The Amazing Race > RFF's Amazing Race: Design Challenge
The Amazing Race: Design Challenge VIII - Final Round Design Show on Page 50!
Kamineko:
Design #6 - nrh2110
[Luxor, Egypt]
Show contentThis is Aswan.
Aswan is one of most significant cities in Southern Egypt, dating back to ancient times where it has served as both a strategic and commercial gateway for Southern Egypt. It is also the world's driest city, averaging less than a millimeter of rainfall annually. But Aswan is no stranger to water, lying on the Nile and home to the famous Aswan Dam.
Completed in 1970, the Aswan Dam is the world's largest embankment dam. It also served as the sixth pit stop in a race around the world.
Having used their Express Pass given to them by Rupert & Michael, Jenna & Elizabeth won the last leg of the race! They will depart first at 11:25 AM.
Jenna: We're leaving in first today!
Elizabeth: Let's keep it that way!
Route Info: Travel by train to the city of Luxor!
Teams will now travel 130 miles north by train to the city of Luxor. Upon arrival in Luxor, teams must travel by taxi to Karnak Temple and find the White Chapel, where they will find the cluebox with their next clue.
Hours of Operation at Karnak Temple are 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM. You have 31 USD for this leg of the race.
Jenna: Egypt you've been good to us so far, let's do this again!
All teams are now on the same train departing a 5:00 PM, arriving in Luxor at 8:20 PM.
Fast Forward: Take part in an annual procession celebrating a 3000-year old ceremony.
Each year two weeks before Ramadan, Luxor celebrates the Moulid of Abu el Haggag—the sheikh who is fabled to have brought Islam to Luxor hundreds of years ago. Despite bearing the name of an Islamic Sheikh, the roots of the festival are based in Egypt's past. Each year, a parade of floats and camels celebrates the annual journey of the priests who brought the celestial basques of Amun, Mut and Khonsu from Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple along the now silted canal. This Fast Forward requires teams to finish painting the god Amun according to the picture provided on a boat-shaped float. Once the judge is satisfied with their paint job, they must rig a camel and dress it up in its finery and prepare it for the parade. Upon approval from the judge, they must help three local kids onto the camel and then load themselves onto the float. The first team to complete all of this will be given approval to begin the two-mile procession to Luxor Temple. Upon arrival at Luxor Temple, the team will be awarded the Fast Forward and may go directly to the pit stop.
Route Info: Make your way to the Isis Papyrus Museum 1.
Teams must now make their way to the Isis Papyrus Museum 1. Upon arrival at the museum, teams will find their clue in the cluebox in front of the museum.
Detour: Reed It or Read It
A Detour is a choice between two tasks, each with its pros and cons. This detour will require teams to work with papyrus—and they must choose whether they want to Reed It or Read It.
Reed It: Papyrus is a paper native to ancient Egypt and this side of the detour will require teams to take part in the lengthy process of making papyrus. First, they will have to cut papyrus strips from the papyrus plant. They must each cut 15 strips to the judge's satisfaction. Once they have finished cutting the strips, they must submerge them in water to soak for three days. They will then be given 30 already-soaked papyrus strips, which they must use a rolling pin to push out the excess water and sugars, and then weave the papyrus into a 15x15-strip piece of paper. Once they have completed this, they must place the woven piece between linen in between two boards. Once this is all done, they will be given a papyrus scroll with their next clue on it.
Read It: Hieroglyphs were what the ancient Egyptians used as their writing system. In this Detour, teams must carefully translate an English version of a quote by Pharaoh Akhnaton into hieroglyphs on a papyrus scroll. Once they feel their translation is correct, they must run outside to the bank of the Nile where they will find a priest who they must deliver the scroll. If it is incorrect, the priest will take it and they must go back to the museum and start over again. If it is correct, he will exchange it for a papyrus scroll with their next clue on it.
Route Info: Travel by ferry across the Nile River and search for the twins of Luxor.
Teams must now make their way to the ferry point outside Luxor Temple and take a ferry to the west bank. Once there, they must figure out that the location of their next clue is at the Colossi of Memnon—two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III.
Route Info: Travel by taxi to the Valley of Kings.
Teams must now travel by taxi to the Valley of Kings. Once there, they will find their next clue at the entrance.
Roadblock: Who wants to be a tomb raider?
From the 16th to 11th century BC, over 60 tombs were excavated in the Valley of Kings; serving as the final resting place for many pharaohs and nobleman. Despite this, only a select handful of these tombs are open to the public. In this Roadblock, one team member must go on a scavenger hunt in the Valley of Kings. They will be given a set of three questions—each with an answer corresponding to a specific tomb they must locate. At the correct tombs, they will find a cluebox which they must open a clue envelope. If it is a correct tomb, the clue envelope will contain a small red, white or black flag, representing the three national colors of Egypt. However, if it is an incorrect tomb, the clue envelope will contain a clue telling them to try again. Once they have all three flags, they can run back to the entrance of the Valley and give them to the archaeologist, who will give them their next clue in return.
Route Info: Make your way to the next pit stop, the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut!
