The Amazing Race 18
Encyclopedia
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, February 20, 2011. It aired on CBS
in the United States on Sunday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT with the two-hour season finale on May 8, 2011. The show is hosted by Phil Keoghan
.
It is the first American season of The Amazing Race to be filmed and broadcast in high-definition
.
Sisters LaKisha "Kisha" Hoffman and Jennifer "Jen" Hoffman from Season 14
(where they placed 4th) were the winners of The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business. Kisha is the first openly lesbian
Racer to win.
. While most other prime-time television shows have transitioned to high definition, including other reality television shows, previous seasons of The Amazing Race have used standard-definition television
due to the cost and fragility of high-definition recording equipment. International versions of The Amazing Race, including the fourth Asian
and second Latin American
seasons, have already transitioned to high-definition. In addition, many previous editions of Elimination Station were filmed in high-definition.
Filming started on November 20, 2010 at the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm
near Palm Springs, California
where the first task had teams sorting through hundreds of paper airplanes to find one that said "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services", the full name of Qantas
Airways, awarding them one of two flights to their first destination: Sydney
, Australia
. Teams were spotted at Oceanworld in Manly
near Sydney, Australia around November 22, 2010 and a day later around the mining town of Broken Hill, New South Wales
in the Australian Outback
. Other locales cited as destinations are Yokohama
, Japan
, where teams swam in freezing waters near Mount Fuji
, and the series' first visit to Liechtenstein
, where a task had teams measure the length of the principality
on moped
s. Teams also visited Lijiang and Kunming
, China
; Kolkata
and Varanasi
, India
; Vienna
, Austria
; Zermatt
, Switzerland
; and Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil
.
Snapple
sponsored this season of The Amazing Race, with "Snapple Real Facts" introduced during commercial breaks. The sixth leg of "Unfinished Business" – taking place in Kolkata
, India
– features several tasks involving a papaya-and-mango flavored tea
Snapple developed and named after the show. Ford
also sponsored the season, with their new Focus serving as the prize car for the season.
The Express Pass, introduced in the previous series, returned, allowing the team that places first in the first leg to skip any later task in the race. The last team to complete the first task was forced to complete a U-Turn in the next leg, performing both tasks of the leg's Detour. A new game mechanic was also introduced in this season: legs without a mandatory rest period between them. At the ends of the first leg in Sydney, Australia, and the fourth leg in Lijiang, China, teams were told their placements and then ordered to keep racing with a new Route Info clue; the first team to check in was awarded a prize and the last team to check in was not eliminated.
. According to Bertram Van Munster, they stayed with more recent teams as "if we're digging too far back, people might not even remember who they were". The 14th season is represented by five of the eleven teams; Van Munster called this particular version of the race "a very unique season" and justified its larger proportion of teams. Though they had considered fan-favorites Toni and Dallas from the 13th season, Keoghan stated they felt the other selected teams "have the best stories and the best motivation" for casting.
The returning teams, their prior race placements, and their "Unfinished Business" are:
; the Leg 6 prize is sponsored by Snapple and the Leg 8 prize is sponsored by Ford.
In the Race's first Roadblock, one team member had to scuba dive in the Oceanworld shark
and ray
tank and search the tank for a compass. The compass included a guide to decode a message hidden in series of nautical flags
outside. The correctly decoded message instructed teams to go to the Manly 16 ft Skiff Sailing Club, find the Commodore
, and tell him the password "I am Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
" to receive their next clue.
Additional tasks
The Detour was a choice between Spirit World and Natural World. In Spirit World, teams made a traditional Australian Aboriginal stone mosaic based on a model, and then had to perform a dance that is traditionally done to honor ancestors on top of the mosaic before receiving their clue from an Aboriginal elder. In Natural World, teams made traditional Australian Aboriginal paintings by spraying a mix of water and a clay-like pigment out of their mouths to make four specific silhouette images on a piece of slate
(an outline of each of their hands and stencils of a lizard and a kangaroo), before they could receive their clue from an Aboriginal elder.
Additional tasks
) Sydney (Sydney Airport) to Tokyo
, Japan
(Narita International Airport
)
During the Pit Stop, teams took a train from Broken Hill back into Sydney to start the leg. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member dressed in the traditional clothes of a samurai
archer and learned the yabusame ritual through observation, consisting of a meditative form ritual before a traditional posing with the yumi
bow. Once they performed the first two aspects of the ritual to the dojo master's satisfaction, they would then mount a rotating wooden horse and hit a wooden target with an arrow before they could receive their next clue. In the Detour, teams chose between Prayer of Purity and Frog of Luck. In Prayer of Purity, teams put on keikogi
and traveled to the nearby woods where they would take part in a Shinto
cleansing ritual. First they would have to learn a prayer that consisted of a chant, lighting incense, and then shouting while thrusting a walking stick out in front of them. Once they completed the prayers, they would stand under the Yuhi Falls
and endure being drenched in 45 °F (7.2 °C) water cascading down onto them for one minute before receiving their next clue. In Frog of Luck, teams stripped down to their undergarments and put on fundoshi
over them before walking out to a mudpit where they had to search for a toy frog in the mud while having mud thrown at them by locals. Once they found the frog, they would have to present it to the nearby frog master for their next clue.
, Yunnan
, China
(Kunming Wujiaba International Airport
) Kunming (Kunming Railway Station) to Lijiang (Lijiang Train Station)
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search through tens of thousands of wooden charms for a set of twelve that correspond to the symbols of the Chinese zodiac
. Once they collected the charms, they had to place them on a mobile
in the correct order which was the traditional procession of the signs according to myth – Rat
, Ox
, Tiger
, Rabbit
, Dragon
, Snake
, Horse
, Ram, Monkey
, Rooster
, Dog
, and Pig
– before they could receive their next clue. The Detour for this Leg was Hammer or Horn. In Hammer, teams traveled to a candy shop where they used wooden mallets to pulverize a peanut brittle
into the right consistency. They then had to cut it into pieces and box them before the candy maker would give them their next clue. In Horn, teams traveled to a square where they had to pick up a large traditional horn and lead a group of Nakhi
dancers to Wencheng Palace on the other side of town for their next clue.
Additional tasks
The Detour was a choice between Honor the Past and Embrace the Future. In Honor the Past, teams had to put on a traditional Tibetan
outfit at the Yunnan Province Cultural Center and then watch a theater troupe. Without having taken any notes, teams then had to go off-stage, and put a series of 15 dolls dressed up like the actors in the order of the procession on stage. If they got the right order, they would receive their clue. If not, they would have to start over. In Embrace the Future, teams had to put on safety gear and then bring three heavy boxes up to the roof of the China Great Wall Assets Management Company building. Once there, they had to help assemble a solar water heating
system before they could receive their next clue. In the Roadblock, one team member had to assemble a life-size 20 feet (6.1 m) long model of a Dilophosaurus
. Once the model was properly built, a paleontologist would give them their next clue. If at any point the paleontologist believed that the model was structurally unsafe, the racer would have to start over.
Additional tasks
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to take part in an Indian tea tasting
ceremony. First, they had to take a papaya
, a mango
, and the brick of tea
the teams received before leaving Kunming to the tea auctioneer. Then, they had to search among several hundred tea cups for one that held the same papaya-and-mango-infused tea that they tasted in China. Once they got the right tea, the auctioneer would give them their next clue. The Detour in Kolkata was a choice between Hindu Art
and Bengali Literature
. In Hindu Art, teams traveled to the Rakhal Paul and Sons statue shop where they had to paint and then dress a statue of the Hindu god Ganesha
. Once it was complete, they would receive their next clue. In Bengali Literature, teams traveled to the Dey's Publishing house and picked up eight bundles of the children's book Introduction to the Bengali Alphabet. They then got into a rickshaw
school bus and traveled across town to the Victoria Institution High School and College and searched the grounds for the offices of the headmistress of the primary school where they would deliver the books and receive their next clue.
Additional tasks
, Uttar Pradesh
(Varanasi Airport
)
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search the streets near the tonga stand for six different sadhu
s (as depicted in a series of photographs they were given) who would give out one of six pieces of a phrase described as "the meaning of life
": "Once you're over the hill you pick up speed". Once the racer had all six fragments of the phrase, he or she would have to provide the phrase to a seventh sadhu who would give them their next clue. This leg's Detour was a choice between Feed the Fire and Feed the Buffalo. In Feed the Fire, teams travelled down the Ganges to Sakka Ghat to the home of a milkman where they had to make 50 traditional fuel patties made from water buffalo
manure
and then slap them against a wall to allow them to dry. When the supervisor was satisfied with their work (the patties were not too large or too small), teams had to light a stove with dried fuel patties to boil milk for local children before receiving their clue. In Feed the Buffalo, the teams had to cross the Ganges to collect two bales of hay
. which were to be delivered to the addresses attached to them. The teams were then required to return over the Ganges to Ksameshwar Ghat, where they had to locate the addresses to which they were to deliver the hay. Upon delivery, they got their next clue.
Varanasi (Varanasi Airport) to Vienna
, Austria
(Vienna International Airport
)
In this Leg's Detour, teams chose between Long Hard Walk and Quick and Easy Meal. In Long Hard Walk, teams traveled to the Sigmund Freud Museum
(Sigmund Freud
's former home) to pick up a psychoanalysis
couch
, like the ones he used in his sessions, and then deliver it to his former office at the University of Vienna
approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) away where they would receive their next clue. In Quick and Easy Meal, teams traveled to the Wiener Riesenrad ferris wheel
where they picked up two large servings of the varied forms of traditional Austrian cuisine: Wiener Schnitzel, Sauerkraut
, and Sachertorte
. They then boarded one of the Riesenrad's dining cars where, while a violinist played some Viennese music, they would have to finish both servings within one 12-minute revolution of the ferris wheel before receiving their next clue. If they could not finish, they would have to start over. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member chose a chimney sweep
instructor and then put on the traditional chimney sweep uniform. They then went to the roof of the building and used a weight with wire mesh on a rope to clean one of the chimneys three times. Once complete, they went to the basement and opened up one of the chimney cleaning doors that held their next clue.
