teams must make their way on foot to the Donkey Sanctuary, where they will be given three bags of donkey feed. Then, they will select two donkeys and harness them with the feed bags. Using whatever means of motivation they can, teams must guide these highly trained animals to traverse the streets of Lamu to locate three feed troughs. Teams are given a map, depicting the location of the troughs with an x, to aid them, but the donkeys' harnesses do not come with a leash, for donkeys often roam freely through Lamu.
Phil: While the distance and physical effort may not be great, the streets are narrow and confusing, and the donkeys, though accustomed to heavy burdens, may need some time to warm up to newcomers. When teams fill all three troughs and return to the Donkey Sanctuary with their donkeys, they will receive their next clue.
Phil: The town of Lamu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of the blending of cultures seen here that arose due to the cosmopolitan nature of the Swahili Coast. In Trade Routes, teams must now pay homage to this legacy of international trade by acting as merchants and unloading a dhow, the boat that made such travel possible, and taking inventory.
Phil: Teams must make their way on foot 250 yards to the Lamu Customs Jetty and select one of the awaiting dhows. Once there, teams must climb onboard and unload the ship's cargo, stored in crates, taking it to an awaiting table. Teams have to carry roughly 200 luxury items off the ship and sort them according to the area of origin- China, India, Arabia, or Africa. Each crate contains 5 to 10 items and weighs between 25 and 40 pounds. Once teams unloaded all the items, they would use the provided chalkboard to submit a guess featuring four numbers.
Phil: While the task might appear physically demanding, this Detour may come down to teams' counting skills more than anything else. Teams are provided the geographic classifications, but must do all lifting and counting on their own. Once all numbers were correct, they would receive their next clue.
"Travel by dhow to Peponi Beach in Shela Village."
Phil: Teams must now return to the Museum Jetty and board a dhow that will take them down the coast from historic Lamu to the quiet village of Shela. Teams will disembark off of Peponi Beach, and once they wade to shore, they'll find their next clue next to the historic hotel.
Roadblock: Who's cap-tivatingly artistic?
Phil: The sun beats down on this coastal community year round, and to cope, workers often make their own hats out of whatever materials they can find. This spirit of inventiveness is celebrated in the Lamu Art Festival, and the Shela Hat Contest brings hundreds out to Peponi Beach once a year.
Phil: In this Roadblock, one team member must use the provided materials- shells, pipes, paper, coral, plastic, and palm leaves- to create a wired hat of their own. These materials all commonly wash up on the beach, and the Hat Contest never fails to incorporate them as a form of artistic recycling.
Phil: The teams' only parameter is that they must reference Kenya's penchant for safari tourism by incorporating a marine animal- a dolphin, sea turtle, shark, seabird, or fish- into their hat's design. Multiple racers may choose the same animal. Once participating team members finish their masterpiece, they may strut down the beach to show off to the judging panel, comprised of local Kenyan artists. Once the three judges agree their hat's creativity and construction sufficiently celebrate the island, they'll give them their next clue.
"Make your way on foot to Shela Beach. Once there, find a marked coconut stand."
Phil: Teams must now make their way on foot about 1000 feet to Shela Beach and find a marked coconut vendor. It is here that teams will find their next clue.
"Don't forget to hydrate!"
Phil: As Lamu acclimates to an increasing number of beach-going tourists, local craftsmen are using traditional methods and tools to turn a profit. Coconut juice is incredibly refreshing and is therefore highly sought after, and here in Lamu, there are coconuts aplenty.
https://www.youtube.com/v/riXjiYH3j5k
Phil: Teams must now follow this ongoing demonstration to make one cup of fresh coconut juice.
Phil: First, teams must gather two coconuts and use a machete to split each into halves. They must then grind each half of coconut on this local Mbuzi to produce fresh, grated coconut meat. Since only one person can sit on a Mbuzi at a time, team members must grate two halves each.
Phil: Then, teams can take their grated coconut flakes and pour them into this Kifumbi, which is woven right here in Lamu. They will then pour two cups of water into the top of the Kifumbi and squeeze, producing fresh coconut milk. Once teams have squeezed out one cup of this beverage, they can take a sip and read their next clue.
