The Amazing Race 12
Encyclopedia
The Amazing Race 12 is the twelfth installment of winning reality television show The Amazing Race
.
The 12th season premiered on November 4, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/PT
. It took the timeslot of the canceled CBS series Viva Laughlin
. The finale aired on January 20, 2008 at 8 p.m. ET/PT
.
Newly dating couple TK Erwin and Rachel Rosales were the winners of this Race.
. The race covered four continents, visiting ten countries, five of which were previously unvisited, while traveling entirely in the Northern Hemisphere. The newly visited countries were Ireland
, Burkina Faso
, Lithuania
, Croatia
and Taiwan (Republic of China)
. Also, for the first time, the finish line was not in the contiguous United States.
The shortened filming schedule was initially attributed, in part, to the removal of non-elimination legs, which would have been a first on the Race. However, Phil told Kynt & Vyxsin in Leg 7 that there are two non-elimination legs in this race. The penalty for coming in last place on a non-elimination leg, however, was changed. Additionally, most seasons without "To Be Continued" or "superlegs" have four non-elimination points. With this race only having two non-elimination legs, the number of episodes was reduced by two.
This season also introduced two new twists to the race, the U-Turn and the Speed Bump. The U-Turn allowed racers to force another team behind them to complete the other side of the Detour they did not just previously complete. The Speed Bump required a team that finished last in a non-elimination leg to perform an additional task in the next leg, while other teams are still racing. The U-Turn and the Speed Bump each occurred in two episodes of The Amazing Race 12.
The Alaska
finish line is the northernmost point of the finish line in Race history.
Applications for The Amazing Race 12 were due on January 16, 2007. Semi-finalist interviews were held sometime in February 2007 or March 2007 and final casting interviews took place in April 2007.
This season's 11 teams included married lesbian ministers, dating Goths, and siblings. Executive producer van Munster felt that "it was not intentional" for casting to leave out young-male teams commonly found in past seasons. He also said that it was pure coincidence for 15 of 22 racers to be located in California.
The grandson and grandfather team of Nicolas and Donald are, respectively, the son and father-in-law of singer Robbie Fulks
. Shana was the on-and-off girlfriend of TV personality Ryan Seacrest
, while racers Staella, TK, Rachel and Nathan all attended Fountain Valley High School in Fountain Valley, California
. Kynt had originally applied for an unknown season of the reality television show 'Survivor'.
Ron & Christina and Kynt (as Kent) & Vyxsin raced again on The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business
among a cast of returning teams from seasons 12–17 Where Ron & Christina were eliminated in 7th place in Varanasi, India and Kynt & Vyxsin were eliminated in 5th place in Zermatt, Switzerland (Matching their race finish from this season). Additionally, during the Unfinished Business race, Christina revealed she was engaged to fellow season 12 racer Azaria Azene; they married in March 2011.
via Facebook Ads. The site contained interactive contents such as maps, trivia, a travel log, and prizes. The site also included a tie-in with the Where I've Been application.
.
in Portugal
to await the finale. Subsequent eliminated teams telephoned the villa to inform the teams at the villa of their elimination, but continued to run the race as decoys to throw off potential spoilers of the Race. The sequestered teams met up with the decoy teams in the final destination city to cheer on the final three teams as they crossed the Finish Line.
CBS posted short videos on its website after each episode aired in the Pacific time zone
to show the eliminated teams interacting at the villa.
The Roadblock for this leg of the Race required one team member to ride a high-wire bicycle across a windswept ravine suspended almost 200 feet above the North Atlantic, while their partner, sitting eight feet below, was taken for the ride.
Additional tasks
Shannon (Shannon Airport) to Amsterdam
, Netherlands
(Amsterdam Airport Schiphol) Amsterdam (Schiphol railway station) to (Amsterdam Centraal railway station)
In the first Detour of the season, teams had to choose between Hoist It or Hunt It. In Hoist It, teams had to use a traditional rope and pulley system to hoist five pieces of furniture up a typical Amsterdam residence. In Hunt It, teams made their way on foot several blocks to a bicycle parking lot called Fietsflat to search through thousands of bicycles for two bikes tagged with a specific color designated in their clue. After finding their bikes, teams had to ride them five miles to an attendant who would give them their next clue. In the Roadblock for this leg, one team member had to play a sport called fierljeppen
by completing a single vault over a 12 feet (3.7 m) wide irrigation ditch and landing on both feet on the marshy grass at the other side.
Additional task
Amsterdam (Amsterdam Airport Schiphol) to Ouagadougou
, Burkina Faso
(Ouagadougou Airport
) Ouagadougou (Train Station) to Boulkiemdé
(Bingo
)
In the Roadblock, the teams visited an area inhabited by Tuareg people, where one team member had to milk a Dromedary
and collect the camel milk in a dried gourd
bowl, up to a marked line. Once finished, they had to show their bowl to a local for approval and then drink all the milk. If a team member was unable to obtain the sufficient amount of milk from his or her own camel, he or she had to wait until another team has completed their Roadblock and try milking their camel. In this Detour, teams had to choose between Teach It or Learn It. In Teach It, they would have to teach schoolchildren who did not speak English
to memorize ten words of English, in which they will later be tested by a local teacher. In Learn It, teams have to learn from the local schoolchildren ten words in the More language
. Teams will later be tested for these words by a local teacher.
Additional task
In this Detour, teams had to choose between Shake Your Pans or Shake Your Booty. In Shake Your Pans, teams had to use traditional methods to pan
for one ounce of gold
. Once done, they can trade their gold (after weighing), at a nearby tent, for their next clue. In Shake Your Booty, teams had to learn a traditional local dance and then perform it in front of 3 local celebrity judges and a crowd of locals. Teams must also infuse some of their own dance moves. A lack of creativity or a bad performance will incur teams a 10 minute penalty. In this Roadblock, one team member had to ride a bicycle and deliver a large amount of cumbersome goods, including a small goat. Teams had to deliver the items to a specific person stated in their clue at a nearby market.
Additional task
Ouagadougou (Ouagadougou Airport) to Vilnius
, Lithuania
(Vilnius International Airport
)
In this Roadblock, one team member had to choose a local Lithuanian woman working outdoors in Nautilus courtyard who would give them a package and tell them where to take it. Then, traveling on foot through the confusing streets of the Vilnius Old Town
, Team members had to deliver the package to the correct person in Vilnius University
Courtyard, who would then hand them their second package and one of four final destinations: Gabi Kavine, Saint Germain Restaurant, Hair Salon Sidabrynas
and Shakespeare Hotel. In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Count Down or Step Up. In Count Down, teams made their way through the traditional Mid-Summer's Festival to a marked section of picket fence. Once there, they had to count every picket that makes up the fence and then reveal their calculation to a villager. If they were correct, they would receive their next clue. In Step Up, teams had to stilt-walk along a marked course to the finish line. If a person fell off before reaching the end, that person had to go back to the beginning and start again. When they reached the end, they would receive their next clue. Shana and Jennifer interviewed that there was an unused Fast Forward present in an unaired portion of the leg at Trakai Island Castle
.