Additional tasks
) to Feldkirch
, Vorarlberg
(Feldkirch railway station)
For this leg's Speed Bump, Gary & Mallory had to prepare the right mixture of gasoline
and oil
to power their VéloSoleX
motorized bicycle
for the Roadblock. They had to measure 25 parts gasoline to 1 part of oil, and had to figure out that 2 litre (0.528344074568369 US gal) of gasoline would fulfill the mixture ratio. For the Roadblock, one team member had to use an odometer
and a VéloSoleX to measure the entire length of the country of Liechtenstein
, riding from Schaanwald
to Balzers
. At the end, they would meet up with former Winter Olympics alpine ski racer
Marco Büchel
and give him the distance that they traveled, written on the back of a postcard: 22 km (13.7 mi). If correct, Büchel would direct the racers to Castle Gutenberg where they would meet up with their teammate and read the next clue. If they were wrong, they would have to travel back to Schaanwald and start over. The Detour was a choice between Cheese and Wheeze. In Cheese, teams traveled to the Restaurant Walliserkanne Zermatt where they would have to finish an entire pot of cheese fondue
. Once the pot was empty, the restaurateur would give them an empty fondue pot with the name of the next location printed on the inside. In Wheeze, teams had to dress up as bellhop
s and then pick up pieces of luggage from the Zermatt railway station. Then, using a luggage cart, they had to deliver the suitcases to different hotels throughout Zermatt where they would receive receipt tags for each piece of luggage. Once they had a total of 20 receipt tags from at least five different hotels, they could trade them in to the head porter
for their next clue.
In this Leg's Detour, teams chose between two mountain rescue
tasks: Search and Rescue. In Search, teams used a set of avalanche beacons
to search the Matterhorn
for a dummy buried in the snow; they then had to dig out the whole dummy before they could receive their next clue. In Rescue, teams used a special hoisting device to rescue a mountaineer
trapped in a crevasse
. One team member had to lower his or her teammate into the crevasse; the lowered teammate then had to attach a carabiner
to the mountaineer. The teammate at the top then had to raise the pair back to the surface; once at the top, the rescued mountaineer would give them their next clue. In this Leg's Roadblock, one team member made a Travelocity
Roaming Gnome
out of Swiss chocolate
. First, the team member had to decorate a chocolate mold with colored chocolate. Once the mold was properly decorated, the team member had the mold filled with chocolate and then buried it in the snow outside for 30 minutes in order to harden the chocolate. They then removed the gnome from the mold and covered up imperfections with more colored chocolate. Once the head chocolatier
approved the gnome, teams would receive a real Roaming Gnome and their next clue.
Additional tasks
(Zürich Hauptbahnhof) Zurich (Zurich Airport) to Rio de Janeiro
, Rio de Janeiro
, Brazil
(Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport) Rio de Janeiro (Carioca Aqueduct
) to Santa Teresa
(Escadaria Selarón
)
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to participate in a Rio Carnival
parade. After putting on special costumes, teams learned the samba
and then led a parade of dancers. If the Carnival Princess approved their dance, teams would receive their next clue; if not, they would be sent back to relearn the dance and try again. The Detour was a choice between On the Rocks and On the Beach. In On the Rocks, teams traveled to the Espacio X bar on Copacabana beach where they learned to make caipirinha
s. Once they made 100 proper caipirinhas, they would receive their next clue. In On the Beach, teams had to pick up an umbrella loaded with bikini
s and a mobile changing station and sell the bikinis to people on the beach. The buyers then had to change into the bikinis in the mobile changing station. Once teams earned R$
100 (approximately 60), they would receive their next clue.
Additional tasks
, USA
(Miami International Airport
)
In the first Roadblock of this leg, one team member had to learn how to operate a heavy load forklift
to move a boat into drydock without dropping the boat which would destroy it. Once the boat was successfully moved, teams would receive their next clue. In the second Roadblock, one team member had to use a BOBdive submersible
to search the lagoon of the Jules' Undersea Lodge for one of several floating treasure chest
s that contained their next clue, while being surrounded by distracting mermaid
divers who were swimming around them and playing music.
Additional tasks
also airs The Amazing Race on Sundays at 8pm, with only two exceptions: Episode two aired an hour earlier than its normal start time due to CTV's broadcast of the 83rd Academy Awards. Episode six aired an hour earlier due to the said network's broadcast of the 2011 Juno Awards
.
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 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, February 20, 2011. It aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in the United States on Sunday nights at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT with the two-hour season finale on May 8, 2011. The show is hosted by Phil Keoghan
Phil Keoghan
Philip John "Phil" Keoghan is a New Zealand-born television personality, best known for hosting the U.S. version of The Amazing Race on CBS, since its 2001 debut. He is also the creator and host of No Opportunity Wasted, which has been produced in the United States, New Zealand, and Canada...
.
It is the first American season of The Amazing Race to be filmed and broadcast in high-definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
.
Sisters LaKisha "Kisha" Hoffman and Jennifer "Jen" Hoffman from Season 14
The Amazing Race 14
The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 14 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world....
(where they placed 4th) were the winners of The Amazing Race: Unfinished Business. Kisha is the first openly lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
Racer to win.
Development and filming
The Amazing Race 18 was the first season of the United States series to be broadcast in high-definition televisionHigh-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
. While most other prime-time television shows have transitioned to high definition, including other reality television shows, previous seasons of The Amazing Race have used standard-definition television
Standard-definition television
Sorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
due to the cost and fragility of high-definition recording equipment. International versions of The Amazing Race, including the fourth Asian
The Amazing Race Asia 4
The Amazing Race Asia 4 is the fourth installment of the reality television game show The Amazing Race Asia. The Amazing Race Asia 4 features several teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world. Production for this installment was delayed in 2009...
and second Latin American
The Amazing Race en Discovery Channel 2
The Amazing Race en Discovery Channel 2 is the second installment of The Amazing Race en Discovery Channel, the Latin American edition of the reality television show The Amazing Race...
seasons, have already transitioned to high-definition. In addition, many previous editions of Elimination Station were filmed in high-definition.
Filming started on November 20, 2010 at the San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm
San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm
The San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm is a wind farm located on the eastern slope of the San Gorgonio Pass in Riverside County, just east of White Water, California, United States. Developed beginning in the 1980s, it is one of three major wind farms in California, along with those at Altamont and the...
near Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs, California
Palm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
where the first task had teams sorting through hundreds of paper airplanes to find one that said "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services", the full name of Qantas
Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
Airways, awarding them one of two flights to their first destination: Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Teams were spotted at Oceanworld in Manly
Manly, New South Wales
Manly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.-History:Manly was named...
near Sydney, Australia around November 22, 2010 and a day later around the mining town of Broken Hill, New South Wales
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
in the Australian Outback
Outback
The Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
. Other locales cited as destinations are Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
, 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...
, where teams swam in freezing waters near Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji
is the highest mountain in Japan at . An active stratovolcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji lies about south-west of Tokyo, and can be seen from there on a clear day. Mount Fuji's exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and...
, and the series' first visit to Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
, where a task had teams measure the length of the principality
Principality
A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....
on moped
Moped
Mopeds are a type of low-powered motorcycle designed to provide economical and relatively safe transport with minimal licensing requirements.Mopeds were once all equipped with bicycle-like pedals , but moped has been increasingly applied by governments to vehicles without pedals, based on their...
s. Teams also visited Lijiang and Kunming
Kunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
, China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
; Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and Varanasi
Varanasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, 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...
; Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
; Zermatt
Zermatt
Zermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants....
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
; and Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
Snapple
Snapple
Snapple is a brand of tea and juice drinks which is owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group and based in Plano, Texas. The brand was founded in 1972. The brand achieved some notoriety due to various pop-culture references including television shows.-History:...
sponsored this season of The Amazing Race, with "Snapple Real Facts" introduced during commercial breaks. The sixth leg of "Unfinished Business" – taking place in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East 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...
– features several tasks involving a papaya-and-mango flavored tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
Snapple developed and named after the show. Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
also sponsored the season, with their new Focus serving as the prize car for the season.
The Express Pass, introduced in the previous series, returned, allowing the team that places first in the first leg to skip any later task in the race. The last team to complete the first task was forced to complete a U-Turn in the next leg, performing both tasks of the leg's Detour. A new game mechanic was also introduced in this season: legs without a mandatory rest period between them. At the ends of the first leg in Sydney, Australia, and the fourth leg in Lijiang, China, teams were told their placements and then ordered to keep racing with a new Route Info clue; the first team to check in was awarded a prize and the last team to check in was not eliminated.
Casting
The 18th season of The Amazing Race has been subtitled "Unfinished Business", and features eleven returning teams from previous seasons for a second chance to win the million dollar prize. Keoghan described all the contestants as teams that "came so close to winning but for one reason or another just didn't quite make it over the finish line in first place". Keoghan gave examples of two teams: Zev and Justin from Season 15, who had finished first on a leg, but one of them had lost his passport too late to continue racing; and LaKisha and Jen from Season 14, where they took an unfortunately-timed restroom break while racing to the Pit Stop and were eliminated. The prior experience of all the teams in previous seasons allowed the producers to increase the difficulty of the various tasks and challenges they were to face. All of the teams have been from recent seasons of the Race; the earliest season represented is the 12thThe Amazing Race 12
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...