Queen Hatshepsut is historically considered one of the most important pharaohs in Egypt's history. She was the second historically-confirmed female pharaoh, taking over the throne after her husband Thutmose II. One of her greatest accomplishments as pharaoh was the construction of the temple here at Deir el-Bahari.
The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut is considered one of the architectural wonders of Egypt and is the pit stop for this leg of the race. The last team to check in here may be eliminated.
Show contentDesigner's Notes:
Hello judges! This leg I'm trying to stick with a theme—ancient Egypt. Once of UNESCO's heritage sites is Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis, which encompasses everything visited on this leg of the race. This leg hits close to home for me, as my first real trip outside of North America was to Egypt, and part of that trip was a visit to Luxor.
I figured this leg would be paired with modern Egypt-themed leg in Aswan, so having two legs in Egypt takes care of two important aspects of the country.
There are no planes from Luxor to Aswan, as it is not a long distance, and there is only one daily train from Aswan to Luxor. Especially given the hours of the temples, a night leg was not feasible, so I used the hours of operation at Karnak Temple to bunch the teams up right before the Fast Forward.
Train is here: https://ibb.co/4MsqB8B
Now, I know you may be thinking, Karnak Temple was already visited in TAR 5. While that may be true, Karnak Temple is so significant to Luxor, especially with the Fast Forward, that it had to be revisited—and this isn't unprecedented! Batu Caves is one of the most important tourist attractions in Kuala Lumpur and in the two legs that really focused on KL on TARUS, they both visited Batu Caves.
The Fast Forward was something I came upon when reading about traditional festivals in Luxor, specifically the Moulid of Abu el Haggag, and I figured would be perfect for a Fast Forward. While I could've taken the easy way out by making the Fast Forward a disgusting eating challenge like eating the notorious fesikh, like many fast forwards on the Amazing Race do, but when I saw this, I figured it would be perfect for TV, watching the teams lead the procession from Karnak to Luxor Temple.
The painting of Amun will look like this. It will all be stenciled in already on the parade float, so they just have to paint in the colors according to the picture provided.
The camel should end up looking like this when done.
Now the Detour. Strangely enough, TARUS didn't do anything with papyrus when it went to Egypt on TAR 5, despite it being so important to its history.
Don't think I have to go into detail about the papyrus making since I went pretty in depth on the actual post and it's pretty self-explanatory. For the Detour, if you look at the map here, you will see that the museum is a stone's throw from the banks of the Nile, so it's not that far of a walk to deliver the message at all. The quote they have to translate is:
“To be satisfied with a little, is the greatest wisdom; and he that increaseth his riches, increaseth his care; but a contented mind is a hidden treasure, and trouble findeth it not.” – Pharaoh Akhnaton
which looks like this in hieroglyphs:
https://ibb.co/48VTYGf
https://ibb.co/CpjPcFg
If you look at the map of Luxor, the one ferry point to cross the river is right outside of Luxor Temple, which is perfect because all teams, whether they took the Fast Forward or not, will have to take the ferry to get across the Nile to the rest of the tasks or the pit stop, and the Fast Forward brings them right there.
I took note from Pi/ that I need to be less vague with the mystery location, and the Colossi of Memnon is so iconic that any local will know what they're talking about when twins are mentioned.
And now the Roadblock. Here are the questions for the scavenger hunt:
1. Red: The thirteenth son of his father that he succeeded, his throne name meant "The Soul of Ra, Beloved of the Gods" (Merneptah)
2. White: His father's identity is currently unknown, but he was the second to last ruler of the Nineteenth Dynasty (Siptah)
3. Black: This pharoah succeeded #1, but #2 succeeded him. (Seti II)
The clue boxes will be in front of each tomb, rather than inside, as to not disrespect the tombs themselves.
Finally, the Valley of the Kings is in a dead end, but I didn't want to have an unceremonious leg finish in the same location as the Roadblock, so Hatshepsut Temple seemed like a great candidate for the pit stop.
Money Breakdown (all through Rome2Rio):
3 USD taxi from Dam to Train Station
8 USD for 4 train tickets (team and sound/camera)
1 USD taxi from Luxor Station to Karnak
1 USD taxi from Karnak to Papyrus Museum
1 USD taxi from Papyrus to ferry
4 USD for 4 ferry tickets
1 USD to colossi
1 USD to Valley
1 USD to Hatshepsut Temple
10 USD for food/other expenses
Hope you all enjoy!
Kamineko:
Design #7 - Bookworm
[Lalibela, Ethiopia]
Show content
Phil: Dubai seems to be in constant motion. With new skyscrapers reaching the heavens seemingly overnight and new islands emerging from the Persian Gulf, it appears nothing can stop the United Arab Emirates' largest city.
Phil: Even water, though scarce in the desert, has become so plentiful it can be used for recreation. And nowhere can attest to that more than the Dubai Water Canal, an urban promenade along a waterway connecting Dubai Creek and the Persian Gulf. It is from here that seven teams will begin the next Leg in the Amazing Race!