Additional task
Vilnius (Vilnius International Airport) to Dubrovnik
, Croatia
(Dubrovnik Airport
)
This leg's Roadblock was to correctly find one of eight stones out of 150 stones and fit it into the rock wall at the fort being rebuilt after the Croatian War of Independence
. For the Detour, teams had to choose between Short & Long or Long & Short. In Short & Long, teams had to rappel down the walls of Fort Bokar and then scale it again on a rope ladder. Then, they had to make their way on foot a longer distance through the confusing old quarter streets to find their next clue. In Long & Short, teams had to tandem zipline from the fort and then swim to the floating platforms where they must row a fishing boat around the city walls to a flagged area and then make their way on foot a shorter distance through the streets to find their next clue.
Additional task
Dubrovnik (Autobusni kolodvor Dubrovnik) to Split
(Autobusni kolodvor Split) Split (Ferry Terminal) to Ancona
, Italy
In the Race's only aired Fast Forward, teams had to travel to Fabio Studios to take part in a local seafaring tradition but didn’t know that the tradition is the art of tattoo
. When they arrived, they would learn that they had to have a permanent tattoo drawn on their bodies, the letters FF for Fast Forward, when it was done, that team would win the Fast Forward. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to soar through the skies over Tuscany in an ultralight and had to scan a 6-mile radius of the countryside below for the name of their next destination: Vinci. If team members thought they spotted the hint, they had to signal their pilot who would then bring them back down. Once on the ground, they would tell the instructor the word and, if correct, the pilot would hand them their next clue. There was a thirty-minute time limit per flight as team members had to make a mandatory landing for refueling before continuing their search. In this Detour, teams had to choose between Invention or Tradition. In Invention, teams made their way to a nearby courtyard and chose a replica of a centuries-old crane designed by Leonardo da Vinci
. They had to first assemble the crane and use it to lift one large stone a foot off the ground. Then, they had to place a mirror underneath and read a clue printed on the bottom of the rock. In Tradition, teams made their way to Piazza Guido Masi. There, they had to learn a traditional local flag routine, and when they executed the routine correctly, the lead flagman would hand them a flag displaying the name of their next destination.
Additional Note
Florence (Peretola Airport
) to Mumbai
, Maharashtra
, India
(Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport)
This leg's Detour required teams to choose between Paste 'Em or Thread 'Em. In Paste 'Em, teams made their way to a marked underpass in Tulsi Pipe Road of Dadar West Bridge and used the provided supplies to properly paste a 6-panel Bollywood
movie poster onto the wall. When the advertisement was complete, they would receive their next clue. If even one panel is out of line, they may have to take them all down again and start over. In Thread 'Em, teams made their way to Dadar Flower Market and found a marked flower stall called Shyam Pandurang Bhagat where they had to create a traditional wedding garland by threading 108 flowers in an alternating pattern (red, orange, and yellow). When the judge agreed that the garland had been properly made, teams needed to deliver it to a nearby bridegroom and exchange it for their next clue. The Speed Bump task required Kynt & Vyxsin to find the Yoga Master at Dariya Mahal and successfully perform a series of Yoga
poses before being allowed to continue the race and do the Detour. In this Roadblock, one team member had to load a bicycle cart with six tanks of propane gas, pedal to the two addresses listed on their order slips, deliver three tanks to each address, and then take a receipt
from the homeowner's door as proof of delivery. Once their deliveries were complete, they had to hand the foreman their two order slips and two receipts to receive their next clue.
Additional task
Mumbai (Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport) to Osaka
, Osaka Prefecture
, Japan
(Kansai International Airport
)
This leg's Roadblock required one team member to put on a hat and gloves as local cabbies do and transport a Japanese couple five miles through a maze of confusing, often one way streets to a specified address (the Osaka Central Post Office ). They could not invite a local to lead them or join them in the car and the couple could not help them. Upon arrival at the correct address, the couple would hand them their next clue. However, the drivers would also have to make their way back to their teammate before they read what was inside. In this leg's Detour, the choice was Sense of Touch or Sense of Smell. In Sense of Touch, teams made their way on foot to the Shimojima Building and had to use miniature robots controlled by cell phones to play a game of soccer against two robotic defenders. Once each team member had scored a goal, the referee would give them their next clue. In Sense of Smell, teams made their way to the Saera Flower Shop where only artificial flowers were sold. Once there, they had to use their noses (and only their noses) to identify one real flower hidden among thousands of artificial ones in the two story flower shop. When they found a real flower, the shop owner would give them their next clue.
In this Roadblock, one team member had to become a passenger in a car driven by a professional stunt driver who would maneuver the vehicle onto a giant teeter-totter
and then rock back and forth precariously 25 feet (7.6 m) above the ground. Then, the team member would switch into an amphibious car
, don a pair of goggles, and while holding their breath, they would be driven underwater for 17 seconds. If they successfully alive, they would get their next clue. The Speed Bump task required TK & Rachel to find Heping Elementary School, don on protective gear and run through a barrage of fireworks
. Once they completed the run and were doused with water, they were allowed to continue the race. In this Detour, teams had to choose between Fire or Earth. In Fire, teams made their way to Zhongzheng Park to participate in a mystical Chinese ritual by writing messages of luck, good or bad, on Kongming lanterns
. They had to burn "spirit money" under the lanterns, filling them with hot air that would lift the lanterns into the sky and carry their messages to the spirits above. Once a team sent 20 sky lanterns into the air, they would receive their next clue. In Earth, teams made their way to Youth Park to participate in a local custom used to reduce stress. Team members had to take off their shoes and, with their bare feet
, walk down a 220-foot path made of jagged stones, turn around, and walk back. When they are finished, they would receive their next clue.
Additional tasks
Taipei (Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport) to Anchorage
, Alaska
, USA
(Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
)
In the Race's final Detour, teams had to choose between Cut the Cod or Grab the Crab. In Cut the Cod, teams had to cut through several 50-pound Ling Cod
and search for a miniature clue hidden in one of the fish. In Grab the Crab, teams had to jump into the hold of a boat swarming with over 500 live crab
s. Then, they had to search through the nipping crustaceans for a crab marked with Race colors. In this season's final Roadblock, one team member had to face a field of objects they encountered along the race course. Each team was given fifteen recognizable items from different legs of the race. They had to place on a stage ten specific items that matched two different requirements. First, there could only be one item from each of the ten legs of the race. Second, only three items could be animal
s or animal by-products, one had to be a U-Turn, three had to be items either at or brought to the Pit Stop, two had to be items of transportation with wheels, one of which was used at a Detour, and one had to be an item of transportation resembling the shape of a stick. While there were several ways to fulfill either of the requirements, only one correct group of ten items fulfilled both.
Additional tasks
The Amazing Race (U.S. TV series)
The Amazing Race is an American reality game show in which teams of two or four race around the world against other teams, with the first-place team winning $1,000,000. As the original version of the Amazing Race franchise, the CBS program has been running since 2001 and is airing its nineteenth...
.
The 12th season premiered on November 4, 2007 at 8 p.m. ET/PT
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
. It took the timeslot of the canceled CBS series Viva Laughlin
Viva Laughlin
Viva Laughlin is an American musical–dramedy series adapted by Bob Lowry and Peter Bowker from the popular BBC British serial, Blackpool. They also served as executive producers alongside Hugh Jackman, John Palermo, Paul Telegdy and Gabriele Muccino. The latter also directed the pilot...
. The finale aired on January 20, 2008 at 8 p.m. ET/PT
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
.
Newly dating couple TK Erwin and Rachel Rosales were the winners of this Race.