. According to Bertram Van Munster, they stayed with more recent teams as "if we're digging too far back, people might not even remember who they were". The 14th season is represented by five of the eleven teams; Van Munster called this particular version of the race "a very unique season" and justified its larger proportion of teams. Though they had considered fan-favorites Toni and Dallas from the 13th season, Keoghan stated they felt the other selected teams "have the best stories and the best motivation" for casting.
The returning teams, their prior race placements, and their "Unfinished Business" are:
- From Season 12The Amazing Race 12The 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...
:- Ronald and Christina Hsu, father and daughter, 2nd place; Christina could not figure out the correct combination of items at the final Roadblock in AnchorageAnchorage, AlaskaAnchorage 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...
.- During the race, Christina revealed that she is engaged to fellow Season 12 racer Azaria Azene.
- Kent KaliberIn season 12The Amazing Race 12The 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...
, Kent went by the name "Kynt". and Vyxsin Fiala, dating gothsGoth subcultureThe 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...
and Hot TopicHot TopicHot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music on CD. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000...
models, 5th place; Kent & Vyxsin suffered a communications breakdown in 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 ....
due to their lack of experience driving a car with a manual transmissionManual transmissionA manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
.
- Ronald and Christina Hsu, father and daughter, 2nd place; Christina could not figure out the correct combination of items at the final Roadblock in Anchorage
- From Season 14The Amazing Race 14The Amazing Race 14 is the fourteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 14 featured 11 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world....
:- Margie and Luke Adams, mother and son, 3rd place; Luke could not figure out the proper combination of items at the final Roadblock in MauiMauiThe island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
. - Amanda Blackledge and Kris Klicka, engaged (dating in Season 14), 8th place; Amanda & Kris were U-Turned by Margie & Luke in SiberiaSiberiaSiberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. - Jaime Edmondson and Cara Rosenthal, former cheerleadersCheerleadingCheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
for the NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Miami DolphinsMiami DolphinsThe Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 2nd place; Jaime & Cara's cab driver in MauiMauiThe island of Maui is the second-largest of the Hawaiian Islands at and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is part of the state of Hawaii and is the largest of Maui County's four islands, bigger than Lānai, Kahoolawe, and Molokai. In 2010, Maui had a population of 144,444,...
got lost on the way to the final Roadblock destination. - LaKisha and Jennifer Hoffman, sisters and sports coaches, 4th place; Jen used the restroom on the way to the Pit Stop after drinking four bottles of water during a Roadblock in BeijingBeijingBeijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
where she had to eat insects. - MelMel WhiteJames Melville "Mel" White is an American clergyman and author. White was a behind-the-scenes member of the Evangelical Protestant movement through the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, writing speeches and ghostwriting books for televangelists such as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and Billy Graham...
and Mike White, father and son writerWriterA writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
s, 6th place; Mel & Mike's cab driver took them to the wrong place in Phuket, losing valuable time for them.
- Margie and Luke Adams, mother and son, 3rd place; Luke could not figure out the proper combination of items at the final Roadblock in Maui
- From Season 15The Amazing Race 15The Amazing Race 15 is the fifteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 15 featured 12 teams of two, with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world....
:- Zev Glassenberg and Justin Kanew, best friends, 9th place; after checking in first in Phnom PenhPhnom PenhPhnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
, Zev & Justin realized they had lost Zev's passport and they were unable to find it before all other remaining teams checked in. - Herb "Flight Time" LangHerbert "Flight Time" LangHerbert "Flight Time" Lang is an American basketball player for the Harlem Globetrotters.-Career:He graduated from Centenary College of Louisiana in 1998, after a season in which he led the Trans-America Athletic Conference in scoring and won the National Association of Basketball Coaches Slam...
and Nate "Big Easy" Lofton, teammates on the Harlem GlobetrottersHarlem GlobetrottersThe Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
, 4th place; Big Easy could not complete the KafkaFranz KafkaFranz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
-themed Roadblock in PraguePraguePrague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and took a 4-hour forfeiture penalty.
- Zev Glassenberg and Justin Kanew, best friends, 9th place; after checking in first in Phnom Penh
- From Season 16The Amazing Race 16The Amazing Race 16 is the sixteenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 16 features eleven teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world....
:- Jet and Cord McCoyCord McCoyCord Jarret McCoy is an American professional bull and saddle bronc rider who is best known as the 2nd place finisher on The Amazing Race 16...
, brothers and rodeoRodeoRodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...
cowboyCowboyA cowboy is an animal herder who tends cattle on ranches in North America, traditionally on horseback, and often performs a multitude of other ranch-related tasks. The historic American cowboy of the late 19th century arose from the vaquero traditions of northern Mexico and became a figure of...
s, 2nd place; on the plane from ShanghaiShanghaiShanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
to San Francisco, eventual winners Dan & Jordan were able to move up to first class for free, giving them a lead that Jet & Cord were never able to overcome.
- Jet and Cord McCoy
- From Season 17The Amazing Race 17The Amazing Race 17 is the seventeenth installment of the reality television show The Amazing Race. The Amazing Race 17 features 11 teams of two, each with a pre-existing relationship, in a race around the world....
- Gary and Mallory ErvinMallory ErvinMallory Christina Ervin held the title of Miss Kentucky 2009 and was 4th runner-up to Miss America 2010. In September 2010, it was announced that she competed on The Amazing Race 17 with her father Gary Ervin. The Amazing Race was filmed in May and June 2010 and premiered on September 26, 2010...
, father and daughter, 6th place; Gary & Mallory got lost for several hours trying to find the Roadblock location in OmanOmanOman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
.
- Gary and Mallory Ervin
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 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | ||||
| Kisha & Jen | Sisters | 3rd | 4th | 4th | 5th | 4th | 6th | 3rd | 4th | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 1st | Kisha 6, Jen 6 |
| 5th | 2nd | 5th | 6th | 6th | 7th | 1st | 2nd | 5th | 1st | 3rd | 2nd | |||
| Gary & Mallory | Father/Daughter | 1st | 9th | 2nd | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 4th | 4th | 3rd | 1st | 3rd | Gary 6, Mallory 6 | |
| Zev & Justin | Best Friends | 4th | 1st | 1st | 8th | 8th | 4th | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 4th | Zev 5, Justin 5 | ||
| Kent & Vyxsin | Dating Goths | 10th | 7th | 7th | 9th | 5th | 5th | 6th | 3rd | 3rd | Kent 4, Vyxsin 5 | |||
| Jet & Cord | Cowboys | 11th | 3rd | 6th | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 5th | 5th | Jet 4, Cord 4 | ||||
| Ron & Christina | Father/Daughter | 8th | 10th | 3rd | 4th | 7th | 3rd | Ron 3, Christina 3 | ||||||
| Margie & Luke | Mother/Son | 7th | 5th | 8th | 1st | 3rd | Margie 2, Luke 3 | |||||||
| Jaime & Cara | 6th | 8th | 9th | 7th | Jaime 2, Cara 2 | |||||||||
| Mel & Mike | Father/Son | 9th | 6th | Mel 1, Mike 1 | ||||||||||
| Amanda & Kris | Engaged | 2nd | Amanda 1, Kris 0 | |||||||||||
- A team placement means the team was eliminated.
- A indicates that the team won a Fast Forward.
- A indicates that the team decided to use the Express Pass on that leg.
- An underlined leg number indicates that there was no mandatory rest period at the Pit Stop and all teams were ordered to continue racing. The first place team was still awarded a prize for that leg.
- An team's placement indicates that the team came in last on a non-elimination leg and had to perform a Speed Bump during the next leg of the race.
- An indicates that the team was penalized for finishing last in the Starting Line task and were subject to an automatic U-Turn at the first Detour of the Race.
- A or a indicates that the team chose to use one of the two U-Turns in a Double U-Turn; or indicates the team who received it; around a leg number indicates that only one of the two available U-Turns was used.
- Amanda & Kris's U-Turn penalty was incurred on Leg 2, as there was no Detour on Leg 1.
- Flight Time & Big Easy were initially checked in 3rd; however, they were retroactively issued a 30-minute penalty when Ron & Christina told Phil that the Globetrotters had taken their fanny pack by accident and did not return it to them. Ron & Christina were moved up to 3rd, and Kisha & Jen, who checked in within the half-hour penalty period, were checked in for 4th, ultimately dropping the Globetrotters to 5th.
- Mel & Mike were treated for hypothermiaHypothermiaHypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
while trying to complete the "Frog of Luck" Detour. They were unable to complete the task, and were told by the show's producers to go directly to the Pit Stop for elimination. - ^ Gary & Mallory elected to use the Express Pass to bypass the Roadblock in Leg 5. Before using the Express Pass, Gary elected to perform the Roadblock, and this is reflected in the total Roadblock count.
- When Kent & Vyxsin finished Leg 4, they were issued a 30-minute penalty for failing to take the required flight from Tokyo-Narita to Kunming, to be served at the next Pit Stop. They arrived at the Leg 5 Pit Stop 4th; during their penalty Kisha & Jen checked in, dropping Kent & Vyxsin to 5th.
- Kent & Vyxsin initially arrived 3rd, but were issued a 30-minute penalty for taking a taxi instead of going on foot from the Roadblock to the Pit Stop as the clue had specified. Gary & Mallory and Zev & Justin, the only teams trailing Kent and Vyxsin at that point, checked in during the penalty time and Kent & Vyxsin were eliminated before the 30 minutes elapsed.
- No Fast Forward was shown this season.
- Leg 12 had two Roadblocks and no Detour. The team member who sat out the first Roadblock was required to perform the second one.
Episode title quotes
Episode titles are often taken from quotes made by the racers. In this season, the titles also include the general location (nation or subnational region) in which the episode was taped.- "Head Down and Hold On (AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
)" – Jaime & Cara's sailing instructor (non-racer) - "I Never Looked So Foolish in My Whole Entire Life (OutbackOutbackThe Outback is the vast, remote, arid area of Australia, term colloquially can refer to any lands outside the main urban areas. The term "the outback" is generally used to refer to locations that are comparatively more remote than those areas named "the bush".-Overview:The outback is home to a...