"Make your way on foot to the next Pit Stop, the Fort of Shela!"
Phil: As Lamu's wealth and prestige grew, it attracted pirates, seeking to ravage dhows and their luxury goods. In order to protect the inner harbor of Lamu town, the Fort of Shela was built on the eastern shore of the island.
Phil: A monument to Lamu's medieval maritime success, this enchanting fortress is the Pit Stop for this Leg of the Race. The last team to check in here may be eliminated.
Judges! I hope you enjoyed this Leg and found some of your concerns from last round addressed!
I had never heard of Lamu before this past week, but I'm very glad I had the chance to design here. I wanted to showcase the island's culture and history, and believe this Leg does so.
I apologize for the incompleteness of the latter two maps, but they're still useful in approximating relative distances. One can walk from Lamu to Shela on the beach if the tide is right, which takes 42 minutes. I figured a dhow would be easier and take a quarter of the time. Furthermore, the map for Donkey Routes is a little tough to see, but blue worked better than any other color and I needed to use an aerial map in order to convey a feel for the streets and town.
Distances and times aren't calculated on google maps, but, using the scale, I was able to provide estimates for distances. As I had mentioned, it's about 1000 feet (333 yards ~ 320 meters) between Peponi Beach and Shela Beach, the location of the coconut stand, and about 2000 feet (666 yards ~ 640 meters) to the Pit Stop. Teams will take between 5-7 minutes to travel between the Roadblock and the ARI and 10-15 minutes to get to the Pit Stop. The island is small and all travel is very much feasible.
Teams have $19 for this Leg of the Race to cover the travel to Bole Int'l Airport (15-18 USD) and the 100 shillings to get from Manda Airport to Lamu (~1 USD). The dhows between Lamu and Shela will be covered by production.
I believe the Detour is fairly balanced. I did quick calculations for each:
Donkey Routes: 3 min to Sanctuary, 1400-1500 feet to all three troughs = 9-12 minutes, unloading the feed at each trough takes a total of 5-6 minutes, saddling & unsaddling donkeys at the Sanctuary should take roughly 15 minutes, and I added "donkey variance" to explain any reasonable expectations of teams' differences in donkey handling, which is about 10 to 25 minutes total. This brings the Detour time between 45 and 60 min.
Trade Routes: 4 min to Customs Jetty, each trip from the dhow to the dock and back should take roughly 1 minute, as the table is right on the pier. Divided by two people making trips, we're at 100 min of everyone takes 1 item per trip. But the items are (mostly replicas of) luxury goods, which are much lighter. In fact, some of the goods will be stored together in small crates. Therefore, I expect the time range to fall between 30 and 50 min, which most teams clustered around the 30-35 minute mark to unload. Teams will probably spend between 5 and 10 minutes counting, bringing the total Detour time between 40 and 64 minutes, with most teams in between.
I found the RB in a description of Lamu's Festival and couldn't pass it up. It seems like a fun challenge, which adds to the whole beach theme. The materials listed are those often used, with bones omitted for health and PG reasons. I added the marine life theme to hammer in the beach relationship, as well as tribute Kenya's safari culture, though Lamu is far from where the bulk of that tourism takes place. Nevertheless, it adds guidance and a tangible criterion for the judges. I expect this task to take between 35 and 60 minutes.
The coconut task fills out the Leg, brings in local craftsmanship, adds an air of beachiness, and gives teams a chance to have fun, I think. Placements may not be shuffled much, unless a team truly screws up or spills their milk (always a chance for that :)), but it gives them a taste of culture. The task should take between 20 and 30 minutes, unless a team has to restart or something.
Overall, with teams landing at 11:10 and 11:15, I expect teams to check in between 1:15 and 2:25 pm (boat to Lumu = 5 min, Detour 40-64 min, 10 minute dhow ride, 30-60 min RB, 5 minutes to ARI, 20-30 min coconut task, 10-15 minutes to the Pit Stop).