Development and filming
The Amazing Race 12 spanned 30,000 miles in 21 days, making it the shortest Amazing Race course since Season 8The Amazing Race 8
The Amazing Race 8 is the eighth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race...
. The race covered four continents, visiting ten countries, five of which were previously unvisited, while traveling entirely in the Northern Hemisphere. The newly visited countries were Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
and Taiwan (Republic of China)
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
. Also, for the first time, the finish line was not in the contiguous United States.
The shortened filming schedule was initially attributed, in part, to the removal of non-elimination legs, which would have been a first on the Race. However, Phil told Kynt & Vyxsin in Leg 7 that there are two non-elimination legs in this race. The penalty for coming in last place on a non-elimination leg, however, was changed. Additionally, most seasons without "To Be Continued" or "superlegs" have four non-elimination points. With this race only having two non-elimination legs, the number of episodes was reduced by two.
This season also introduced two new twists to the race, the U-Turn and the Speed Bump. The U-Turn allowed racers to force another team behind them to complete the other side of the Detour they did not just previously complete. The Speed Bump required a team that finished last in a non-elimination leg to perform an additional task in the next leg, while other teams are still racing. The U-Turn and the Speed Bump each occurred in two episodes of The Amazing Race 12.
The Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
finish line is the northernmost point of the finish line in Race history.
Cast
Applications for The Amazing Race 12 were due on January 16, 2007. Semi-finalist interviews were held sometime in February 2007 or March 2007 and final casting interviews took place in April 2007.
This season's 11 teams included married lesbian ministers, dating Goths, and siblings. Executive producer van Munster felt that "it was not intentional" for casting to leave out young-male teams commonly found in past seasons. He also said that it was pure coincidence for 15 of 22 racers to be located in California.
The grandson and grandfather team of Nicolas and Donald are, respectively, the son and father-in-law of singer Robbie Fulks
Robbie Fulks
Robbie Fulks is an American alternative country artist originally from Pennsylvania but who is a longtime Chicago, Illinois resident...
. Shana was the on-and-off girlfriend of TV personality Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest
Ryan John Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, network producer and voice actor. He is the host of On Air with Ryan Seacrest, a nationally syndicated Top 40 radio show that airs on KIIS-FM in Los Angeles and throughout the United States and Canada on Premiere Radio Networks,...
, while racers Staella, TK, Rachel and Nathan all attended Fountain Valley High School in Fountain Valley, California
Fountain Valley, California
Fountain Valley is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 55,313 at the 2010 census. A classic bedroom community, Fountain Valley is a middle-class residential area.- History :...
. Kynt had originally applied for an unknown season of the reality television show 'Survivor'.
Ron & Christina and Kynt (as Kent) & Vyxsin raced again on The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business
The Amazing Race 18
The Amazing Race 18 is the eighteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 18 features eleven teams of two – each returning from a previous edition – in a race around the world for a $1 million prize.The eighteenth cycle started on Sunday,...
among a cast of returning teams from seasons 12–17 Where Ron & Christina were eliminated in 7th place in Varanasi, India and Kynt & Vyxsin were eliminated in 5th place in Zermatt, Switzerland (Matching their race finish from this season). Additionally, during the Unfinished Business race, Christina revealed she was engaged to fellow season 12 racer Azaria Azene; they married in March 2011.
Marketing
Two days after the series premiere, CBS launched an Amazing Race page on social networking site FacebookFacebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
via Facebook Ads. The site contained interactive contents such as maps, trivia, a travel log, and prizes. The site also included a tie-in with the Where I've Been application.
Results
The following teams participated in the Race, with their relationships at the time of filming. Note that this table is not necessarily reflective of all content broadcast on television due to inclusion or exclusion of some data. Placements are listed in finishing order.| Team | Relationship | Position (by leg) | Roadblocks performed |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | ||||
| TK & Rachel | Newly Dating | 3rd | 6th | 2nd | 7th | 1st | 4th | 4th | 1st | 2nd | 1st | TK 5, Rachel 6 | |
| Ronald & Christina | Father/Daughter | 7th | 9th | 5th | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 2nd | Ronald 5, Christina 6 |
| Nicolas & Donald | Grandfather/Grandson | 5th | 8th | 6th | 4th | 6th | 5th | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | Nicolas 6, Donald 4 |
| Nathan & Jennifer | Dating | 10th | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 5th | 3rd | 2nd | 4th | 2nd | Nathan 5, Jennifer 5 | ||
| Kynt & Vyxsin | Dating Goths Goth subculture The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify... |
2nd | 4th | 4th | 5th | 2nd | 2nd | Kynt 4, Vyxsin 4 | |||||
| Azaria & Hendekea | Brother/Sister | 1st | 5th | 1st | 1st | 4th | Azaria 4, Hendekea 2 | ||||||
| Shana & Jennifer | Friends | 6th | 3rd | 7th | 6th | Shana 3, Jennifer 2 | |||||||
| Lorena & Jason | Dating | 4th | 1st | 8th | Lorena 1, Jason 3 | ||||||||
| Marianna & Julia | Sisters | 9th | 7th | Marianna 2, Julia 1 | |||||||||
| Kate & Pat | Married Ministers | 8th | Kate 2, Pat 0 | ||||||||||
| Ari & Staella | Best Friends | Ari 0, Staella 1 | |||||||||||
- A team placement indicates that the team was eliminated.
- A indicates that the team won a Fast Forward clue. If placed next to a leg number, this indicates that the Fast Forward was available for that leg but not used.
- An team's placement indicates that the team came in last on a non-elimination leg and had to perform a Speed Bump task in the following leg.
- A means the team chose to use a U-Turn; indicates the team who received it.
- Nathan & Jennifer initially arrived 2nd, but did not take legal transportation to the Pit Stop. They were asked to go back to the end of the Detour and take a taxi back to the Pit Stop. Kynt & Vyxsin checked in during that time period, dropping them to 3rd.
- Kynt & Vyxsin used their U-Turn power on Nicolas & Donald. However, Nicolas & Donald were actually ahead of them, thus the U-Turn effect was void.
Episode title quotes
Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers.- "Donkeys Have Souls, Too" – Christina
- "I've Become the Archie BunkerArchie BunkerArchibald "Archie" Bunker is a fictional New Yorker in the 1970s top-rated American television sitcom All in the Family and its spin-off Archie Bunker's Place, played to acclaim by Carroll O'Connor. Bunker is a veteran of World War II, reactionary, bigoted, conservative, blue-collar worker, and...
of the Home" – Ronald - "Please, Lord, Give Me Milk" – Lorena
- "Let's Name Our Chicken Phil" – Shana
- "We Really Burned Bridges, For Sure" – Jennifer (of Shana & Jennifer)
- "Cherry on Top of the Sundae That's Already Melted" – Nathan
- "This is Forever, Now" – Donald
- "Honestly, They Have Witch Powers or Something!" – Jennifer (of Nathan & Jennifer)
- "I Just Hope He Doesn't Croak on Us" – Ronald
- "Sorry, Guys, I'm Not Happy to See You" – Jennifer (of Nathan & Jennifer)
- "The Final Push" – TK
Prizes
The prize for each leg is awarded to the first place team for that leg. All trips are sponsored by TravelocityTravelocity
Travelocity is an online travel agency and wholly owned subsidiary of Sabre Holdings Corporation, which was a publicly traded company until taken private by Silver Lake Partners and Texas Pacific Group in March 2007...