)" – Kisha - "We Had a Lot of Evil Spirits Apparently (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...
)" – Christina - "This is the Most Stupid Day Ever (Lijiang, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
)" – Vyxsin - "Don't Ruin the Basketball Game (KunmingKunming' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
, China)" – Mallory - "I Feel Like a Monkey in a Circus Parade (KolkataKolkataKolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , 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...
)" – Gary - "You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win (VaranasiVaranasi-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, India)" – Cord - "I Cannot Deal With Your Psycho Behavior (AustriaAustriaAustria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
)" – Vyxsin - "We're Good American People (SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
)" – Zev - "Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen (Switzerland)" – Zev
- "This is Where It Ends (BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
)" – Justin
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...
; the Leg 6 prize is sponsored by Snapple and the Leg 8 prize is sponsored by Ford.
- Leg 1 – The Express Pass – an item that can be used on the race to skip any one task of the team's choosing.
- Leg 2 – 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 3 – A trip for two to the Hotel Punta Islita in Costa RicaCosta RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
- Leg 4 – A trip for two to ArubaArubaAruba is a 33 km-long island of the Lesser Antilles in the southern Caribbean Sea, located 27 km north of the coast of Venezuela and 130 km east of Guajira Peninsula...
- Leg 5 – 5,000 each
- Leg 6 – An Indian dinnerIndian cuisineIndian cuisine consists of thousands of regional cuisines which date back thousands of years. The dishes of India are characterised by the extensive use of various Indian spices, herbs, vegetables and fruit. Indian cuisine is also known for the widespread practice of vegetarianism in Indian society...
for two featuring BollywoodBollywoodBollywood 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...
-inspired dance entertainment, and 1,000,000 (over US$20,000) to share - Leg 7 – A trip for two to HawaiiHawaii (island)The Island of Hawaii, also called the Big Island or Hawaii Island , is a volcanic island in the North Pacific Ocean...
- Leg 8 – A 2012 Ford Focus for each racer
- Leg 9 – A trip for two 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...
- Leg 10 – A trip for two to the Cook IslandsCook IslandsThe Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
- Leg 11 – A cruise for two on the Mediterranean SeaMediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
with visits to RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
and CasablancaCasablancaCasablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture... - Leg 12 – 1,000,000
Phil's Video Diary
A new feature to this season is an online show, allowing the viewers to see what happens behind the scenes of the Race, hosted by Keoghan. This feature replaces the "Elimination Station" videos as seen in previous seasons.- Episode 1: The night before the first leg, Phil prepares to meet the eleven teams at Palm Springs, CaliforniaPalm Springs, CaliforniaPalm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
. He then films the helicopter shots seen at the start of the episode. While traveling to SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Phil explains that the flight had been delayed, meaning that the Pit Stop crew then only had a small time advantage over the teams. The final portion of the diary shows Phil filming the Pit Stop segment. - Episode 2: Phil films the establishing shot for Shelly BeachShelly Beach (Manly)Shelly Beach is a beach located in the Manly area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is close to North Head and Fairy Bower....
and quickly cleans his hair outside, revealing he had not showered before the film crew left Los Angeles. As they drive to Oceanworld Manly to film the Roadblock's establishing shots, Phil sticks his head out of the car window to dry it. Later, Phil explains that they are now flying back to Sydney to catch a flight 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...
, and at the airport, he plays around on the luggage carousel, pretending to be a piece of luggage. - Episode 3: Phil and the production crew arrive in NaritaNarita, Chibais a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. It is the site of Narita International Airport, the main international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area....
, 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...
, and Phil explains why he loves to visit Japan. They head to the Yuhi FallsYuhi Fallsis a waterfall on the upper reaches of Kari river, in western Minamiashigara, Kanagawa, Japan.Yūhi can be translated as "sunset", and is so named because of its beauty in the setting sun....
featured in the "Prayer of Purity" Detour task, enjoying the scenery, before explaining the task to his diary camera and then filming the piece for the show. - Episode 4: The film crew lands in Lijiang, ChinaChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and Phil explains the Baishui RiverBaishui RiverThe Baishui River is a river in southern China. It flows through the Jade Dragon Snow Mountains in Yunnan province.The Baishui River—Báishuǐ Jiāng is a tributary of the Yangtze River—Cháng Jiāng, and part of the East China Sea watershed basin....
crossing tourist attraction before filming the explanation for the "Yak Yak Yak" task. After the group heads to the top of Jade Dragon Mountain, Phil shares some grilled yak with one of the film crew, before the filming of the Roadblock explanation in Spruce Meadow is shown. - Episode 5: The film crew arrives in KunmingKunming' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
and Phil prepares to film the explanation of the "Embrace the Future" Detour Task, before poking fun at Barry, the sound technician, and how he has lost his voice. Later, while on the way to the Stone ForestShilin (Stone Forest)The Stone Forest or Shilin is a notable set of karst formations located in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China, approximately from the provincial capital Kunming. The tall rocks seem to emanate from the ground in the manner of stalagmites, with many looking...
, Barry has his voice back, and they film the Roadblock segment using time-lapse photography. Phil then comments on how the competition has ramped up on Leg 5 and he is interested in who will come in first on the Leg. - Episode 6: Phil and the production team arrive in KolkataKolkataKolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, and Phil remarks at how empty the streets are at 3 a.m. By daybreak, the streets are full of cars and people, and Phil remarks on how he loves it when the Race goes to India. Phil arrives in JorasankoJorasankoJorasanko is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata. It is so called because of the two wooden or bamboo bridges that spanned a small stream at this point.-History:...
to explain the Detour tasks, and then they visit the Victoria Institution School for the end of the "Bengali Literature" Detour task. At the Pit Stop location, Phil plays cricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
with several local children until he breaks the batCricket batA cricket bat is a specialised piece of equipment used by batsmen in the sport of cricket to hit the ball. It is usually made of willow wood. Its use is first mentioned in 1624....
, and apologizes to them, before filming the establishing shot for the Pit Stop. - Episode 7: In VaranasiVaranasi-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, Phil remarks on how busy the city is in the morning, much like Kolkata. Phil walks down towards the Ganges, looking at the vegetable stalls on the way to the river. On the Ganges to film the Detour segments, Phil relaxes and says how he is enjoying traveling on the river. The film crew then heads to Ramnagar FortRamnagar FortRamnagar Fort is a fort in Ramnagar, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh state, India. The fort and its museum are the repository of the history of the kings of Benares and since the 18th century has been the home of Kashi Naresh.-History:...
to wait at the Pit Stop, where Phil once again enjoys watching the Ganges as the sun sets. - Episode 8: Arriving in ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
from DelhiDelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, Phil remarks on how different the weather is from India, as it is winter in the northern hemisphere. Phil walks through one of Vienna's Christmas marketChristmas MarketA Christmas market, also known as Christkindlmarkt, Christkindlesmarkt, Christkindlmarket, and Weihnachtsmarkt, is a street market associated with the celebration of Christmas during the four weeks of Advent...
s before heading to the Austrian National LibraryAustrian National LibraryThe Austrian National Library , is the largest library in Austria, with 7.4 million items in its collections. It is located in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna; since 2005 some of the collections are located in the baroque Palais Mollard-Clary...
where he rides on a horse-drawn carriage before filming the Detour introduction where the Detour choices are named "Father of Psychoanalysis" and "Mother of All Meals", rather than "Long Hard Walk" and "Quick and Easy Meal". The crew then heads to the Sigmund Freud MuseumSigmund Freud Museum (Vienna)The Sigmund Freud Museum is located in Freud's former practice and apartment in Vienna, and covers his life story and the history of psychoanalysis.-Museum:...
for the Freud's couch Detour before going to the Wiener Riesenrad for the eating Detour, where Barry eats a serving of Wiener Schnitzel, while a microphone is up against the schnitzel. - Episode 9: The crew arrives in ZermattZermattZermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants....
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, and Phil films the bus they rode and the surroundings. He then walks down the main street to the Detour tasks, commenting on how they only allow electric vehicles in the city. Later, Phil attempts to figure out how the VéloSoleXVéloSoleXVéloSoleX is a moped, or motorised bicycle, which was originally produced by the French manufacturer Solex, based in Paris, France. The company manufactured centrifugal radiators, carburetors, and micrometers, before branching into assist motors and bicycles...
works, before he rides it in the Liechtenstien Roadblock explanation. - Episode 10: Phil and the film crew leave their hotel early in the morning to head for the helicopter port that will take them onto the glacierGlacierA glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s of the MatterhornMatterhornThe Matterhorn , Monte Cervino or Mont Cervin , is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit is 4,478 metres high, making it one of the highest peaks in the Alps. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points...
to film the Detour segment. They then take a gondola liftGondola liftA gondola lift is a type of aerial lift, normally called a cable car, which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel cable that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate supporting towers. The cable is driven by a bullwheel in a terminal,...
back down the mountain to Zermatt. - Episode 11: Phil takes in the view of Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
's Copacabana beach from his balcony, before heading to the beauty salon where a few crew members are being used to demonstrate the waxingWaxingWaxing is a method of semi-permanent hair removal which removes the hair from the root. New hair will not grow back in the previously waxed area for two to eight weeks, although some people will start to see regrowth in only a week. Almost any area of the body can be waxed, including eyebrows,...
route marker. Later, they head to the Niterói Contemporary Art MuseumNiterói Contemporary Art MuseumThe Niterói Contemporary Art Museum is situated in the city of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is one of the city’s main landmarks...
to prepare for the Pit Stop and film the portion explaining the museum before the next leg begins.