Before I address prior comments, I do want to mention that this week was rather chaotic; my 10-year-old computer broke without warning last Monday. I lost all designs, image editing software, etc. I bounced back to submit, but I lost all notes and graphics.
Gamer, I worked harder to ensure the tasks were better for tv. Donkeys, spills, and scenery all make for good tv (and maybe drama, too). I made sure that, in my opinion, craftsmanship tasks were more exciting than broom-making. The hats are creative and involve local interactions, and the teams should have fun with the coconut milk.
Pi, I worked to again hone in on the theme, showcasing not just Africa and the ocean, but where they intersect and how that's created the culture of the island.
Kami, I worked on details in my explanations, particularly with the Detours. Like you said, I used a delivery task, but I made it stand out- by involving animals, by involving local routines, etc. Plus, it's much more feasible than having teams be donkey jockeys or administer healthcare to them. I included a map for one Detour and made sure to mention a table and chalkboard for the other. I included a video to really give the judges an idea of what milking coconuts entails.
Thank you all for your feedback, and I hope you see the improvement.
Pi:
Design #15 - Lemontail
[Constantine, Algeria]
Show contentLeg 9: Ponta Delgada, Portugal → Constantine, Algeria
This is Ponta Delgada, Portugal. The executive capital of Azores, an archipelagic region of Portugal located in northern Atlantic Ocean, on the island of São Miguel. This city is the largest city in Azores. This city was settled around 1450 and is famous for its monuments, old churches, scenery and history.
This is Portas da Cidade, a monument representing the gates of Ponta Delgada. This monument was built in the eighteenth century next to the old quay and was then transferred to the Gonçalo Velho Cabral Square during construction of the seaside Prince Henry Avenue. It is composed of three arches, with featuring in the middle the royal and the city’s coat of arms. This beautiful and historic monument now serves as the eighth Pit Stop of the race.
The first team to check in, models Sharon & Wilma, will depart at 7:30 am.
Father and daughter Karl & Natalia will depart at 7:56 am.
Dating hockey players Tex & Garrett will depart at 8:20 am.
Professional swimmers Dante & Matt will depart at 9:30 am.
Engaged couple Isaac & Francine will depart at 9:42 am.
Route Info: Fly to Constantine, Algeria
Constantine is the third largest city in Algeria and is known for its scenery, with it being located atop several hills, ravines, canyons, and valleys thanks to its location in a plateau in Atlas Mountains. It is also often referred to as the "City of Bridges" due to the numerous picturesque bridges connecting the various hills, valleys, and ravines that the city is built on and around. It was also known as Cirta, a Roman settlement during ancient Roman times from the 1st century to 4th century.
Once there, make your way to Sidi M'Cid Bridge and find a marked clue box.
Sidi M’Cid Bridge is a historic bridge built in 1912 connecting two parts of the city separated by a deep ravine. It is famous for its picturesque views of the deep ravine and the cliffs that adorns the city scenery.
Active Route Info: Learn about, eat, and arrange names of Algerian dishes
Algeria is known for its variable cuisine, which can vary between different regions, which covers Mediterranean coasts, mountains, deserts, and forests.
In this Active Route Info, teams must eat five varieties of Algerian dishes, with each team member assigned the same five Algerian dishes, and also note the names in Arabic of each food noted on the rim of each plate. Each team member is assigned a table located on each end of the bridge, where they may eat the food. Their partner will get an assigned table on the other end of the bridge. Each end of the bridge contains the tables containing food, and the tables containing a paper for them to write the names of the food. This means that teams have to walk/run from an end of the bridge to the other end. Once they write the Arabic names correctly, they may receive their next clue from the stallholder.
Additional note:
Show contentEach team member must taste the food every time they want to read the Arabic names, and the bite size must be reasonable, so no very small fly-sized bites. The plate sizes are small, to reduce food waste. Once done, they must eat the rest of the cuisine. If they are unsure, they can go walk/run back to try again. These Algerian dishes are: merguez (middle), couscous (bottom right), bourek (top left), rougag (bottom left), and garantita (top right).