.
- Leg 1 - A trip for two to the Banff Springs HotelBanff Springs HotelThe Fairmont Banff Springs or simply the Banff Springs Hotel is a former railway hotel constructed in Scottish Baronial style located in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. The original hotel, designed by American architect Bruce Price, was built between spring of 1887 and 1888 by the Canadian...
in AlbertaAlbertaAlberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... - Leg 2 - A sport bike for each racer
- Leg 3 - A five-night vacation to BermudaBermudaBermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
- Leg 4 - A Yamaha Motor Scooter for each racer
- Leg 5 - A ten-day trip for two to JapanJapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
- Leg 6 - A 12.5 foot catamaranCatamaranA catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...
for each racer - Leg 7 - A trip for two to CancunCancúnCancún is a city of international tourism development certified by the UNWTO . Located on the northeast coast of Quintana Roo in southern Mexico, more than 1,700 km from Mexico City, the Project began operations in 1974 as Integrally Planned Center, a pioneer of FONATUR Cancún is a city of...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... - Leg 8 - A trip for two to Saint MartinSaint MartinSaint Martin is an island in the northeast Caribbean, approximately east of Puerto Rico. The 87 km2 island is divided roughly 60/40 between France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands ; however, the Dutch side has the larger population. It is one of the smallest sea islands divided between...
- Leg 9 - An electric carElectric carAn electric car is an automobile which is propelled by electric motor, using electrical energy stored in batteries or another energy storage device. Electric cars were popular in the late-19th century and early 20th century, until advances in internal combustion engine technology and mass...
seating four for each racer - Leg 10 - A five-night vacation to CuraçaoCuraçaoCuraçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
in the Netherlands AntillesNetherlands AntillesThe Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint... - Leg 11 - $1,000,000
Elimination Station
The first five teams eliminated were sequestered at a villaVilla
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
to await the finale. Subsequent eliminated teams telephoned the villa to inform the teams at the villa of their elimination, but continued to run the race as decoys to throw off potential spoilers of the Race. The sequestered teams met up with the decoy teams in the final destination city to cheer on the final three teams as they crossed the Finish Line.
CBS posted short videos on its website after each episode aired in the Pacific time zone
Pacific Time Zone
The Pacific Time Zone observes standard time by subtracting eight hours from Coordinated Universal Time . The clock time in this zone is based on the mean solar time of the 120th meridian west of the Greenwich Observatory. During daylight saving time, its time offset is UTC-7.In the United States...
to show the eliminated teams interacting at the villa.
- After Leg 1, Ari & Staella were the first team eliminated and sent to the villa first where they explored the luxurious house and contemplated their unfortunate first leg. They predicted one of the older teams would be the next eliminated and that Lorena & Jason would win the race.
- After Leg 2, Kate & Pat were the second team eliminated and sent to the villa and discussed their opinions of the other Racers with Ari & Staella. Ari was unhappy when Kate & Pat criticized his negative views, if not insults, of some of the racers.
- After Leg 3, Marianna & Julia were the third team eliminated and sent to the villa. Once again Ari grew irritated with Kate & Pat - this time because he felt that they were dominating the conversations with Marianna & Julia. At the end of the day, Ari, Staella, Marianna, and Julia all went out to party while Kate & Pat opted to stay behind, much to Ari's delight.
- After Leg 4, Lorena & Jason were the fourth team eliminated and sent to the villa, and they were excited to finally relax. Everyone was shocked and disappointed to see that they had been eliminated. At the beach, Lorena & Jason went cliff jumping with Ari & Staella, Marianna & Julia, and some Portuguese locals; Kate & Pat explored alone.
- After Leg 5, Shana & Jennifer were the fifth team eliminated and sent to the villa. They apologized to Lorena & Jason for using the U-Turn immediately upon arriving, but Lorena & Jason were a little skeptical to their reasoning. Marianna & Julia made a beautiful burnt barbecueBarbecueBarbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
feast for the new arrival team and later Shana & Jennifer shared their thoughts about who would be eliminated next and said Nicolas & Donald. - After Leg 6, Azaria & Hendekea were the sixth team eliminated. They instead called into the villa where they shared news with the other eliminated teams about the race. All the teams were shocked when they found out they were eliminated. Lorena & Jason got along with Shana & Jennifer in the villa while later on, all the sequestered teams went out to sea on a boat to have fun.
- Leg 7 was a non-elimination leg. Meanwhile, the 5 sequestered teams enjoyed various outdoor activities such as rock climbing, hiking, zip-lining and mountain biking. Later, they were given a taste of local Portuguese food and culture.
- After Leg 8, Kynt & Vyxsin were the seventh team eliminated. They instead called into the villa. The teams were shocked when they heard that they were eliminated. As the Goths explained what went wrong in their Mumbai leg, they also expressed how well teams like Nicolas & Donald and Ronald & Christina were doing. Then, as the sequestered teams realize their time in the villa is coming to an end soon, everyone went out for a little poolside fun.
- Leg 9 was a non-elimination leg. Meanwhile, after one last visit to a Portuguese vineyard, it's time for the sequestered teams to pack up. As the racers get ready, they wonder what it will be like back home.
- After Leg 10, Nathan & Jennifer were the eighth and final team to be eliminated. They called in after the five sequestered teams arrived in Alaska, where the race would end. After the call, each team gives their opinion on who they want to see win.
- Leg 11 was the final leg of The Amazing Race 12. Azaria & Hendekea, Kynt & Vyxsin, and Nathan & Jennifer reunited with the rest of the eliminated teams. Some of the eliminated teams shared their opinions on the winners and the runners-up. The final three admit to their final joys and disappointments.
Race summary
Leg 1 (United States → Ireland)
- Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(The Playboy MansionThe Playboy MansionThe Playboy Mansion is the home of Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner. Located in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles, California, the mansion became famous during the 1970s through media reports of Hefner's lavish parties.-History:The house is described as being in the "Gothic-Tudor" style...
) (Starting Line) Los Angeles (Los Angeles International AirportLos Angeles International AirportLos Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
) to ShannonShannon, County ClareShannon or Shannon Town , named after the river near which it stands, is a town located in County Clare. It was given town status on 1 January 1982. The town is located just off the N19 road, a spur of the N18/M18 road between Limerick city and Ennis....
, County ClareCounty Clare-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
, IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
(Shannon AirportShannon AirportShannon Airport, is one of the Republic of Ireland's three primary airports along with Dublin and Cork. In 2010 around 1,750,000 passengers passed through the airport, making it the third busiest airport in the Republic of Ireland after Dublin and Cork, and the fifth busiest airport on the island...
)The five teams were on the British AirwaysBritish AirwaysBritish Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
flight to LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
that would arrive 20 minutes earlier than the scheduled Dublin flight and it was delayed, allowing the six teams on the Aer LingusAer LingusAer Lingus Group Plc is the flag carrier of Ireland. It operates a fleet of Airbus aircraft serving Europe and North America. It is Ireland's oldest extant airline, and its second largest after low-cost rival Ryanair...
flight from Dublin and arrived in Shannon first. RossavealRossavealRos an Mhíl or Ros a' Mhíl is a Gaeltacht village in the Connemara area of County Galway, Ireland. It is the main ferry port for the Aran Islands in Galway Bay...