Race summary
Leg 1 (United States → Australia)
- Palm SpringsPalm Springs, CaliforniaPalm Springs is a desert city in Riverside County, California, within the Coachella Valley. It is located approximately 37 miles east of San Bernardino, 111 miles east of Los Angeles and 136 miles northeast of San Diego...
, 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...
(San Gorgonio Pass Wind FarmSan Gorgonio Pass Wind FarmThe San Gorgonio Pass Wind Farm is a wind farm located on the eastern slope of the San Gorgonio Pass in Riverside County, just east of White Water, California, United States. Developed beginning in the 1980s, it is one of three major wind farms in California, along with those at Altamont and the...
) (Starting Line) Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
(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 SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(Sydney AirportSydney AirportSydney Airport may refer to:* Sydney Airport, also known as Kingsford Smith International Airport, in Sydney, Australia* Sydney/J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport, in Nova Scotia, Canada...
) MascotMascot, New South WalesMascot is a suburb in south-eastern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mascot is located 7 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the City of Botany Bay...
(International railway stationInternational railway station, SydneyInternational is an underground railway station which serves the International Terminal of Sydney Airport...
) to Circular Quay (Circular Quay railway station) Circular Quay (Circular Quay Wharf - Sydney FerriesSydney FerriesSydney Ferries is an agency of the New South Wales Government Department of Transport, providing ferry services on Sydney Harbour and the Parramatta River in Sydney, Australia....
) to ManlyManly, New South WalesManly is a suburb of northern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Manly is located 17 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of Manly Council, in the Northern Beaches region.-History:Manly was named...
(Manly Wharf) - Manly (Oceanworld Manly)
- Manly (Manly 16ft Skiff Sailing Club)
- Manly (Shelly BeachShelly Beach (Manly)Shelly Beach is a beach located in the Manly area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is close to North Head and Fairy Bower....
)
In the Race's first Roadblock, one team member had to scuba dive in the Oceanworld shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
and ray
Batoidea
Batoidea is a superorder of cartilaginous fish commonly known as rays and skates, containing more than 500 described species in thirteen families...
tank and search the tank for a compass. The compass included a guide to decode a message hidden in series of nautical flags
International maritime signal flags
The system of international maritime signal flags is one system of flag signals representing individual letters of the alphabet in signals to or from ships...
outside. The correctly decoded message instructed teams to go to the Manly 16 ft Skiff Sailing Club, find the Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
, and tell him the password "I am Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
"Between the devil and the deep blue sea" is an idiom meaning a dilemma—i.e., to choose between two undesirable situations .-Possible origins:...
" to receive their next clue.
Additional tasks
- At the Starting Line, teams had to search through a field containing hundreds of paper airplanes with various words written on them for one matching the clue "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services", and had to figure out that this was a reference to QantasQantasQantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia. The name was originally "QANTAS", an initialism for "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services". Nicknamed "The Flying Kangaroo", the airline is based in Sydney, with its main hub at Sydney Airport...
, which was written on the correct airplanes. Once teams presented a correct airplane to Phil, he would give them their first Route Info clue and tickets for one of two flights; the first eight teams got tickets for the first flight, and the last three teams got tickets for a flight that left 90 minutes after the first.Due to a medical emergency on the first flight involving another passenger, the eight teams on that flight were delayed in Honolulu, allowing the three teams on the second flight to arrive in Sydney first. In addition, the last team to complete the task would be penalized with a U-Turn on the Race's first Detour. - At the sailing club, teams had to join a sailing crew and ride a 16ft Skiff16ft SkiffA 16ft skiff is a class of three-person sailing dinghy with a twin trapeze and a large asymmetric spinnaker. The class is unique to Australia, where it is one of the most popular boats sailing with 135 boats registered in 12 clubs.-History:...
through a race course to a series of buoys that had their next clue.
Leg 2 (Australia)
- Sydney (Sydney Town HallSydney Town HallThe Sydney Town Hall is a landmark sandstone building located in the heart of Sydney. It stands opposite the Queen Victoria Building and alongside St Andrew's Cathedral...
– To Sail To Stop Sculpture) Sydney (Sydney Airport) to Broken HillBroken Hill, New South Wales-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
(Broken Hill AirportBroken Hill AirportBroken Hill Airport is an airport in Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia.The airport currently is used as a base of operations for the RFDS South-Eastern section thus making it a very important hub for this service....
) - Broken Hill (The Living Desert Reserve)
- Broken Hill (Central Football Club)
- Broken Hill (IntersectionIntersection (road)An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
of Mercury and Bismuth Streets) - Broken Hill (Junction Mine)
The Detour was a choice between Spirit World and Natural World. In Spirit World, teams made a traditional Australian Aboriginal stone mosaic based on a model, and then had to perform a dance that is traditionally done to honor ancestors on top of the mosaic before receiving their clue from an Aboriginal elder. In Natural World, teams made traditional Australian Aboriginal paintings by spraying a mix of water and a clay-like pigment out of their mouths to make four specific silhouette images on a piece of slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
(an outline of each of their hands and stencils of a lizard and a kangaroo), before they could receive their clue from an Aboriginal elder.
Additional tasks
- The clue teams received from Phil at the Pit Stop instructed them to find "To Sail To Stop", and left them to figure that this referred to a sculpture of an anchorAnchorAn anchor is a device, normally made of metal, that is used to connect a vessel to the bed of a body of water to prevent the vessel from drifting due to wind or current. The word derives from Latin ancora, which itself comes from the Greek ἄγκυρα .Anchors can either be temporary or permanent...
near Sydney Town HallSydney Town HallThe Sydney Town Hall is a landmark sandstone building located in the heart of Sydney. It stands opposite the Queen Victoria Building and alongside St Andrew's Cathedral...
. There they could sign up for one of two charter flights to Broken Hill, the second of which left half an hour later than the first. - After completing the Detour, teams were told to return to Broken Hill and find the "home of the Magpies", leaving them to figure out that this was a reference to the Broken Hill Football League's Central Magpies Australian rules footballAustralian rules footballAustralian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
team's stadium: Central Football Club. - At the Central Football Club, teams dressed up as kangarooKangarooA kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
s complete with Kangoo Jump shoesKangoo JumpsKangoo Jumps are a type of spring-loaded footwear.Prototypes for springed boots were developed in the 20th century in Eastern Europe. The original purpose for the invention was as a recreation device for athletes recovering from leg injuries...
and were given a periodic tablePeriodic tableThe periodic table of the chemical elements is a tabular display of the 118 known chemical elements organized by selected properties of their atomic structures. Elements are presented by increasing atomic number, the number of protons in an atom's atomic nucleus...
with the symbolsChemical symbolA chemical symbol is a 1- or 2-letter internationally agreed code for a chemical element, usually derived from the name of the element, often in Latin. Only the first letter is capitalised...
Hg and Bi highlighted. They were left to figure out that these are respectively the symbols for mercuryMercury (element)Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
and bismuthBismuthBismuth is a chemical element with symbol Bi and atomic number 83. Bismuth, a trivalent poor metal, chemically resembles arsenic and antimony. Elemental bismuth may occur naturally uncombined, although its sulfide and oxide form important commercial ores. The free element is 86% as dense as lead...
and that those elements were also names of two streets in town that met at an intersectionIntersection (road)An intersection is a road junction where two or more roads either meet or cross at grade . An intersection may be 3-way - a T junction or fork, 4-way - a crossroads, or 5-way or more...
where their next clue was located.
Leg 3 (Australia → Japan)
Broken Hill (Broken Hill railway station) to Sydney (Central railway stationCentral railway station, Sydney
Central Railway Station, the largest railway station in Australia, is at the southern end of the Sydney CBD. It services almost all the lines on the CityRail network, and is the major terminus for interurban and interstate rail services...
) Sydney (Sydney Airport) to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, 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...
(Narita International AirportNarita International Airport
is an international airport serving the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is located east of Tokyo Station and east-southeast of Narita Station in the city of Narita, and the adjacent town of Shibayama....
)
- ShibuyaShibuya, Tokyois one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
, Tokyo (Rotating Parking Garage) - KamakuraKamakura, Kanagawais a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
, Kanagawa PrefectureKanagawa Prefectureis a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
(Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū – YabusameYabusameis a type of mounted archery in traditional Japanese archery. An archer on a running horse shoots three special "turnip-headed" arrows successively at three wooden targets....
Dojo) - MinamiashigaraMinamiashigara, Kanagawais a city located in the far southwestern corner of Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 44,190 and population density of 574 persons per km²...
(Daiyūzan StationDaiyūzan Stationis the terminus of the Izuhakone Railway Daiyūzan Line located in the city of Minamiashigara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The station is 9.6 kilometers from the line’s other terminus at Odawara Station.-Station information:...
– KintarōKintarois a folk hero from Japanese folklore. A child of superhuman strength, he was raised by a mountain hag on Mount Ashigara. He became friendly with the animals of the mountain, and later, after catching Shutendouji, the terror of the region around Mount Ooe, he became a loyal follower of Minamoto no...
Statue) - KurihamaKurihama, Yokosuka"Kurihama" directs here. For the station, see Kurihama Station. is an area in the city of Yokosuka in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.Kurihama is the location where Matthew C. Perry landed for his first negotiations for the opening of Japan on July 14, 1853....
, YokosukaYokosuka, Kanagawais a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 419,067 and a population density of 4,160 people per km². It covered an area of 100.62 km²...