Phil: Katie & Jessica, who were the first to arrive, will depart at 11:06 pm
Katie: Ethiopia?
Jessica: Oh my gosh, that's like, so unfair!
Katie: Ugggghh-uh! Daddy's international business partners can't, like, help us cheat- I mean, like, win- there!
Jessica: Hopefully, like, they have, like, coffee! I, like, stole some dude's credit card, so, like, we can have, like, Starbucks!
Katie: Oh my gosh, so, like, great! The, like, mean producers only, like, gave us a measly 64 USD this Leg!
Phil: Teams must now fly to Lalibela, Ethiopia! Deep in the Ethiopian Highlands, it is nevertheless a center of pilgrimage, as it is one of the holiest cities in Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. Lalibela is renowned for its incredible, rock-hewn churches...
Phil: ... the most famous being the Church of Saint George. Ethiopian Orthodox clergy attest that the churches of Lalibela, which comprise a UNESCO World Heritage Site, represent Jerusalem, and teams will have the chance to find out for themselves as they make their way here upon arriving in Lalibela. Teams will find their clue outside the church, before the staircase descending into the rock.
All teams depart between 11:06 pm and 1:01 am and travel to Dubai International Airport, where they book passage to Lalibela.
Phil: All teams are making their way to Lalibela, Ethiopia. Teams first fly to Addis Ababa at 4:25 am, before splitting up.
Phil: The first flight, connecting through Axum, arrives at 11:10 am, but requires a 30-minute connection. The second flight arrives over an hour after the first, but is direct.
Phil: Teams are traveling by taxi from Lalibela Airport to the Church of Saint George, where their next clue contains a:
Fast Forward: Make your way on foot to the Lalibela's Amhara Market and learn about Ethiopia's linguistic diversity!
Phil: Lalibela's Amhara Market attracts merchants and visitors from all over Ethiopia, who sometimes trek two weeks straight just to purchase livestock. It is therefore the perfect venue for this Leg's Fast Forward.
Phil: A Fast Forward can only be completed by one team and allows that team to skip all remaining tasks and head directly to the Pit Stop. In this Fast Forward, teams must compete to identify languages of Ethiopia, based on the favorite medium of expression- music.
Phil: When teams arrive at the Market, they may choose one of four stations, each featuring a large, upright game board, painted with a Linguistic Map of Ethiopia, a country home to over 100 different languages. At regular intervals, the DJ will announce the name of a CD and play it. As teams listen to music, they must not only find the correct CD, put place it on one of 50 pins across their map. If the CD is placed in the correct linguistic region, the team gets to keep the CD on the board. If multiple teams are competing, only the first to place it correctly will win this right!
Phil: While Ethiopia is home to 100 languages, they can be categorized into four major groups: Nilo-Saharan, Semitic, Omotic, and Cush itic. To help teams, four pairs of men in the immediate vicinity of the game area will be conversing in languages representing each language group. Teams could get an ear for what each language group sounds like by listening to the men, but would have to do so at the expense of the ongoing game.
Phil: The first team with 8 CDs on their board will win the Fast Forward and proceed directly to the Pit Stop. However, the CD player only has room for 50 songs. The game starts as soon as the first team arrives in the arena, and the Fast Forward will end, with or without a winner, as soon as the DJ runs out of songs.
"Congratulations! Make your way to the next Pit Stop, Ben Abeba Restaurant & Lodge."
Phil: Having won the Fast Forward, Dahlia & Jasper can now proceed directly to the Pit Stop, Ben Abeba. This restaurant is an architectural wonder and provides a panoramic view of Lalibela and the surrounding countryside.
The teams that do not pursue the Fast Forward find a:
Roadblock: Who isn't claustrophobic?
Phil: In this Roadblock, one team member must travel back in time and use the tunnel system connecting the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela to recreate three images of the people that inspired the churches in the first place. They will first descend down into the Church of Saint George.
The participating team member must then use the tunnel network to access two more churches...
Phil: ... Bete Amanuel...
Phil: ... and Bete Maryam. Outside each of the three churches, including St. George, sit seven puzzle stations, one for each team. Teams must swap pieces between the puzzle stations at each church, the first of which is right outside the Church of Saint George, to solve three puzzles:
The Ethiopian Orthodox monk, saint, and writer, Giyorgis
King Ezana of Axum, who embraced Christianity and institutionalized it as the official religion of Ethiopia
And the Virgin Mary, known as Maryam in Ethiopia
Phil: Each puzzle consists of 12 pieces, and when team members first encounter the puzzle stations, they will feature four pieces from each puzzle. Racers must properly identify the pieces to their corresponding puzzle and transfer them to the appropriate station. However, teams may only carry four pieces at a time, and may place no more than 12 pieces at any given station. Once teams rearrange the pieces and solve the puzzle, they will receive a pendant.
Phil: Once the team member returns to the Church of Saint George and their partner with three pendants, they may exchange them for their next clue.
This clue reveals a:
Detour: Home-Brewed or Tongue-Tied?
Phil: Ethiopians are known for their hospitality, and beverages are often associated with tradition and performance. In this Detour, teams will explore one of two such performances.