, ConnemaraConnemaraConnemara is a district in the west of Ireland consisting of a broad peninsula between Killary Harbour and Kilkieran Bay in the west of County Galway.-Overview:...
(Ferry Port - Aran & Island Ferries) to Inishmore, Galway BayGalway BayGalway Bay is a large bay on the west coast of Ireland, between County Galway in the province of Connacht to the north and the Burren in County Clare in the province of Munster to the south. Galway city is located on the northeast side of the bay. It is about long and from to in breadth... - Inishmore (Teampall Bheanain) (Overnight Rest in The Pier House) Inishmore to Rossaveal (Ferry Port)
- ClegganClegganCleggan is a picturesque fishing village in County Galway, Ireland. The village lies 10 km northwest of Clifden and is situated at the head of Cleggan Bay....
, County GalwayCounty GalwayCounty Galway is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the city of Galway. Galway County Council is the local authority for the county. There are several strongly Irish-speaking areas in the west of the county...
(Cleggan Farm) - ClifdenClifdenClifden is a town on the coast of County Galway, Ireland and being Connemara's largest town, it is often referred to as "the Capital of Connemara". It is located on the Owenglen River where it flows into Clifden Bay...
(Connemara Heritage & History CentreConnemara Heritage & History CentreThe Connemara Heritage and History Centre is an open air museum in the village of Lettershea, near the town of Clifden, County Galway, in the Connemara region of western Ireland...
)
The Roadblock for this leg of the Race required one team member to ride a high-wire bicycle across a windswept ravine suspended almost 200 feet above the North Atlantic, while their partner, sitting eight feet below, was taken for the ride.
Additional tasks
- Upon arrival at Teampall Bheanain, teams had to sign up for one of three return ferries for the next morning.
- Teams must pedal a tandem bike along a dirt path to their next clue upon reaching the farm.
- After completing the Roadblock, teams received instructions to choose a donkey and fill each of its baskets with 15 pieces of peatPeatPeat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
. Then, they had to walk the donkey back to the entrance of the farm to receive their next clue.
Leg 2 (Ireland → Netherlands)
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
(Amsterdam Airport Schiphol) Amsterdam (Schiphol railway station) to (Amsterdam Centraal railway station)
- Amsterdam (Melkmeisjesbrug) Amsterdam to Ransdorp, Amsterdam
- Ransdorp, Amsterdam (Rural Village Field)
- DurgerdamDurgerdamDurgerdam is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Amsterdam, and lies about 7 km east of the city centre, along the dyke of the IJsselmeer....
, Amsterdam (Yacht Club)
In the first Detour of the season, teams had to choose between Hoist It or Hunt It. In Hoist It, teams had to use a traditional rope and pulley system to hoist five pieces of furniture up a typical Amsterdam residence. In Hunt It, teams made their way on foot several blocks to a bicycle parking lot called Fietsflat to search through thousands of bicycles for two bikes tagged with a specific color designated in their clue. After finding their bikes, teams had to ride them five miles to an attendant who would give them their next clue. In the Roadblock for this leg, one team member had to play a sport called fierljeppen
Fierljeppen
Fierljeppen is a traditional sport of the Frisians and of the Dutch. Ljeppen is West Frisian for "to leap". It is a fine example of the close relationship between the Frisian and English languages.-Description:...
by completing a single vault over a 12 feet (3.7 m) wide irrigation ditch and landing on both feet on the marshy grass at the other side.
Additional task
- After completing the Roadblock, teams had to ride a bakfiets (cargo bicycleFreight bicycleFreight bicycles, carrier cycles, freight tricycles, cargo bikes, or bakfietsen, are human powered vehicles designed and constructed specifically for transporting large loads. Vehicle designs include a cargo area consisting of a steel tube carrier, an open or enclosed box, a flat platform, or a...
) to the next Pit Stop.
Leg 3 (Netherlands → Burkina Faso)
Ouagadougou
Ouagadougou is the capital of Burkina Faso and the administrative, communications, cultural and economic center of the nation. It is also the country's largest city, with a population of 1,475,223 . The city's name is often shortened to Ouaga. The inhabitants are called ouagalais...
, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso – also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in west Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Côte d'Ivoire to the southwest.Its size is with an estimated...
(Ouagadougou AirportOuagadougou Airport
Ouagadougou Airport is an airport located in the centre of the city of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso.In 2004, the airport served 241,466 passengers .-Airlines and destinations:...
) Ouagadougou (Train Station) to Boulkiemdé
Boulkiemdé
Boulkiemdé is one of the 45 provinces of Burkina Faso and is in Centre-Ouest Region. The capital of Boulkiemdé is Koudougou. The population of Boulkiemdé was 498,008 in 2006.Boulkiemde is divided into 13 departments as follows:...
(Bingo
Bingo, Boulkiemdé
Bingo is a town in the Bingo Department of Boulkiemdé Province in central western Burkina Faso. It is the capital of the Bingo Department and has a population of 2111.- Namesakes :...
)
- Boulkiemdé (Village School)
- Boulkiemdé (Outskirts of Bingo)
In the Roadblock, the teams visited an area inhabited by Tuareg people, where one team member had to milk a Dromedary
Dromedary
The dromedary or Arabian camel is a large, even-toed ungulate with one hump on its back. Its native range is unclear, but it was probably the Arabian Peninsula. The domesticated form occurs widely in North Africa and the Middle East...
and collect the camel milk in a dried gourd
Gourd
A gourd is a plant of the family Cucurbitaceae. Gourd is occasionally used to describe crops like cucumbers, squash, luffas, and melons. The term 'gourd' however, can more specifically, refer to the plants of the two Cucurbitaceae genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita or also to their hollow dried out shell...
bowl, up to a marked line. Once finished, they had to show their bowl to a local for approval and then drink all the milk. If a team member was unable to obtain the sufficient amount of milk from his or her own camel, he or she had to wait until another team has completed their Roadblock and try milking their camel. In this Detour, teams had to choose between Teach It or Learn It. In Teach It, they would have to teach schoolchildren who did not speak English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
to memorize ten words of English, in which they will later be tested by a local teacher. In Learn It, teams have to learn from the local schoolchildren ten words in the More language
More language
The Mossi language, Mòoré is one of two official regional languages of Burkina Faso, closely related and mutually intelligible with the Dagbani language spoken in northern Ghana...
. Teams will later be tested for these words by a local teacher.
Additional task
- After completing the Roadblock, teams had to lead four camels along a marked path to their next route marker.
Leg 4 (Burkina Faso)
- Boulkiemdé (Village in Bingo)
- Bouda-Pelegtanga, YakoYakoYako is a town in northern Burkina Faso, once capital of a small state. It lies north-west of Ouagadougou. Yako is known for its large mosque, and as the birthplace of Thomas Sankara....
, PassoréPassoréPassoré is one of the 45 provinces of Burkina Faso, located in its Nord Region.Its capital is Yako.Passore is divided into 9 departments:*Arbolle*Bagare*Bokin*Gomponsom*Kirsi*La-Todin*Pilimpikou*Samba*YakoSee also:*Regions of Burkina Faso...