(Commodore Perry Monument [ ])
During the Pit Stop, teams took a train from Broken Hill back into Sydney to start the leg. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member dressed in the traditional clothes of a samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
archer and learned the yabusame ritual through observation, consisting of a meditative form ritual before a traditional posing with the yumi
Yumi
is the Japanese term for bows, and includes the longer and the shorter used in the practice of kyūdō, or Japanese archery. The yumi was an important weapon of the samurai warrior during the feudal period of Japan.-History of the yumi:...
bow. Once they performed the first two aspects of the ritual to the dojo master's satisfaction, they would then mount a rotating wooden horse and hit a wooden target with an arrow before they could receive their next clue. In the Detour, teams chose between Prayer of Purity and Frog of Luck. In Prayer of Purity, teams put on keikogi
Keikogi
or dōgi is a uniform for training, used in martial arts derived from Japan, or budō. . The prototype for the modern keikogi emerged in the late 19th century. The keikogi was developed by judo founder Kano Jigoro...
and traveled to the nearby woods where they would take part in a Shinto
Shinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
cleansing ritual. First they would have to learn a prayer that consisted of a chant, lighting incense, and then shouting while thrusting a walking stick out in front of them. Once they completed the prayers, they would stand under the Yuhi Falls
Yuhi Falls
is a waterfall on the upper reaches of Kari river, in western Minamiashigara, Kanagawa, Japan.Yūhi can be translated as "sunset", and is so named because of its beauty in the setting sun....
and endure being drenched in 45 °F (7.2 °C) water cascading down onto them for one minute before receiving their next clue. In Frog of Luck, teams stripped down to their undergarments and put on fundoshi
Fundoshi
is the traditional Japanese undergarment for adult males, made from a length of cotton. Before World War II, the fundoshi was the main form of underwear for Japanese adult males...
over them before walking out to a mudpit where they had to search for a toy frog in the mud while having mud thrown at them by locals. Once they found the frog, they would have to present it to the nearby frog master for their next clue.
Leg 4 (Japan → China)
Tokyo (Narita International Airport) to KunmingKunming
' is the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province in Southwest China. It was known as Yunnan-Fou until the 1920s. A prefecture-level city, it is the political, economic, communications and cultural centre of Yunnan, and is the seat of the provincial government...
, Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
(Kunming Wujiaba International AirportKunming Wujiaba International Airport
- History :The airport is among the oldest airports in China, with a history that can be traced back over 100 years to the early 1900s, when Wujiaba Airport was first built under the supervision of local warlord, General Tang Jiyao....
) Kunming (Kunming Railway Station) to Lijiang (Lijiang Train Station)
-
- or Kunming (Kunming Wujiaba International Airport) to Lijiang (Lijiang AirportLijiang AirportLijiang Sanyi Airport is an airport serving Lijiang, Yunnan province, China. Built in 1995, the civil airport is to the south of the city proper.-History:...
)
- or Kunming (Kunming Wujiaba International Airport) to Lijiang (Lijiang Airport
- Lijiang (Jade Dragon MountainJade Dragon Snow MountainMount Satseto, known in Chinese as the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is a mountain massif near Lijiang, in Yunnan province, southwestern China. Its highest peak is named Shanzidou...
) - Lijiang (Spruce Meadow
[ ]) - Lijiang (Old Town of LijiangOld Town of LijiangThe Old Town of Lijiang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Lijiang City, Yunnan, China.-History:The town has a history going back more than 800 years and was once a confluence for trade along the old tea horse road. The Lijiang old town is famous for its orderly system of waterways and...
) - Lijiang (Eternal Tower [ Wàngǔ Lóu] on Lion Hill [ Shīzi Shān])
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search through tens of thousands of wooden charms for a set of twelve that correspond to the symbols of the Chinese zodiac
Chinese zodiac
The Shēngxiào , better known in English as the Chinese Zodiac, is a scheme that relates each year to an animal and its reputed attributes, according to a 12-year mathematical cycle...
. Once they collected the charms, they had to place them on a mobile
Mobile (sculpture)
A mobile is a type of kinetic sculpture constructed to take advantage of the principle of equilibrium. It consists of a number of rods, from which weighted objects or further rods hang. The objects hanging from the rods balance each other, so that the rods remain more or less horizontal...
in the correct order which was the traditional procession of the signs according to myth – Rat
Rat (zodiac)
The Rat is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Rat is associated with the earthly branch symbol 子...
, Ox
Ox (zodiac)
The Ox is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Ox is denoted by the earthly branch character 丑...
, Tiger
Tiger (zodiac)
The Tiger , is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Tiger is associated with the earthly branch symbol 寅.- Years and the Five Elements :...
, Rabbit
Rabbit (zodiac)
The Chinese Year of the Rabbit is actually the Chinese Year of the Hare, as China has seven native species of hares and no native species of rabbits. The Chinese applied their word for hare to the first rabbits to be taken to China, and the word is now erroneously back-translated into English as...
, Dragon
Dragon (zodiac)
The Dragon , is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar, and the only animal that is legendary...
, Snake
Snake (zodiac)
The Snake is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Snake is associated with the earthly branch symbol 巳.-Years and the Five Elements:...
, Horse
Horse (zodiac)
The Horse is the seventh of the 12 animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Horse is associated with the earthly branch symbol 午.- Years and the Five Elements :...
, Ram, Monkey
Monkey (zodiac)
The Monkey is the ninth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Monkey is associated with the earthly branch symbol 申.-Years and the five elements:...
, Rooster
Rooster (zodiac)
The Rooster is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Rooster is represented by the earthly branch character 酉.- Years and associated Five Elements :...
, Dog
Dog (zodiac)
The Dog is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Dog is associated with the earthly branch symbol 戌...
, and Pig
Pig (zodiac)
The Pig , is the last of the 12 animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac. The Year of the Pig is associated with the earthly branch Hai .In Chinese culture, the pig is associated with fertility and virility...
– before they could receive their next clue. The Detour for this Leg was Hammer or Horn. In Hammer, teams traveled to a candy shop where they used wooden mallets to pulverize a peanut brittle
Brittle (food)
Brittle is a type of confection, consisting of flat broken pieces of hard sugar candy embedded with nuts such as pecans, almonds, or peanuts....
into the right consistency. They then had to cut it into pieces and box them before the candy maker would give them their next clue. In Horn, teams traveled to a square where they had to pick up a large traditional horn and lead a group of Nakhi
Nakhi
The Nakhi are an ethnic group inhabiting the foothills of the Himalayas in the northwestern part of Yunnan Province, as well as the southwestern part of Sichuan Province in China....
dancers to Wencheng Palace on the other side of town for their next clue.
Additional tasks
- At the Jade Dragon MountainJade Dragon Snow MountainMount Satseto, known in Chinese as the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is a mountain massif near Lijiang, in Yunnan province, southwestern China. Its highest peak is named Shanzidou...
, teams had to properly saddle a yakYakThe yak, Bos grunniens or Bos mutus, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. In addition to a large domestic population, there is a small, vulnerable wild yak population...
, after which one team member rode the yak across a portion of the Baishui RiverBaishui RiverThe Baishui River is a river in southern China. It flows through the Jade Dragon Snow Mountains in Yunnan province.The Baishui River—Báishuǐ Jiāng is a tributary of the Yangtze River—Cháng Jiāng, and part of the East China Sea watershed basin....
to receive their next clue. - Upon arriving at the Old Town of LijiangOld Town of LijiangThe Old Town of Lijiang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Lijiang City, Yunnan, China.-History:The town has a history going back more than 800 years and was once a confluence for trade along the old tea horse road. The Lijiang old town is famous for its orderly system of waterways and...
, teams had to put a wish into a prayer wheelPrayer wheelA prayer wheel is a cylindrical "wheel" on a spindle made from metal, wood, stone, leather or coarse cotton. Traditionally, the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is written in Sanskrit on the outside of the wheel. Also sometimes depicted are Dakinis, Protectors and very often the 8 auspicious symbols...
via a slot that corresponded to their sign in the Chinese zodiac, and call out the name of their sign. Once they got the right signs, they would receive their next clue.
Leg 5 (China)
Lijiang (Lijiang Train Station) to Kunming (Kunming Railway Station)- Kunming (Dounan Flower Market [ Dǒunán Huā Huì Jiāoyì Shìchǎng])
- Kunming (Golden Horse and Jade Cock Memorial Archway )
- Kunming (Yunnan Province Cultural Center [ Yúnnán Shěng Wénhuà Guǎn])
- Shilin Yi Autonomous CountyShilin Yi Autonomous CountyShilin Yi Autonomous County is an autonomous county, under the jurisdiction of Kunming Prefecture, Yunnan, China.- Administrative divisions :...
(Stone ForestShilin (Stone Forest)The Stone Forest or Shilin is a notable set of karst formations located in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China, approximately from the provincial capital Kunming. The tall rocks seem to emanate from the ground in the manner of stalagmites, with many looking...
) - Kunming (Green Lake ParkGreen Lake (Kunming)Green Lake Park, or Cui Hu Park , is an urban park in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. It was established in the 17th century on the west side of the Wuhua Mountain and is sometimes described as a "Jade in Kunming"....
)
The Detour was a choice between Honor the Past and Embrace the Future. In Honor the Past, teams had to put on a traditional Tibetan
Tibetan people
The Tibetan people are an ethnic group that is native to Tibet, which is mostly in the People's Republic of China. They number 5.4 million and are the 10th largest ethnic group in the country. Significant Tibetan minorities also live in India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
outfit at the Yunnan Province Cultural Center and then watch a theater troupe. Without having taken any notes, teams then had to go off-stage, and put a series of 15 dolls dressed up like the actors in the order of the procession on stage. If they got the right order, they would receive their clue. If not, they would have to start over. In Embrace the Future, teams had to put on safety gear and then bring three heavy boxes up to the roof of the China Great Wall Assets Management Company building. Once there, they had to help assemble a solar water heating
Solar water heating
Solar water heating or solar hot water systems comprise several innovations and many mature renewable energy technologies that have been well established for many years...
system before they could receive their next clue. In the Roadblock, one team member had to assemble a life-size 20 feet (6.1 m) long model of a Dilophosaurus
Dilophosaurus
Dilophosaurus was a theropod dinosaur from the Sinemurian stage of the Early Jurassic Period, about 193 million years ago. The first specimens were described in 1954, but it was not until over a decade later that the genus received its current name...