Home-Brewed requires teams to make their way on foot to the Tukul Village Hotel. There, they must find a marked hut, where a woman will be performing a coffee ceremony. Teams must be careful to observe what she does, for they will have to perform the traditional ceremony on their own in an adjacent room.
Phil: When teams are ready, they can attempt this complicated ceremony, making sure to include all relevant details.
https://www.youtube.com/v/wWuR_NYezhY
Phil: First, teams must lay out a bed of grasses and burn incense to ward off spirits. Then, they must fill the Jebena, a traditional pot, with water and set it on hot coals. Teams can then start on the coffee beans, washing and cooking them. At regular intervals, teams must remember their roles as hosts and offer the beans to their guests, two experts in the ceremony, to smell.
Phil: Once the beans are ready, teams can grind them in a mortar and pestle and pour them into the Jebena to finish boiling. Teams can then serve the coffee, the most important step. Three cups must be poured for each of the two guests, and when teams serve them, they must remember to tell these judges the meaning of each cup: the first is for pleasure, the second for contemplation, and the third is a blessing. Once the teams can run through the entire ceremony without error, they will receive their next clue.
Phil: This Detour is tedious and requires good memory. Aspects that seem irrelevant to coffee, such as the incense, are a vital part of the ceremony. Teams with good memories and better etiquettes can speed through, but others may find themselves feeling a bit pressed if they have to repeat the ceremony multiple times.
Phil: Tongue-Tied requires teams to find Torpedo Tej, a local bar. Once there, they must sell ten servings of Tej, a local honey wine. However, the task is far from that simple.
Phil: These bars, known as Tejbet, are frequented by Azmaris, Ethiopian musical storytellers akin to bards. Teams must blend these two traditions by selling Tej with music. As teams sell Tej to patrons, they are required to sing to the patron's satisfaction, aiming for flattery.
Phil: One team member would sing, striving to create a short song, upwards of ten lines, with a traditional rhyme scheme, in which every pair of lines rhyme. While one team member sings, the other will have to make an accompanying tune on the Masenqo, a one-stringed fiddle variant. Although teams are not judged on the musical performance, patrons are told to refuse service from bad songs. Furthermore, if teams get stuck halfway through their song, they will be forced to start their song over from the top.
Phil: Once a customer laughs a team off, they can move on to the next order. Once teams sell 10 servings of Tej, the bartender will give teams their next clue.
Phil: While this task is simple enough, teams will have to be observant and think quickly in order to sing rhymes about patrons. Furthermore, teams are ultimately at the patrons' mercy, and could find their cheeky rhymes turning into a serenade quicker than expected.
"Make your way to Selina Restaurant"
Phil: Teams must now make their way to Selina Restaurant, where they'll find their next clue next to the "Daily Specials" sign.
"It's time to become breadwinners. Deliver a stack of Injera uphill to Ben Abeba."
Phil: Teams will now receive a stack of Injera, Ethiopian flatbread, measuring two feet high. Teams must deliver this bread on foot to Ben Abeba Restaurant & Lodge. Injera is the national dish of Ethiopia and is central to every meal.
Phil: When teams arrive at this futuristic restaurant, bread in hand, they'll receive their next clue.
"Time to test those tastebuds."
Phil: While no meal in Ethiopia would be complete without Injera, you've got to have something to eat with the Injera. Ethiopian food is characterized by Wot, a stew meant to be eaten with Injera using one's hands. Teams will be seated at a table with a Wot platter. Using their senses of taste, teams must match each of the 5 stews to the proper Amharic name, using a provided list. However, teams were not told the translations or ingredients of the Ethiopian names.
Phil: Unbeknownst to teams, the Daily Specials blackboard at Selina Restaurant detailed the chief ingredient of each stew. Will teams simply guess, or run downhill and back to get this crucial information? Will any observant teams have already noticed the board and steam ahead? Once teams tasted through the spices to correctly identify each Wot, they would be led up the spiral staircase to the Pit Stop.
Phil: The upper balcony of Ben Abeba Restaurant & Lodge overlooks the incredible Ethiopian Highlands. The last team to check in here may be eliminated.
Judges, I will admit that, unlike most African Heritage Sites listed, the Rock Churches of Lalibela have graced our screens on The Amazing Race before. However, I felt the Leg, while full of beautiful scenery, did little to showcase the cultural history of Ethiopia and the region. We got a Detour relating to huts, which can only go so far in depicting a modern country. Furthermore, it’s been 14 years since Lalibela was visited and the significance of the churches and Ethiopia merit a real visit. I attempted to rectify the generic tasks of the previous visit by celebrating the richness of Ethiopia, from linguistic diversity to a vibrant cuisine and a deep history.
Another thing I tried to do this Leg was test teams’ wit in a variety of ways. Many tasks featured memory; however, each task utilized memory through a different sense. The Fast Forward challenged teams’ auditory memory, whereas the Roadblock tested the senses of direction and visual memory. Visual memory and detail-orientation was again tested in “Home-Brewed,” while quick thinking and powers of observation were rewarded in “Tongue-Tied.” Finally, the Active Route Info tested teams’ powers of perception as they related to taste. The physicality of the Leg is brought on through directing teams on foot once in Lalibela.