(Village Field) - Pelegtanga Market
- Ouagadougou (Tampouy Goat Market)
- Ouagadougou (Hotel de Ville)
In this Detour, teams had to choose between Shake Your Pans or Shake Your Booty. In Shake Your Pans, teams had to use traditional methods to pan
Gold panning
Gold panning, or simply panning, is a form of placer mining that extracts gold from a placer deposit using a pan. The process is one of the simplest ways to extract gold, and is popular with geology enthusiasts because of its cheap cost and the relatively simple and easy process involved. It is the...
for one ounce of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
. Once done, they can trade their gold (after weighing), at a nearby tent, for their next clue. In Shake Your Booty, teams had to learn a traditional local dance and then perform it in front of 3 local celebrity judges and a crowd of locals. Teams must also infuse some of their own dance moves. A lack of creativity or a bad performance will incur teams a 10 minute penalty. In this Roadblock, one team member had to ride a bicycle and deliver a large amount of cumbersome goods, including a small goat. Teams had to deliver the items to a specific person stated in their clue at a nearby market.
Additional task
- At the start of the leg, teams had to look for the village chief. Then, they had to accept a gift of a chickenChickenThe chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...
from him, which they then had to take with them throughout the leg to the Pit Stop.
Leg 5 (Burkina Faso → Lithuania)
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
(Vilnius International AirportVilnius International Airport
Vilnius International Airport is the largest civil airport in Lithuania. It is located south of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It began operations in 1944. The old terminal was built in 1954.- History:...
)
- Vilnius (St. Anne's ChurchSt. Anne's Church, VilniusSt. Anne's Church is a Roman Catholic church in Vilnius' Old Town, on the right bank of the Vilnia River. It is a prominent example of both Flamboyant Gothic and Brick Gothic styles. St...
) - RumšiškėsRumšiškesRumšiškės is a Lithuanian town , situated east of Kaunas on the northern bank of Kaunas Reservoir. Southern part of the town is now under the waters of the artificial lake. The 18th century St...
(Lietuvos Liaudies Buities Muziejus ) - Rumšiškės (AukštaitijaAukštaitijaAukštaitija is the name of one of five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. The name comes from the relatively high elevation of the region, particularly the eastern parts.-Geography:...
Windmill)
In this Roadblock, one team member had to choose a local Lithuanian woman working outdoors in Nautilus courtyard who would give them a package and tell them where to take it. Then, traveling on foot through the confusing streets of the Vilnius Old Town
Vilnius Old Town
The Old Town of Vilnius , one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Northern Europe, has an area of 3.59 square kilometres . It encompasses 74 quarters, with 70 streets and lanes numbering 1487 buildings with a total floor area of 1,497,000 square meters...
, Team members had to deliver the package to the correct person in Vilnius University
Vilnius University
Vilnius University is the oldest university in the Baltic states and one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. It is also the largest university in Lithuania....
Courtyard, who would then hand them their second package and one of four final destinations: Gabi Kavine, Saint Germain Restaurant, Hair Salon Sidabrynas
Pilies Street
Pilies Street is one of the main streets in the Old Town of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. It is rather a short street, running from Cathedral Square to the Town Hall Square....
and Shakespeare Hotel. In this leg's Detour, teams had to choose between Count Down or Step Up. In Count Down, teams made their way through the traditional Mid-Summer's Festival to a marked section of picket fence. Once there, they had to count every picket that makes up the fence and then reveal their calculation to a villager. If they were correct, they would receive their next clue. In Step Up, teams had to stilt-walk along a marked course to the finish line. If a person fell off before reaching the end, that person had to go back to the beginning and start again. When they reached the end, they would receive their next clue. Shana and Jennifer interviewed that there was an unused Fast Forward present in an unaired portion of the leg at Trakai Island Castle
Trakai Island Castle
Trakai Island Castle is an island castle located in Trakai, Lithuania on an island in Lake Galvė. The castle is sometimes referred to as "Little Marienburg". The construction of the stone castle was begun in the 14th century by Kęstutis, and around 1409 major works were completed by his son...
.
Additional task
- At the Lithuanian museum, teams had to search through the area for the roaming Travelocity gnome, as depicted in a picture on their clue. However, there were hundreds of common Lithuanian gnomes placed around the area to confuse the teams. Teams had to carry the Travelocity gnome with them all the way to the Pit Stop.
Leg 6 (Lithuania → Croatia)
Dubrovnik
Dubrovnik is a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, positioned at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations on the Adriatic, a seaport and the centre of Dubrovnik-Neretva county. Its total population is 42,641...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
(Dubrovnik AirportDubrovnik Airport
-Traffic statistics:Dubrovnik Airport handled 1,270,062 passengers in 2010.In 1987 Dubrovnik Airport handled 1.5 million passengers and 2500 tons of cargo, making 1987 year the busiest thus far...
)
- Dubrovnik (Fort of St. LawrenceLovrijenacFort Lovrijenac or St. Lawrence Fortress, often called "Dubrovnik's Gibraltar", is a fortress and theater located outside the western wall of the city of Dubrovnik in Croatia, 37 m above sea level. Famous for its plays and importance in resisting Venetian rule, it overshadows the two entrances to...
) - Dubrovnik (Fort Bokar)
- Dubrovnik (Stone Cross)
This leg's Roadblock was to correctly find one of eight stones out of 150 stones and fit it into the rock wall at the fort being rebuilt after the Croatian War of Independence
Croatian War of Independence
The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between forces loyal to the government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia —and the Serb-controlled Yugoslav People's Army and local Serb forces, with the JNA ending its combat...
. For the Detour, teams had to choose between Short & Long or Long & Short. In Short & Long, teams had to rappel down the walls of Fort Bokar and then scale it again on a rope ladder. Then, they had to make their way on foot a longer distance through the confusing old quarter streets to find their next clue. In Long & Short, teams had to tandem zipline from the fort and then swim to the floating platforms where they must row a fishing boat around the city walls to a flagged area and then make their way on foot a shorter distance through the streets to find their next clue.
Additional task
- After completing the Roadblock, teams had to go to the fort's roof and ride a zipline down to Fort Bokar to receive their next clue.
Leg 7 (Croatia → Italy)
Split (city)
Split is a Mediterranean city on the eastern shores of the Adriatic Sea, centered around the ancient Roman Palace of the Emperor Diocletian and its wide port bay. With a population of 178,192 citizens, and a metropolitan area numbering up to 467,899, Split is by far the largest Dalmatian city and...
(Autobusni kolodvor Split) Split (Ferry Terminal) to Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- EmpoliEmpoliEmpoli is a town and comune in Tuscany, Italy, about 20 km southwest of Florence, to the south of the Arno in a plain formed by the latter river. The plain has been usable for agriculture since Roman times. The commune's territory becomes a hilly one as it departs from the river...
, TuscanyTuscanyTuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
(Campo di Volo Silvano Poli)- Empoli (Fabio Studios)
- VinciVinci, ItalyVinci is a town and comune of Firenze province in the Italian region of Tuscany. The birthplace of Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci lies just outside the town.-Geography:The town is surrounded by the Tuscan Hills...
, Tuscany (Birthplace of Leonardo da VinciLeonardo da VinciLeonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
) - FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Tuscany (Boboli GardensBoboli GardensThe Boboli Gardens are a park in Florence, Italy, that is home to a collection of sculptures dating from the 16th through the 18th centuries, with some Roman antiquities.-History and layout:...