. Once the model was properly built, a paleontologist would give them their next clue. If at any point the paleontologist believed that the model was structurally unsafe, the racer would have to start over.
Additional tasks
- At the end of the Detour, teams were only given a photo of their next location and were left to figure out that it was the Yunnan Province Cultural Center (referred to in the show as the Chinese Minority Heritage Center).
Leg 6 (China → India)
- Kunming (Jin Fu Yi Zhan Tea Shop [ Jīn Fú Yì Zhàn, Jin-fu Inn]) Kunming (Kunming Wujiaba International Airport) to KolkataKolkataKolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, West BengalWest BengalWest Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , 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...
(Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International AirportNetaji Subhash Chandra Bose International AirportNetaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport is an airport located in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, serving the greater Kolkata metro area. The airport was originally known as Dum Dum Airport before being renamed in the honour of Subhas Chandra Bose...
) - Kolkata (Kolkata Town HallKolkata Town HallKolkata Town Hall in Roman-Doric style, was built by the architect Col. John Garstin in 1813 with a fund of Rupees seven lakhs raised from lottery to provide the Europeans with a place for social gatherings. At first, the hall was placed under a committee, which allowed the public to use the hall...
) - JorasankoJorasankoJorasanko is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata. It is so called because of the two wooden or bamboo bridges that spanned a small stream at this point.-History:...
(Thakur BariJorasanko Thakur BariThe Thakurbari The Thakurbari The Thakurbari (Bangla: House of the Thakurs (anglicised to Tagore) in Jorasanko, north of Kolkata, West Bengal, India is the ancestral home of the Tagore family. It is currently located on the Rabindra Bharati University campus at 6/4 Dwarakanath Tagore Lane...
– Tiwari Tea Stall) - Kolkata (MaidanMaidan (Kolkata)The Maidan is the largest urban park in Kolkata in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is a vast stretch of field and home to numerous play grounds, including the famous cricketing venue Eden Gardens, several football stadia, and Kolkata Race Course. Maidan is dotted with several statues and...
– Fountain of Joy & Victoria MemorialVictoria Memorial (India)The Victoria Memorial, officially the Victoria Memorial Hall, is a memorial building dedicated to Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India, which is located in Kolkata, India – the capital of West Bengal and a former capital of British India. It currently serves as a museum and a...
)
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to take part in an Indian tea tasting
Tea tasting
Tea tasting is the process in which a trained taster determines the quality of a particular tea. Due to climatic conditions, topography, manufacturing process, and different clones of the Camellia sinensis plant , the final product may have vastly differing flavours and appearance...
ceremony. First, they had to take a papaya
Papaya
The papaya , papaw, or pawpaw is the fruit of the plant Carica papaya, the sole species in the genus Carica of the plant family Caricaceae...
, a mango
Mango
The mango is a fleshy stone fruit belonging to the genus Mangifera, consisting of numerous tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The mango is native to India from where it spread all over the world. It is also the most cultivated fruit of the tropical world. While...
, and the brick of tea
Tea brick
Tea bricks or compressed tea are blocks of whole or finely ground black tea, green tea, or post-fermented tea leaves that have been packed in molds and pressed into block form...
the teams received before leaving Kunming to the tea auctioneer. Then, they had to search among several hundred tea cups for one that held the same papaya-and-mango-infused tea that they tasted in China. Once they got the right tea, the auctioneer would give them their next clue. The Detour in Kolkata was a choice between Hindu Art
Hindu art
-Background:Hinduism is the predominant religion in India, it has approximately 867 million followers making up about 13% of the world’s population and as such the culture that ensues it is full of different aspects of life that are effected by art...
and Bengali Literature
Bengali literature
Bengali literature is literary works written in Bengali language particularly from Bangladesh and the Indian provinces of West Bengal and Tripura. The history of Bengali literature traces back hundreds of years while it is impossible to separate the literary trends of the two Bengals during the...
. In Hindu Art, teams traveled to the Rakhal Paul and Sons statue shop where they had to paint and then dress a statue of the Hindu god Ganesha
Ganesha
Ganesha , also spelled Ganesa or Ganesh, also known as Ganapati , Vinayaka , and Pillaiyar , is one of the deities best-known and most widely worshipped in the Hindu pantheon. His image is found throughout India and Nepal. Hindu sects worship him regardless of affiliations...
. Once it was complete, they would receive their next clue. In Bengali Literature, teams traveled to the Dey's Publishing house and picked up eight bundles of the children's book Introduction to the Bengali Alphabet. They then got into a rickshaw
Cycle rickshaw
The cycle rickshaw is a small-scale local means of transport; it is also known by a variety of other names such as velotaxi, pedicab, bikecab, cyclo, becak, trisikad, or trishaw or, simply, rickshaw which also refers to auto rickshaws, and the, now uncommon, rickshaws pulled by a person on foot...
school bus and traveled across town to the Victoria Institution High School and College and searched the grounds for the offices of the headmistress of the primary school where they would deliver the books and receive their next clue.
Additional tasks
- At the Jin Fu Yi Zhan Tea Shop, teams took part in a Chinese tea tasting ceremony where they were given a taste of the papaya-and-mango-infused tea that, unbeknownst to them at the time, would be featured in the upcoming Roadblock in Kolkata. Along with their next clue, they were given a brick of tea leaves that would also be used in the Roadblock.
- Upon completing the Roadblock, teams were given a bottle of SnappleSnappleSnapple is a brand of tea and juice drinks which is owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group and based in Plano, Texas. The brand was founded in 1972. The brand achieved some notoriety due to various pop-culture references including television shows.-History:...
iced teaIced teaIced tea is a form of cold tea, often served in a glass with ice. It may or may not be sweetened. Iced tea is also a popular packaged drink. It can be mixed with flavored syrup, with common flavors including lemon, peach, raspberry, lime, passion fruit, and cherry...
and were left to figure out that their next clue was printed on the inside of the lid, directing them to go to the Thakur BariJorasanko Thakur BariThe Thakurbari The Thakurbari The Thakurbari (Bangla: House of the Thakurs (anglicised to Tagore) in Jorasanko, north of Kolkata, West Bengal, India is the ancestral home of the Tagore family. It is currently located on the Rabindra Bharati University campus at 6/4 Dwarakanath Tagore Lane...
in JorasankoJorasankoJorasanko is a neighbourhood in north Kolkata. It is so called because of the two wooden or bamboo bridges that spanned a small stream at this point.-History:...
and then search for the Tiwari Tea Stall. Upon reaching the Tiwari Tea Stall, teams traded the Snapple bottle for their next clue.
Leg 7 (India)
Kolkata (Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport) to VaranasiVaranasi
-Etymology:The name Varanasi has its origin possibly from the names of the two rivers Varuna and Assi, for the old city lies in the north shores of the Ganga bounded by its two tributaries, the Varuna and the Asi, with the Ganges being to its south...
, Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
(Varanasi Airport
Varanasi Airport
Varanasi Airport also known as Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport is a public airport located northwest of Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Varanasi Airport was officially renamed as Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport in October 2005....
)
- Varanasi (TongaTanga (carriage)A tanga or tonga is a light horse-drawn carriage used for transportation in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh....
Stand) - Varanasi (Tulsi GhatGhats in VaranasiVaranasi has nearly 100 ghats, steps leading to the banks of River Ganges. Many of the ghats were built when the city was under Maratha control. Marathas, Shindes , Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwes stand out as patrons of present-day Varanasi. Most of the ghats are bathing ghats, while others are...
– Swaminath Akhara) - RamnagarRamnagar, VaranasiRamnagar is a city and a municipal board in Varanasi district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Ramnagar has a fort known as Ramnagar Fort which is still the residence of King of Varanasi . He was known as Kashi Naresh meaning king of Kashi and is still regarded by old residents of the city of...
(Ramnagar FortRamnagar FortRamnagar Fort is a fort in Ramnagar, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh state, India. The fort and its museum are the repository of the history of the kings of Benares and since the 18th century has been the home of Kashi Naresh.-History:...
)
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to search the streets near the tonga stand for six different sadhu
Sadhu
In Hinduism, sādhu denotes an ascetic, wandering monk. Although the vast majority of sādhus are yogīs, not all yogīs are sādhus. The sādhu is solely dedicated to achieving mokṣa , the fourth and final aśrama , through meditation and contemplation of brahman...
s (as depicted in a series of photographs they were given) who would give out one of six pieces of a phrase described as "the meaning of life
Meaning of life
The meaning of life constitutes a philosophical question concerning the purpose and significance of life or existence in general. This concept can be expressed through a variety of related questions, such as "Why are we here?", "What is life all about?", and "What is the meaning of it all?" It has...
": "Once you're over the hill you pick up speed". Once the racer had all six fragments of the phrase, he or she would have to provide the phrase to a seventh sadhu who would give them their next clue. This leg's Detour was a choice between Feed the Fire and Feed the Buffalo. In Feed the Fire, teams travelled down the Ganges to Sakka Ghat to the home of a milkman where they had to make 50 traditional fuel patties made from water buffalo
Water buffalo
The water buffalo is a domesticated bovid widely kept in Asia, Europe and South America.Water buffalo can also refer to:*Wild water buffalo , the wild ancestor of the domestic water buffalo...
manure
Manure
Manure is organic matter used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Manures contribute to the fertility of the soil by adding organic matter and nutrients, such as nitrogen, that are trapped by bacteria in the soil...
and then slap them against a wall to allow them to dry. When the supervisor was satisfied with their work (the patties were not too large or too small), teams had to light a stove with dried fuel patties to boil milk for local children before receiving their clue. In Feed the Buffalo, the teams had to cross the Ganges to collect two bales of hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
. which were to be delivered to the addresses attached to them. The teams were then required to return over the Ganges to Ksameshwar Ghat, where they had to locate the addresses to which they were to deliver the hay. Upon delivery, they got their next clue.