I wanted to make the Fast Forward interesting, challenging, and competitive. I believe I did just that. The music is loud enough for all participants to hear, and the 4 pairs are far enough such that the music won't obscure their conversation so teams can listen. Since each song takes about 3 minutes, a team could win in about 20, the maximum time, which I don't think it would get to, would be about 150 min, or over 2 and a half hours. Again, I gave teams plenty of leeway because hearing differences in foreign languages, especially those that teams haven't been exposed to, is quite difficult. But teams have to earn the Fast Forward! I predict a team would win in about 35-45 minutes, assuming they can get the CDs quickly compared to the song length. As an additional note, I had to spell C u s h i t i c as two works to avoid censors (Cu****ic).
As for the Roadblock, the tunnels are wide enough for camera people to safely navigate. Additionally, a lot of the tunnel sections are uncovered, so they’re lit. Even so, the truly subterranean sections are quite short, as the first image after the Roadblock prompt indicates. Teams should be able to run between the churches safely, easily, and without technical impairment. The task should take between 40 and 80 minutes; the churches aren't that far apart, but teams that fail to strategize and go back and forth a lot will waste serious time. I also want to mention that the blue line on the map of the churches refers to a road, which is easily crossable, as opposed to a river.
Like I said, a sign outside Selina Restaurant has a “daily specials” sign with the descriptions of different wot varieties. I felt the task would be pointless if teams new the ingredients in each name, but decided to add a clue along the Racecourse at what I felt was an appropriate venue to ensure that teams have a fair and equal chance at being equipped with enough knowledge such that they aren't taking a shot in the dark. I believe this information provides enough of an advantage such that the task, while simple, has actual potential to shuffle changes last minute. Otherwise, there are 120 possible combinations to guess!
I gave teams 64 USD for this Leg, to cover taxis to Dubai Airport and travel from the Lalibela Airport to the main cluster of churches. From that point on, teams are on foot and therefore don't need money. Additionally, 50 USD is to cover passes for entry into Lalibela's Heritage Site. These tickets could easily be provided by production, but since teams have to pass through the checkpoint to enter the RB, might as well give them the money, to be safe.
Each successful coffee ceremony should take 10 minutes, including boiling water and roasting beans. However, subsequent attempts may take half that time, since the water will already be boiling from a previous attempt. The ceremony is not too complex and I could see a team getting it on their first try, but there are enough minor details that I feel that it balances with Tongue-Tied. This side of the Detour is definitely more fun and gets a different side of local interaction. Locals will be briefed quickly as teams ask them for a Tej order, in order to ensure that a) there's a fair understanding in case of potential language barriers and b) the task does reward charisma and teams can pluck locals off the street. Otherwise, a room full of 40 placed Ethiopians dumbs down the task, as teams don't really have to work to get an order. The bartender will speak English, so even if a patron fails to notice a rhyme (or lack thereof), the bartender will handle it. I predict that Home-Brewed will take anywhere from 20 minutes to 45, while Tongue-Tied can take anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes. I hope your interpretations agree with my estimations!
From Airport to Church of Saint George
Fast Forward map
Detour map
From Home-Brewed to the Pit Stop
From Tongue-Tied to the Pit Stop
Total Leg time: 11:10 or 12:30 arrival + 21 min travel time + 40-80 mins RB + 15 min (HB) - 20 min (TT) to Detour - 20 to 45 min Detour - 27 (TT) - 46 (HB) w/ ARI to Pit Stop + 5 - 40 mins Wot ARI (assuming teams go back to Selina) = teams arrive at the Pit Stop between just before 1 (FF) and 4:30 pm. Teams have plenty of daylight to complete these tasks. :)
Kamineko:
Design #8 - ZBC Company
[Fez & Meknes, Morocco]
Show contentOpen this link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JvrnfPhHFVdNHu48TB44zSlHPrFDZ_BG0oTDjp1ErFQ/edit
Kamineko:
Design #9 - redwings8831
[Ouidah & Abomey, Benin]
Show contentROUND 3
*This is The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, a landlocked country in the heart of Western Europe. Bordered by Belgium, France and Germany and at the crossroads of Germanic and Latin cultures, Luxembourg's successful steel, finance and high technology industry had made this small nation one of the richest in the world and a defacto capital of the European Union. And in the center of the capitol Luxembourg City, is Place de la Constitution. This city square featuring a memorial obelisk dedicated to World War II soldiers, freedom & resistance is the pit start for the next leg of the Amazing Race.*
X&Y, who arrived first at 4:44 PM, will depart at 4:44 AM.
Clue: Fly to the West African nation of Benin. Upon arrival in the capital of Cotonou, travel by taxi to the Temple of Pythons in Ouidah. Search among the pythons in the 12x12 ft. marked room in the temple for your next clue. You have $75 (42,000 West African franc XOF) for this leg of the race.