)
In the Race's only aired Fast Forward, teams had to travel to Fabio Studios to take part in a local seafaring tradition but didn’t know that the tradition is the art of tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
. When they arrived, they would learn that they had to have a permanent tattoo drawn on their bodies, the letters FF for Fast Forward, when it was done, that team would win the Fast Forward. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to soar through the skies over Tuscany in an ultralight and had to scan a 6-mile radius of the countryside below for the name of their next destination: Vinci. If team members thought they spotted the hint, they had to signal their pilot who would then bring them back down. Once on the ground, they would tell the instructor the word and, if correct, the pilot would hand them their next clue. There was a thirty-minute time limit per flight as team members had to make a mandatory landing for refueling before continuing their search. In this Detour, teams had to choose between Invention or Tradition. In Invention, teams made their way to a nearby courtyard and chose a replica of a centuries-old crane designed by Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was an Italian Renaissance polymath: painter, sculptor, architect, musician, scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, geologist, cartographer, botanist and writer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance...
. They had to first assemble the crane and use it to lift one large stone a foot off the ground. Then, they had to place a mirror underneath and read a clue printed on the bottom of the rock. In Tradition, teams made their way to Piazza Guido Masi. There, they had to learn a traditional local flag routine, and when they executed the routine correctly, the lead flagman would hand them a flag displaying the name of their next destination.
Additional Note
- During the drive to Empoli, teams received a message from relatives on a BlackBerryBlackBerryBlackBerry is a line of mobile email and smartphone devices developed and designed by Canadian company Research In Motion since 1999.BlackBerry devices are smartphones, designed to function as personal digital assistants, portable media players, internet browsers, gaming devices, and much more...
.
Leg 8 (Italy → India)
Peretola Airport
Peretola Airport, Florence Airport or Amerigo Vespucci Airport is an airport located close to Florence, Italy, but administratively located within the territory of Sesto Fiorentino...
) to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
(Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport)
- Mumbai (M.R. Naik Newspaper Stall - Khar Danda)
- Mumbai (Chauhan Alteration Tailors)
- Mumbai (Kabutar Khana)
- Mumbai (Bharatgas Colaba Gas Service)
- Mumbai (Bandra Fort)
This leg's Detour required teams to choose between Paste 'Em or Thread 'Em. In Paste 'Em, teams made their way to a marked underpass in Tulsi Pipe Road of Dadar West Bridge and used the provided supplies to properly paste a 6-panel Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
movie poster onto the wall. When the advertisement was complete, they would receive their next clue. If even one panel is out of line, they may have to take them all down again and start over. In Thread 'Em, teams made their way to Dadar Flower Market and found a marked flower stall called Shyam Pandurang Bhagat where they had to create a traditional wedding garland by threading 108 flowers in an alternating pattern (red, orange, and yellow). When the judge agreed that the garland had been properly made, teams needed to deliver it to a nearby bridegroom and exchange it for their next clue. The Speed Bump task required Kynt & Vyxsin to find the Yoga Master at Dariya Mahal and successfully perform a series of Yoga
Yoga
Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...
poses before being allowed to continue the race and do the Detour. In this Roadblock, one team member had to load a bicycle cart with six tanks of propane gas, pedal to the two addresses listed on their order slips, deliver three tanks to each address, and then take a receipt
Receipt
A receipt is a written acknowledgment that a specified article or sum of money has been received as an exchange for goods or services. The receipt is evidence of purchase of the property or service obtained in the exchange.-Printed:...
from the homeowner's door as proof of delivery. Once their deliveries were complete, they had to hand the foreman their two order slips and two receipts to receive their next clue.
Additional task
- At the newspaper stall, teams searched for an ad in The Times of IndiaThe Times of IndiaThe Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
that contained the location of the next route marker.
Leg 9 (India → Japan)
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
, Osaka Prefecture
Osaka Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
(Kansai International AirportKansai International Airport
is an international airport located on an artificial island in the middle of Osaka Bay, southwest of Ōsaka Station, located within three municipalities, including Izumisano , Sennan , and Tajiri , in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The airport is off the Honshu shore. The airport serves as an...
)
- Osaka (Kishiwada CastleKishiwada Castle, or Chikiri Castle, was erected by Hidemasa Koide in 1597. Nobukatsu, ruler of Okabe Mino, took possession of the castle in 1640 from Takatsuki. The Okabe family maintained its position for 13 generations...
) - Osaka (Noda StationNoda Station (JR West)is a railway station in Fukushima-ku, Osaka, Japan, on the JR West Osaka Loop Line. The Station is connected to Tamagawa Station on the Osaka Municipal Subway Sennichimae Line....
) - Osaka (Kita-Mido Temple )
- Osaka (Tempozan ParkMount Tenpolocated in Minato-ku, Osaka is commonly recognized as Japan's lowest mountain. The definition of a "mountain" used here is any elevation described as a mountain on a topographic map published by the Geographical Survey Institute of Japan, though it is disputed that the mountain lacks credibility...
)
This leg's Roadblock required one team member to put on a hat and gloves as local cabbies do and transport a Japanese couple five miles through a maze of confusing, often one way streets to a specified address (the Osaka Central Post Office ). They could not invite a local to lead them or join them in the car and the couple could not help them. Upon arrival at the correct address, the couple would hand them their next clue. However, the drivers would also have to make their way back to their teammate before they read what was inside. In this leg's Detour, the choice was Sense of Touch or Sense of Smell. In Sense of Touch, teams made their way on foot to the Shimojima Building and had to use miniature robots controlled by cell phones to play a game of soccer against two robotic defenders. Once each team member had scored a goal, the referee would give them their next clue. In Sense of Smell, teams made their way to the Saera Flower Shop where only artificial flowers were sold. Once there, they had to use their noses (and only their noses) to identify one real flower hidden among thousands of artificial ones in the two story flower shop. When they found a real flower, the shop owner would give them their next clue.
Leg 10 (Japan → Taiwan)
- Osaka (Umeda Sky Building Floating Garden) Osaka (Kansai International Airport) to TaipeiTaipeiTaipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, TaiwanRepublic of ChinaThe Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport) Taipei (Taipei Main StationTaipei Main StationTaipei Station, also called Taipei Railway Station or Taipei Main Station , refers to the old downtown region in Taipei City, Taiwan, where different modes of public transport systems converge; the station is at the center of this region...
) to TaichungTaichung-Demographics:Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. There are slightly more females in the city than males.24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly....
(Taichung THSR stationTHSR Taichung StationTHSR Taichung Station is an elevated station of the Taiwan High Speed Rail located in Wuri District, Taichung City, Taiwan. Transfers can be made to Xinwuri Station on the TRA Western Line. It is currently the only high speed rail station in central Taiwan prior to completion of additional...
) by Taiwan High Speed RailTaiwan High Speed RailTaiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail line that runs approximately along the west coast of the Republic of China from the national capital of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung... - JijiJiji, NantouJiji or Chichi is an urban township located in the west central portion of Nantou County in Taiwan. In past years, the Jiji township encompassed a much larger area and included the present-day Shuili rural township, but today's Jiji is well known as now being, by area, the smallest of Taiwan's...
, Nantou CountyNantou CountyNantou County is the second largest county of Taiwan. It is also the only landlocked county in Taiwan. Its name derives from the Hoanya Taiwanese aboriginal word Ramtau. Nantou County is officially administered as a county of Taiwan....