Route Info: Make your way by foot to Palais Ahmed Bey
Palais Ahmed Bey is a palace turned a museum located in the old town/medina of Constantine. This museum was formerly the palace during the Ottoman occupation of Algeria, and was built by the last Bey (governor) Ottoman of Constantine El Hadj Ahmed Bey between 1826 and 1835. This palace is the last example of Algerian Ottoman architecture built before the French occupation of Algeria beginning in 1837 and, at the same time, one of the largest and most prestigious palaces known in the world.
Once there, find a marker atop a door, where you will find a clue box.
Roadblock: Who’s the marble of the team?
Palais Ahmed Bey contains one of the finest examples of Algerian Ottoman architecture, with the palace containing around 266 marble columns, supporting arches, and porticoes. It also contains nearly 40,000 plastered mosaic tiles covering an area of approximately 1000 m². To accomplish this massive task during the construction, two Algerian master masons were designated for the management of the construction work.
In this Roadblock, a team member has to stack a pyramid made from marble cubes, imitating to a model. One thing is, that the marble cube has Arabic numerals and Berber alphabet printed on bottom of each cube. Participants must then alternate the Arabic and Berber alphabet on order of every visible stack, meaning the outer stacks would be where it is placed, then using a serving cart, move the cubes to a room for judging. Once judged as correct by checking the outermost stack of each stack, they may receive their next clue from the palace caretaker.
Additional note:
Show contentThis task requires a lot of detail and each participant is assigned a statue model to imitate with the marble pieces. All participants receive the same cubes, cut similarly. The marble cubes are colorful and cuboid in shape. The statues that participants must build are in a shape of a pyramid, with participants being assigned the same pyramid model. Arabic numeral cubes start as odd stack and Berber alphabet cubes as even stack. The cubes itself has multiple same numerals and alphabets to place on each stack, with each stack having unique numerals and alphabets, so on to the next one. This task should take at least a half an hour or more.
Route Info: Make your way to Djebel El Wahch Forest
Djebel El Wahch Forest is a national forest located in the outskirts of Constantine. This forest showcases the almost untamed nature of Algeria available for the Constantine citizens to enjoy. Its name means Yearning Mount Forest, for which reasons are unknown, possibly related to its scenery or its history.
Once there, find a marked clue box.
Active Route Info: Carve Berber sentences from wood
Berber is one of national languages of Algeria, along with Arabic, and has been considered as the native language of Algeria since antiquity. They are spoken in five major dialects in many parts of Algeria, but mainly in Kabylia, in the Awras, and in the Algerian Sahara Desert. It was recognized by the Algerian government as a second national language in 2002.
In this Active Route Info, teams have to cut out the already-logged trunks from Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica), a cedar tree native to Atlas Mountains using a saw and other tools, and use it to carve five Berber sentences using wood carving tools. The fifth Berber sentence will lead teams to their next clue. Once the judge is satisfied with their efforts, they may proceed to their next clue using the fifth Berber sentence.
Additional note:
Show contentThe woods from Atlas cedar are also used for the production of timber. Teams will be provided a manual detailing Berber sentences they must craft. They are: “Constantine is the third largest city in Algeria”; “A secret for two, soon a secret for nobody.” (an Algerian proverb); “The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria”; “The Atlas Mountains in Algeria are divided into three sections: Tell Atlas, Saharan Atlas, and Aurès”; and “The Romans will be there outside Constantine and find your marked cars in the lot to drive to meet the Romans”. Teams make the sentence on a plain wood block by carving holes into it forming a depression representing a Berber letter. This task should take at least an hour or more.
Route Info: Drive yourselves to Tiddis Ruins
Teams have to find parked (and marked) Dacia Sandero (the most popular car in Algeria last year) in the parking lot to drive themselves to Tiddis, an abandoned Roman city and now an archaeological site.
Once there, find a marked clue box.