Teams will travel by taxi from the pit-start to the Luxembourg Airport (~30 EUR). All teams will be on the same flight to Benin, connecting through Paris. Once in Benin, teams will travel by bush taxi to Ouidah (700 XOF).
**Transportation**
Show contentTaxi from the pit start to the Luxembourg Airport
Flight to Benin
Taxi to the Temple of Pythons
In Benin, pythons are reverred and worshiped and in Ouidah, the Temple of Pythons is a voodoo temple and a sacred site that represents historical and modern symbolism and spiritual practice.
https://www.youtube.com/v/2c-sjY05E20
Clue: Travel by taxi to the sacred forest of Kpasse (100 XOF). Once there, check in and retrieve your departure time for the following morning.
According to legend, this forest marks the location where, in the fourteenth century, King Kpassè, the founder of the city, miraculously disappeared. The forest is sacred precisely because of this tree that embodies the spirit of the king.
Starting at 6 AM, teams will depart in the order they arrived, keeping the time distance in-tact. (For example, if team A arrives at 9:30 PM and team B arrives at 9:37 PM, team A will leave at 6 AM and team B will leave at 6:07 AM). Teams can spend the night at the provided shelter in the forest for free or can book a room at the nearby Hotel DK for 10,000 XOF).
**Transportation**
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6:00 AM, the next morning:
Clue: The Door of No Return is a memorial arch in Ouidah that is dedicated to the victims of the Atlantic slave trade. Travel by taxi (150 XOF) to the arch and then walk through it, retrieve your next clue on the beach, and then walk back through to honor those who were taken to the Americas from the Ouidah slave port during the slave trade.
https://www.youtube.com/v/ng5ISJZNdGw
**Transportation**
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On the beach, teams find a fast forward with their next clue:
Voodoo is one of the worlds most secretive and misunderstood religions and in Benin, the nearly 40% of the population is a follower of it. In this fast forwards, teams will be forced to immerse themselves in the Voodoo culture by going by taxi to the Dantokpa Market in Cotonou (800 XOF). Known simply as Tokpa, this is the largest open-air market in West Africa, covering over 20 hectares and responsible for a commercial turnover of over a billion CFA Francs a day.
Teams will have to find the fetish market (Marché des féticheurs) at the northern edge of the Tokpa. In the West African Voodoo culture, a fetish is an object that is used in animistic religion that carries an magical power. These objects can be anything from tree barks, dried plants, herbs to dried animal parts, such as heads, skins, skulls, etc. Live animals including chickens, fish and rats to be sacrificed can also be found at these markets.
The first team to find the items on the provided list including a live chicken, a dried up snake, a tortoise shell, two raw eggs, and herbs, take them by taxi to the Cotonou Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Miséricorde de Cotonou, 50 XOF) and give them to the priest there will win the fast foward. Before getting the clue, both team members will have to take a shot of Sodabi, a palm spirit that is made from the fermented sap of palm trees. In Voodoo ceremonies, this spirit is poured over celebrants to flush out bad spirits and offered to ancestors to keep them comfortably tipsy in the afterlife.
https://www.youtube.com/v/uYnwmWv5Xgk
https://www.youtube.com/v/fs3uPShElpI
I know this video shows Voodoo in Togo and not Benin, but it was the most comprehensive video I could find to showcase the fetish markets and the culture/traditions/markets are similar among the two bordering nations.
**Transportation**
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The first team to complete the fast forward will go directly to the pit stop, the Parc Archaeologique d'Agongointo (Underground Town) in Bohicon, Benin. A free limousine provided by Royal American Transportation & Security Services (https://www.ralimo.com/locations/benin/cotonou/) will transport the winning team to the pit stop.
**Transportation**
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For teams that bypass the fast forward:
Clue: Travel by taxi (800 XOF) and boat (1000 XOF) to the floating stilt village of Ganvie. Often called the Venice of Africa and added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 1996, Ganvie is the largest floating village in the world with a population of over 20,000 people. Your next clue will be at the embarkation point for the boat trip to Ganvie, in the town of Abomey Calavi.
https://www.youtube.com/v/mBV0w9l0nu4
**Transportation**
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At the embarkation point:
Detour: Fish Nets or Log Stilts
In Fish Nets, teams will have to direct their boat driver to the fishing farm in Ganvie (15 minute boat ride). Once there, they'll have to get into the water and help the local fisherman set up three large nets to capture fish. Once these are done, teams will then go to an already functioning fish farm and collect 5 pounds of fish to take with them to the fish market. When they have unloaded the fish at the market, teams will receive their next clue.
https://www.youtube.com/v/8V0AU82xI6o
In Log Stilts, teams will direct their driver to the boat yard in Ganvie (15 minute boat ride). Once there, they will have to help the locals finishing build a dugout canoe. Using the provided equipment and tools, teams will have to put in the log benches and make sure all of the bolts are securely in place. Once the canoe is approved, accompanied by their driver and locals, teams will transport four wooden stilts used for building on the canoe through the canals to the nearby fish market for their next clue.
https://www.youtube.com/v/HbKxJnKeVHY
*Upon completion of the detour:
Clue: Travel by taxi (1600 XOF) to the Royal Palaces of Abomey in Abomey. Retrieve your next clue at the Historical Museum of Abomey, located in what was once the homes of King Ghézo and King Glélé.
Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, this 100 acre site is the home to 12 palaces, each of which was built by a ruler of the Kingdom of Dahomey between 1695 and 1900. The Kingdom was founded in 1625 by the Fon who developed it into a powerful military and commercial empire, which dominated trade with European slave traders on the Slave Coast until 1904, when it was defeated by the French and the country was annexed into a French colony.
**Transportation**
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Roadblock: Who wants to play with clay?
Clue: Serving as a record book as opposed to written documents, Bas-reliefs fill the walls of the royal palaces of Abomey. These pictures, clay sculptures, and other creations are a source of history for the Fon people and the Kingdom of Dahomey, displaying their vast military success, the power of each king and documenting the Fon people's myths, customs and rituals.
https://www.youtube.com/v/UrnJpArnW1w
In this roadblock, the chosen team member have to learn how to make a bas-relief. There will be four different designs to choose from and each design can be done by up to three teams, so it is first come first serve to pick. The chosen team member will have to take the provided pencil sketch, roll out the terre de barre clay, and then recreate it using the techniques of stenciling out the clay and then scraping away the excess to create a 3d like sculpture. When their bas-relief is approved by the museum attendant, teams will receive their next clue.
https://www.youtube.com/v/yrPzvoGLEIc
The four Bas-Relief designs are located at the museum. (https://www.virtualmuseum.ca/edu/ViewLoitLo.do;jsessionid=AB99EC5AF2A6FEF5E58041C7139A6C6A?method=preview&lang=EN&id=11478)
1. Aloukiki
2. King Ghézo as an Elephant
3. The Fish That Takes the Hook
4. Royal Victory and the Capture of the Village of Kënglo
Clue: Travel by taxi to the nearby town of Bohicon (100 XOF), and find the pit stop mat in the underground town at the Parc Archaeologique d'Agongointo. Added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 1998, the town consists of bunkers and other housing structures about 30 feet underground. The last team to arrive may be eliminated.
**Transportation**
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Kamineko:
Design #10 - Lemontail
[Praslin, Seychelles]
Show contentLeg 5: Walvis Bay, Namibia → Praslin, Seychelles
This is Walvis Bay, Namibia. The principal port of Namibia, this city is situated on the west coast of southern Africa. This city has had a chequered history, as it had been founded as early as 1487, then in 1795, it was annexed by the British from the Dutch, and in 1910, Walvis Bay became part of the South African Union. The city depends on its natural deep-water harbor for its economy.
This is Flamingo Lagoon, a lagoon in Walvis Bay. This lagoon is home to flamingos and other birds, who flock to there to either eat, live, or breed. This waterfront promenade on this lagoon now serves as the fourth Pit Stop of the race.
The first team to check in, twins and dancers Amara & Zara will depart at 7:38 am.
The other teams depart from 7:44 am to 8:26 am.
Route Info: Fly to Praslin, Seychelles
Praslin is an island in Seychelles, an archipelagic country of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa. It is known for palm-fringed beaches, endemic plants and animals, and its scenery.
Once there, teams must find and choose marked cars in the airport parking lot and make their way to Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve in Praslin National Park. You have US$10 for this leg.
Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in Praslin that is also a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its nature, endemic plants and animals, and scenery. It consists of a well-preserved palm forest, with the flagship species made up of the island endemic coco de mer, as well as five other endemic palms.
Warning, a Double U-Turn ahead!
Fast Forward: Decorate three coco de mers
Lodoicea, or known as the sea coconut, coco de mer, or double coconut, is a monotypic genus in the palm family. The sole species, Lodoicea maldivica, is endemic to the islands of Praslin and Curieuse in the Seychelles. The mature coconut contains the largest seed in the plant kingdom, and is known for its unusual shape, of which the fruit looked like a woman's disembodied buttocks on one side, and a woman's belly and thighs on the other side. This plant is one of the reasons that Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as with other plants and the nature around the island.
In this Fast Forward, a team has to decorate three coco de mers with traditional Seychellois decorations, modelling according to an approved model. If they can finish decorating it correctly and in shortest time, they will win the Fast Forward and may skip the rest of this leg’s tasks and proceed directly to the Pit Stop.
Route Info: Make your way to Cote D'Or Beach
Cote D'Or Beach is a long white-sand beach with snorkeling activities, boat excursions, resorts, and restaurants in northeastern Praslin.
Once there, find a clue box at the entrance.
Detour: Arms or Feet
Seychelles is known for its endemic flora and fauna, mishmash of various cultures descended from Indian, European, and other cultures, and scenery. Dancing and cuisine are one of the cultures influenced by a mix of Indian, European, and other cultures, such a characteristic of a Creole culture.