(Acrobatics Jeep) Taichung (Taichung THSR station) to Taipei (Taipei Main Station) by Taiwan High Speed Rail - Taipei (GK Teahouse)
- Taipei (Gong Guan Night Market)
- Taipei (Chiang Kai-shek Memorial HallChiang Kai-shek Memorial HallThe National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a famous monument, landmark and tourist attractions erected in memory of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China. It is located in Taipei, Republic of China ....
)
In this Roadblock, one team member had to become a passenger in a car driven by a professional stunt driver who would maneuver the vehicle onto a giant teeter-totter
Seesaw
A seesaw is a long, narrow board pivoted in the middle so that, as one end goes up, the other goes down.-Mechanics:Mechanically a seesaw is a lever and fulcrum....
and then rock back and forth precariously 25 feet (7.6 m) above the ground. Then, the team member would switch into an amphibious car
Amphibious vehicle
An amphibious vehicle , is a vehicle or craft, that is a means of transport, viable on land as well as on water – just like an amphibian....
, don a pair of goggles, and while holding their breath, they would be driven underwater for 17 seconds. If they successfully alive, they would get their next clue. The Speed Bump task required TK & Rachel to find Heping Elementary School, don on protective gear and run through a barrage of fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
. Once they completed the run and were doused with water, they were allowed to continue the race. In this Detour, teams had to choose between Fire or Earth. In Fire, teams made their way to Zhongzheng Park to participate in a mystical Chinese ritual by writing messages of luck, good or bad, on Kongming lanterns
Sky lantern
Sky lanterns, also known as Kongming Lantern are airborne paper lanterns traditionally found in some Asian cultures. They are constructed from oiled rice paper on a bamboo frame, and contain a small candle or fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material. When lit, the flame heats the air inside...
. They had to burn "spirit money" under the lanterns, filling them with hot air that would lift the lanterns into the sky and carry their messages to the spirits above. Once a team sent 20 sky lanterns into the air, they would receive their next clue. In Earth, teams made their way to Youth Park to participate in a local custom used to reduce stress. Team members had to take off their shoes and, with their bare feet
Barefoot
Barefoot is the state of not wearing any footwear. Being barefoot is regarded as a human's natural state, though for functional, fashion and social reasons footwear is worn, at least on some occasions...
, walk down a 220-foot path made of jagged stones, turn around, and walk back. When they are finished, they would receive their next clue.
Additional tasks
- At the Umeda Sky Building, teams had to take an elevator to the Floating Gardens at the top of the building and search for their next clue.
- At the teahouse, each racer drank a cup of teaChinese teaThe practice of drinking tea has had a long history in China, having originated there. The Chinese drink tea during many parts of the day such as during meals for good health or for simple pleasure.-History:...
with a ChineseChinese languageThe Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
clue written on the bottom of the cups to reveal the next location. The clue instructed teams to travel to the Gong Guan Night Market and find a clown who would give them their next clue.
Leg 11 (Taiwan → United States)
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, USA
(Ted Stevens Anchorage International AirportTed Stevens Anchorage International Airport
-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Top destinations:-Scheduled cargo airlines:-Inter-terminal:...
)
- Anchorage (6th Avenue Outfitters)
- Anchorage (Ship Creek Boat Launch)
- Anchorage (Twentymile River)
- Anchorage (Merrill FieldMerrill FieldMerrill Field is a public-use general aviation airport located one mile east of downtown Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. The airport is owned by Municipality of Anchorage....
) - Anchorage (Goose Lake Park)
- Anchorage (Captain Cook Statue)
- Anchorage (Salmon Hooker Statue)
- GirdwoodGirdwood, AlaskaGirdwood is an unincorporated year-round ski resort community within the Municipality of Anchorage in the U.S. state of Alaska. It lies in a valley in the Chugach Mountains near the end of the Turnagain Arm of Cook Inlet, 36 miles southeast of Anchorage proper.It is surrounded by seven permanent...
(Girdwood AirportGirdwood AirportGirdwood Airport is a state-owned public-use airport located three miles northeast of the central business district of Girdwood, in Anchorage Borough, Alaska, United States....
)
In the Race's final Detour, teams had to choose between Cut the Cod or Grab the Crab. In Cut the Cod, teams had to cut through several 50-pound Ling Cod
Cod
Cod is the common name for genus Gadus, belonging to the family Gadidae, and is also used in the common name for various other fishes. Cod is a popular food with a mild flavor, low fat content and a dense, flaky white flesh. Cod livers are processed to make cod liver oil, an important source of...
and search for a miniature clue hidden in one of the fish. In Grab the Crab, teams had to jump into the hold of a boat swarming with over 500 live crab
Crab
True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax...
s. Then, they had to search through the nipping crustaceans for a crab marked with Race colors. In this season's final Roadblock, one team member had to face a field of objects they encountered along the race course. Each team was given fifteen recognizable items from different legs of the race. They had to place on a stage ten specific items that matched two different requirements. First, there could only be one item from each of the ten legs of the race. Second, only three items could be animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s or animal by-products, one had to be a U-Turn, three had to be items either at or brought to the Pit Stop, two had to be items of transportation with wheels, one of which was used at a Detour, and one had to be an item of transportation resembling the shape of a stick. While there were several ways to fulfill either of the requirements, only one correct group of ten items fulfilled both.
Additional tasks
- At 6th Avenue Outfitters, teams would pick up necessary gear for the journey ahead along with their next clue.
- At 20-Mile River, teams took a high-speed boat to 20-Mile Glacier; once there, both team members had to climb a wall of iceIce climbingIce climbing, as the term indicates, is the activity of ascending inclined ice formations. Usually, ice climbing refers to roped and protected climbing of features such as icefalls, frozen waterfalls, and cliffs and rock slabs covered with ice refrozen from flows of water. For the purposes of...
to reach their next clue. They then returned via helicopter to Merrill Field to continue the race.
US Nielsen ratings
| Order | Episode | Rating/Share Nielsen Ratings Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States... (18-49) |
Viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Donkeys Have Souls, Too" | 13.82 | |
| 2 | "I’ve Become the Archie Bunker of the Home" | 3.1/8 | 10.48 |
| 3 | "Please, Lord, Give Me Milk" | 3.8/9 | 11.86 |
| 4 | "Let's Name Our Chicken Phil" | 11.80 | |
| 5 | "We Really Burned Bridges, For Sure" | 3.4/8 | 11.26 |
| 6 | "Cherry on Top of the Sundae That's Already Melted" | 3.8/9 | 11.95 |
| 7 | "This is Forever, Now" | 2.8/8 | 8.97 |
| 8 | "Honestly, They Have Witch Powers or Something" | 2.5/6 | 9.69 |
| 9 | "I Just Hope He Doesn’t Croak On Us" | 11.99 | |
| 10 | "Sorry, Guys, I’m Not Happy to See You" | 3.8/9 | 11.65 |
| 11 | “The Final Push" | 3.1/7 | 9.75 |
Canadian ratings
| # | Viewers (millions) |
Rank (Overall) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2.14 | #8 |
| 2 | 2.03 | #7 |
| 3 | 2.09 | #9 |
| 4 | 1.86 | #10 |
| 5 | 2.10 | #9 |
| 6 | 2.02 | #5 |
| 7 | 1.32 | #12 |
| 8 | 1.62 | #1 |
| 9 | 1.71 | #4 |
| 10 | 1.85 | #5 |
| 11 | 2.04 | #3 |