Detour: Place or Displace
Tiddis was a Roman city built in a plateau in a barren slope of a mountain that depended on Cirta (now Constantine). It is relatively well-preserved and could well be the most important from an archaeological perspective. The awkward terrain led to much of the city being built on terraces cut into the mountain. The Romans built ramps as well as stairs to connect the buildings and the streets.
In Place, teams have to restore a section of a Roman-built road by carrying and placing Roman stone blocks lining the side of a road. One thing, is that the stone blocks must be sorted according to a Berber sentence that is noted on the bottom of each stone block and then translate Berber into Romanized Berber on a provided paper. Once done correctly according to a model presentation provided, they may receive their next clue from an archaeologist.
In Displace, teams have to carry 20 Roman stone blocks, 10 for each team member, from the downhill of Tiddis to the uphill of Tiddis using a route noted on a map given to the teams. After this, teams also have to calculate the volume of each Roman stone block with a measuring tape. One thing, is that the calculations must be presented in Arabic numerals. If done correctly, they may receive their next clue from an archaeologist.
Additional note:
Show contentEach Detour should take at least an hour or more.
In Place, the Berber sentence is “You should make a new bucket whilst you still have the old one.” (a Berber proverb), with each stone block representing each Berber word. The teams were provided the sentence at the model presentation, but they must remember it. They can go back to the model presentation to try again, if unsure. After this, teams translate the Berber sentence into Latin alphabet by writing the phonetic letters of Latin alphabet on a paper through the utterances of an archaeologist. If the Romanized sentence are similar enough to the actual Romanized sentence, it will be accepted.
In Displace, teams were provided Arabic numerals at a bulletin board at the bottom of the mountain. The bulletin board also explains about Arabic numerals concisely. They must remember it, but can go back to try again if unsure.
Route Info: Make your way by foot to the Pit Stop at the slopes of a mountain nearby
This nameless mountain is the mountain that Tiddis is located on. Tiddis is a historical Roman city, now abandoned, that depended on the former Roman city of Cirta, now Constantine, and is now an archaeological site. This beautiful mountainous area will now serve as the ninth Pit Stop of the race.
Teams must take a marked trail to an area in the slopes of the mountain.
The last team to check in here may be eliminated.
The outcome:
Show contentTex & Garrett, 1st place (3:19 PM, won a trip for two to Malta); Sharon & Wilma, 2nd place (3:44 PM); Dante & Matt, 3rd place (4:20 PM); Isaac & Francine, 4th place (4:38 PM); and Karl & Natalia, 5th place (non-elimination, 4:47 PM).
Notes:
Show content• I chose Constantine because the city shows how European Algeria is architecturally. I wanted to showcase the beauty of Algerian nature, too.
• Constantine is located on Atlas Mountains, so this fits the criteria.
• All teams stayed in Hotel Camões, just a few miles from the Pit Stop and 4 km from the airport.
• All teams departed the Pit Start on October 16, a Friday.
• All teams found and took the same flight to Constantine on the same day, arriving next day on October 17, a Saturday.
• I chose the bridge because while teams are going across the bridge, they get to see the scenery of Constantine.
• The first ARI requires stamina, agility, detail, and memory.
• I chose the palace because I wanted to showcase Ottoman architecture in Algeria.
• The Roadblock is arguably the easiest task in this leg.
• The Roadblock requires attention and detail.
• I chose the forest because northern Africa isn’t just a desert, I wanted to showcase the greenery of Algeria.
• The woods needed are already provided and logged, so teams just only need to cut it to pieces.
• The second ARI requires physicality and detail.
• I chose Tiddis because I wanted to showcase the Roman history in Algeria and for its beauty.
• The stone blocks in the Place Detour are in size of a tissue box, and a bit heavy.
• In the Place Detour, the archaeologist knows which the blocks are correct by checking a small identifier trail on top of each block, with each block having different identifiers. The Berber sentences in each block are noted word by word, not by letter.
• The stone blocks in the Displace Detour are in size of a college textbook, and is relatively heavy compared to the blocks used in Place Detour.
• The stone blocks used in both sides of Detour were selected by the production for fairness.
• The Detour combines physicality, detail, memory, and brains.