In Arms, teams must go to a marked stall and collect three coco de mers scattered around the beach to make coconut curry, a Seychellois dish made from coconut and rice with some saffron, onions, ginger, garlic and a number of masala spices. This dish is slighty spicy, meaning teams have to eat a small plate of the curry. One thing, is that after eating the dish, teams have to deliver three plates to three lifeguards around the beach as a dinner. Once done, they may receive their next clue.
In Feet, teams must learn and participate in Moutia, a traditional Seychellois dance, which is accompanied by singing and has an African or Madagascan rhythm. Music and dance have always played a major role in the culture of the Seychelles and are still an important part of local festivities. One thing, is that after learning the dance correctly, they have to walk while also dancing to bring three marked coco de mers from the stall to a firepit, a few walks away. After collecting all coco de mer, teams have to make a giant skewer made of collected coco de mers with a provided large spear. Seychellois coco de mers are known for their heaviness, with one fruit weighing up to 25 kg, meaning teams have to carry this fruit while dancing. Once done, they may receive their next clue from the dance instructor.
Additional note:
Show contentA video of the moutia dance is included below, along with a picture of a coconut curry dish.
https://www.youtube.com/v/zHa7pkX1AC8
Route Info: Make your way by foot to Praslin Museum
Praslin Museum is a museum that specializes in the traditions of Seychelles as well as its culture in general. This museum also features a garden of endemic and medicinal plants of Seychelles where visitors can view fruit bats and also enjoy a glass of Citronelle tea or local fruit juice.
At the museum entrance, teams encounter a Double U-Turn.
A team may use the U-Turn to U-Turn another team, forcing the other team to complete the other side of Detour, though a team can only use the U-Turn power once.
Roadblock: Who’s got a great voice?
Seychelles is known for its number of endemic birds, thanks to its island isolation, as Seychelles is an example of a felsic granite microcontinent that broke off from the supercontinent Gondwana within the past 145 million years and became isolated in the Indian Ocean, furthering the evolution of flora and fauna into endemic species.
In this Roadblock, a participant has to hear an audio recording of a trained male Seychelles sunbird, a bird endemic to Seychelles, with a distinctive voice, described as high pitched, noisy and harsh, interspersed with various rasping calls. Then, they must participate in a scavenger hunt to find the three pieces of a route marker following the singing sounds of a male Seychelles sunbird around the museum. Once they find the route marker and put it back in one piece, they must return it to the museum caretaker, which in return will give the teams their next clue.
Additional note:
Show contentA video and an audio of the Seychellois bird singing is included below. The birds are trained and is in their each own cage, as there are three birds to follow and search for. The pieces of the route marker are like this: a yellow marker piece with a thin red line on bottom and on top on another one and a red marker piece. The route marker pieces are located in the trunk of the tree that the bird cage hangs from.
https://www.youtube.com/v/rdourAw7Wng
https://soundcloud.com/lemontail-676318470/seychelles-sunbird-cinnyris-dussumieri/s-rmkMrzdf7rj
Route Info: Make your way to the Pit Stop at Anse Lazio
Anse Lazio is a famed beach situated in the northwest of Praslin Island, Seychelles, considered to be one of the best beaches in Praslin and Seychellois archipelago, famous for its beauty, white sands, and its boulder formations. This beach will now serve as the fifth Pit Stop of the race.
The last team to check in may be eliminated.
The outcome:
Show contentBotanists Vesper & Jodie came in 1st place, while best friends Spike & Marvin came in last (8th) place and were eliminated.
Notes:
Show content• Teams departed the Pit Start in The Countyard Hotel in Walvis on October 19th.
• Teams took on production-provided flight to Seychelles on the same day, connecting through Windhoek, Addis Ababa, Dubai, and Mahe (in Seychelles), arriving on the next day on 1:35 pm.
• US$10 (178 Seychelleois rupee or SCR) should be enough to cover the unforeseen costs of the leg, along with money saved from previous legs, though this leg mostly utilizes self-driving and walking on foot, so it doesn’t really matter.
• I chose Seychelles because I admired the country for its beauty and scenery.
• The Fast Forward is located in a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• The Fast Forward is relevant to its UNESCO World Heritage site location as it is home to an endemic coconut palm, which is the center of the task.
• I chose the coconut as a material to be used in the Fast Forward, mainly because of its unusual shape and weight.
• The Fast Forward task isn't very complex as teams simply have to carry, copy, and decorate three coco de mers according to a model.
• The Fast Forward should take no more than 20 minutes.
• The Fast Forward combines detail and physicality, the former more so.
• The Detour’s tasks should be balanced with each other.
• I chose the location for a Detour because of its large size, allowing for various activities to take place there.
• Each side of the Detour should take no more than 40 minutes.
• The Arms Detour combines stamina and detail, the former more so.
• The Feet Detour combines skill and physicality.
• The U-Turn is located on the front entrance of the museum, a short walk from the Detour location.
• The Roadblock should take no more than 30 minutes.
• The Roadblock combines hearing and physicality, the former more so.
• The total transportation time of this leg should be around 36 minutes.
• I chose the Pit Stop at Anse Lazio because it is the arguably most famous beach in Praslin.
• The leg should take at least three hours or more, ending around late afternoon.
Flights:
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Maps:
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