• The Pit Stop is located in the slopes of a mountain where Tiddis is located on, just west of Tiddis ruins. The location is noted on a map below.
• Overall, this leg should take at least six hours or more, ending around afternoon.
Flights:
Show content
Maps:
Show content
Pi:
Design #16 - Declive
[Altiplano, Bolivia]
Show contentPIT START: Plaza Principal, Cruz Loma, Bolivia
ROUTE INFO: Drive to Yolosa (ZZip Zipline)
FAST FORWARD: Bike the Death Road.
ROADBLOCK: Triple Ziplining
ROUTE INFO: Drive to El Puente de Coroico
DETOUR: Flying Man or Dancing Woman
PIT STOP: Laguna Estrellani (Cristo de la Cumbre)
________________________________________
This is the Yungas Province, in Bolivia!
With an area of approximately 1720 km² this mountainous sight attracts adventurer tourists from all over the globe!
And in the heart of the province, the administrative seat: Coroico!
Founded above the river Quri Wayq'u, this seat in Western Bolivia is home to 12,237 people. And almost outside town, the village of Cruz Lomá.
Cruz Loma Central Plaza was the pit stop of the last leg of the race.
(XXX & YYY) won the last leg and will depart after a mandatory 18-hour rest at 09:10 AM.
Route Info: Drive yourselves to the small town of Yolosa!
Once there, find the ZZip Ziplines to find the next clue.
You have 1 USD for this leg of the race.
_________________________________________________
Fast Forward: Don't look down.
If you select to perform the Fast Forward, drive yourselves to La Senda Verde!
_________________________________________________
After driving to La Senda Verde, teams would find out their worst nightmares.
_________________________________________________
Fast Forward: It's time to ride the Road of Death!
To win this Fast Forward both teammates must bike the Death Road in the opposite direction: uphill. For safety reasons, a minivan will follow you.
The road is non-stop. If you choose to stop pedalling it will mean you have decided to quit the Fast Forward or must start over.
The minivan will take the teams to a distance of about 7 miles (11 km) to Cotapata.
They will be riding a dangerous non-paved track until reaching Cotapata, where you'll enter the minivan and be transported to the Jamp'aturi Mountains.
Teams must than bike another 6.5 (about) miles (9 km) uphill to reach the peak (Cristo de la Cumbre) at 4470 meters high.
The Pit Stop will be at walking distance: Laguna Estrellani.
_________________________________________________
Teams who didn't take the Fast Forward found a Roadblock.
_________________________________________________
Roadblock: "Who wants to see all of the Yungas?"
In this Roadblock, team members will choose an instructor and climb um Cedro Mayo to take on a 3-zipline journey between 3 mountains.
In spanish, the instructor will tell team members the names of the 3 mountains envolved in the rides.
1st Ride - Cedro Mayo > Santo Domingo (The Highest > 350 meter drop)
2nd Ride - Santo Domingo > Yalaca (The Fastest > 85km/h)
3rd Ride - Yalaca > Santo Domingo (The Scenic > Over the Animal Reserve)
At the end of the journey they will be presented with a board where they must correctly place the lines and the characteristic of their journeys.
If they haven't, they must take the rides again until getting it all correct.
_________________________________________________
Route Info: Drive yourselves to El Puente Coroico
Once there, park and race to find the next clue.
_________________________________________________
Detour: Flying Man or Dancing Woman
https://www.youtube.com/v/cVF63shVoQU
In Flying Man, teams must work as the Yungas Flying Men did for years. They must risk themselves through a galvanised metal zipline to reach the other side of the valley, where they must fill up a small basket with coca leafs and return to the original side. If they have two full baskets, a Flying Man of Yungas will hand over the next clue.
https://www.youtube.com/v/CE1DWRfWh-k
In Dancing Women, teams must travel on foot to the nearby tribe, where a tent is set-up for practicing the Saya Afro Boliviana dance, a tradicional dance the Yungas women perform in the montains for years. Teams will be given tradicional clothes to dress in. The Yungas are known as the Afro-Bolivian people. Usually males play the drums while the ladies dance. But this Detour side requires both teammembers to learn the dance and perform to the satisfaction of a head judge.
_________________________________________________
Route Info: Drive yourselves to the next pit stop: Laguna Estrellani!
Before you check-in, take a look at the view from Cristo de La Cumbre!
The last team to check-in here may be eliminated!
_________________________________________________
(XXX & YYY), i'm sorry to tell you that you are the last team to arrive...
...however, this is a non-elimination leg and you are still in the race!
_________________________________________________
NOTES AND MAPS.
Show contentPLEASE watch the video in this link to understand the Flying Man of Yungas.
From 4:29 to 7:00. This is INSANE!
https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/2011/05/20115811409577464.html
Here are some more Dancing videos from the Yunges Women.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMVBz2KQDQw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xpPnxwMMgk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGTpcuvQMgg&t=525s
The video above is the most important one (detail wise) for this leg.
- This video gave me the exact location of Zzip the Flying Fox since even their Facebook page had no good info on it.
(6:30 to 13:40)
- Also, in the video, the instructor says (in Spanish) that they are in the Cedro Mayo mountain, than Santo Domingo, than Yalaca than Santo Domingo back. You can listen to this part in the 8th minute of it.
- It is also because of this video that i've decided to make teams self drive for this leg. The bolivian jungle plus the Yungas Road makes everything so beautiful and scenic!
Estimated Times:
FAST FORWARD - First of all y'all need to understand that i wanted to make a creative task out of it.
I've recently learned of two cyclists who went uphill in the Road of Death. Even if you go downhill there is no way of doing it under 5 hours. So i've decided to put a range where the team would complete the whole task at about 1h30~2h. Teams will be pedalling uphill in a dangerous track for 11km. But it's not as steep as it looks, so they wouldn't be so slow. Than, another 9km to finish the leg.
The road is typically downhill from La Cumbre to Yolosa. Teams will go on the opposite direction.
ROADBLOCK - Each zipline race (#1, #2 and #3) would take about 15/20 minutes as the guy said in the video. Repeating the task would be the trick, since there is no equalizer in this leg.
DETOUR - The Flying Man could be really quick. Collecting Coca is actually the trickiest part. The ride as you can see in the video of the link above is pretty quick. The Dancing Woman would depend on teams's skills on dancing. I think the time of the performance does not go over 3~5 minutes once they're done practicing.
From (1:00 to 3:30) of this video below you can see the whole choreography for the dance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mocsc_KBOIY
These are the clothes teams will be given for this side of the Detour.
ALL MAPS BELOW!
- Teams will be driving through the Ruta Boliviana 3 for this leg. This is the road that connects La Paz and Yungas Valley.
- This leg doesn't have an equalizer. It has a tough Fast Forward and a tricky Roadblock. So i decided this should be a non-elimination leg.
- Teams will be provided with cars for this leg. Thus i only gave them 1 USD to spend.
- The Roadblock requires teams to walk from ZZip Zipline with an instructor and climb Cedro Mayo. It will take about 10 minutes to go on foot.
- All tasks are related to the montain theme: Fast Forward, both Detours and Roadblock. Also, the Yungas Valley is all about mountains. Teams will be in mountains for the biggest part of this leg.
- Teams won't have time or means to ask locals during the Roadblock. They will be far from the city at the moment they should anwser the questions, writing it on the board.
- This
Is the small basket for the Flying Man Detour. You can close the basket to the leafes won't fall during the ride.
- The last is designed for having 5 or 6 teams on it. With departure times going from 09:10 AM to 11:00 AM.
- Teams are allowed to ask locals for directions as it is very hard to navigate in this region of Bolivia.
- I tried to design a leg that would fit this incredible Fast Forward. Coroico is a region that is not so urban and connected as other places. It was a very hard leg to make and took me a lot of research, even to find pictures and keep watching videos about the rides, zipline and everything else. It was worth it, though.
- Also, i focused more on details this time around. I hope i didn't forget anything.
Pi:
Design #17 - totumo
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