Leg 8 (India → Austria)
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
(Vienna International AirportVienna International Airport
Vienna International Airport , located in Schwechat and southeast of central Vienna, is the busiest and biggest airport in Austria. It is often referred to as Schwechat, the name of the county it is in. The airport is capable of handling wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and Airbus A340...
)
- SchollachSchollachSchollach is a town in the Wachau valley in the district of Melk in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. It contains the Schallaburg Castle, a fine example of Renaissance architecture....
(Schloss SchallaburgSchallaburg CastleSchallaburg Castle is a castle in the municipality of Schollach, in the Wachau valley, Lower Austria, north of the Alps.Schallaburg Renaissance Castle is located from Melk, in the region known as Mostviertel...
) - Vienna (Austrian National LibraryAustrian National LibraryThe Austrian National Library , is the largest library in Austria, with 7.4 million items in its collections. It is located in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna; since 2005 some of the collections are located in the baroque Palais Mollard-Clary...
– Prunksaal) - SalzburgSalzburg-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, SalzburgSalzburg (state)Salzburg is a state or Land of Austria with an area of 7,156 km2, located adjacent to the German border. It is also known as Salzburgerland, to distinguish it from its capital city, also named Salzburg...
(Sternbräu Restaurant) - Salzburg (Villa Trapp)
In this Leg's Detour, teams chose between Long Hard Walk and Quick and Easy Meal. In Long Hard Walk, teams traveled to the Sigmund Freud Museum
Sigmund Freud Museum (Vienna)
The Sigmund Freud Museum is located in Freud's former practice and apartment in Vienna, and covers his life story and the history of psychoanalysis.-Museum:...
(Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud , born Sigismund Schlomo Freud , was an Austrian neurologist who founded the discipline of psychoanalysis...
's former home) to pick up a psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis is a psychological theory developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalysis has expanded, been criticized and developed in different directions, mostly by some of Freud's former students, such as Alfred Adler and Carl Gustav...
couch
Couch
A couch, also called a sofa, is an item of furniture designed to seat more than one person, and providing support for the back and arms. Typically, it will have an armrest on either side. In homes couches are normally found in the family room, living room, den or the lounge...
, like the ones he used in his sessions, and then deliver it to his former office at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
approximately 1 miles (1.6 km) away where they would receive their next clue. In Quick and Easy Meal, teams traveled to the Wiener Riesenrad ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
where they picked up two large servings of the varied forms of traditional Austrian cuisine: Wiener Schnitzel, Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut
Sauerkraut , directly translated from German: "sour cabbage", is finely shredded cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria, including Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus. It has a long shelf-life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid...
, and Sachertorte
Sachertorte
Sachertorte is a chocolate cake. It was invented by chance by Austrian Jewish Franz Sacher in 1832 for Klemens Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna, Austria. It is one of the most famous Viennese culinary specialties. The Original Sachertorte is only made in Vienna and Salzburg, and it is shipped from...
. They then boarded one of the Riesenrad's dining cars where, while a violinist played some Viennese music, they would have to finish both servings within one 12-minute revolution of the ferris wheel before receiving their next clue. If they could not finish, they would have to start over. In this leg's Roadblock, one team member chose a chimney sweep
Chimney sweep
A chimney sweep is a worker who clears ash and soot from chimneys. The chimney uses the pressure difference caused by a hot column of gas to create a draught and draw air over the hot coals or wood enabling continued combustion. Chimneys may be straight or contain many changes of direction. During...
instructor and then put on the traditional chimney sweep uniform. They then went to the roof of the building and used a weight with wire mesh on a rope to clean one of the chimneys three times. Once complete, they went to the basement and opened up one of the chimney cleaning doors that held their next clue.
Additional tasks
- Upon arriving at Vienna International Airport, teams went into one of the parking garages and chose a Ford Focus. Once inside the car, teams received a message from Phil directing them to put the car in reverse to activate the MyFord TouchMyFord TouchMyFord Touch is an in-car communications and entertainment system developed by the Ford Motor Company and Microsoft. The technology comes factory installed with Ford's product offerings and is based on the Microsoft Auto 4.0 software platform. It is regarded as the next-generation of Ford Sync...
's rear view camera system for their next clue. As they backed up, teams would be able to read the name of their next destination spelled out on the pavement behind the car: Schloss SchallaburgSchallaburg CastleSchallaburg Castle is a castle in the municipality of Schollach, in the Wachau valley, Lower Austria, north of the Alps.Schallaburg Renaissance Castle is located from Melk, in the region known as Mostviertel...
. - At Schloss Schallaburg, teams were given a large book with a stamp on the front page with the text: "Librarian Prunksaal/Österreichische Nationalbibliothek", directing them to go to the Austrian National LibraryAustrian National LibraryThe Austrian National Library , is the largest library in Austria, with 7.4 million items in its collections. It is located in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna; since 2005 some of the collections are located in the baroque Palais Mollard-Clary...
and find the librarian of the Prunksaal section with whom they would exchange the book for their next clue.
Leg 9 (Austria → Liechtenstein → Switzerland)
Salzburg (Salzburg HauptbahnhofSalzburg Hauptbahnhof
is the Hauptbahnhof at Salzburg, capital of the federal state of Salzburg in Austria. It is the most important station in the agglomeration of Salzburg, and a major transportation hub in western Austria.-Overview:...
) to Feldkirch
Feldkirch, Vorarlberg
- Schools :* Bundesgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Feldkirch * Bundeshandelsakademie und Bundeshandelsschule Feldkirch* Bundesoberstufenrealgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Schillerstrasse...
, Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal-state of Austria. Although it is the second smallest in terms of area and population , it borders three countries: Germany , Switzerland and Liechtenstein...
(Feldkirch railway station)
- SchaanwaldSchaanwaldSchaanwald is a village of Liechtenstein, located in the municipality of Mauren.-Geography:The village is located in north-central Liechtenstein, close to Austrian borders of Feldkirch, on the main road from Schaan that links the country with Buchs and Feldkirch...
, LiechtensteinLiechtensteinThe Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
- BalzersBalzersBalzers is a village and community located in southern Liechtenstein. As of the 2005 census, the community has a total population of 4,420. The main part of the village is situated along the east bank of the Rhine.- History and Culture :...
(Castle Gutenberg ) Balzers to SargansSargansSargans is a municipality in the Wahlkreis of Sarganserland in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.Sargans is known for its castle, which dates from before the founding of the Swiss Confederation in 1291...
, SarganserlandSarganserlandThe Sarganserland is a constituency of the canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland, with a population of 36,892 .The constituency corresponds to the historical county of Sargans and the later Landvogtei Sargans in the Old Swiss Confederacy...
, St. GallenCanton of St. GallenThe Canton of St. Gallen is a canton of Switzerland. St. Gallen is located in the north east of Switzerland. It covers an area of 2,026 km², and has a population of . , the population included 97,461 foreigners, or about 20.9% of the total population. The capital is St. Gallen. Spelling...
, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
Sargans (Sargans railway station) to ZermattZermattZermatt is a municipality in the district of Visp in the German-speaking section of the canton of Valais in Switzerland. It has a population of about 5,800 inhabitants....
, Visp, ValaisValaisThe Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
(Zermatt railway stationZermatt railway stationZermatt railway station is a metre gauge railway station serving the car-free mountaineering and ski resort of Zermatt, in the Canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is the southern terminus of the BVZ Zermatt-Bahn , which connects Zermatt with standard gauge lines at Visp and Brig...
) - Zermatt (Hinterdorf near the InderbinenUlrich InderbinenUlrich Inderbinen was a Swiss mountain guide famous for his longevity and love for mountain climbing. He had been on the top of Matterhorn over 370 times and made his last ascent of it when he was 90....
-BrunnenFountainA fountain is a piece of architecture which pours water into a basin or jets it into the air either to supply drinking water or for decorative or dramatic effect....
) - Zermatt (Bergrestaurant-Moos )
For this leg's Speed Bump, Gary & Mallory had to prepare the right mixture of gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
and oil
Motor oil
Motor oil or engine oil is an oil used for lubrication of various internal combustion engines. The main function is to lubricate moving parts; it also cleans, inhibits corrosion, improves sealing, and cools the engine by carrying heat away from moving parts.Motor oils are derived from...
to power their VéloSoleX
VéloSoleX
VéloSoleX is a moped, or motorised bicycle, which was originally produced by the French manufacturer Solex, based in Paris, France. The company manufactured centrifugal radiators, carburetors, and micrometers, before branching into assist motors and bicycles...
motorized bicycle
Motorized bicycle
A motorized bicycle, motorbike, cyclemotor, or vélomoteur is a bicycle with an attached motor and transmission used either to power the vehicle unassisted, or to assist with pedaling. Since it always retains both pedals and a discrete connected drive for rider-powered propulsion, the motorized...
for the Roadblock. They had to measure 25 parts gasoline to 1 part of oil, and had to figure out that 2 litre (0.528344074568369 US gal) of gasoline would fulfill the mixture ratio. For the Roadblock, one team member had to use an odometer
Odometer
An odometer or odograph is an instrument that indicates distance traveled by a vehicle, such as a bicycle or automobile. The device may be electronic, mechanical, or a combination of the two. The word derives from the Greek words hodós and métron...
and a VéloSoleX to measure the entire length of the country of Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
, riding from Schaanwald
Schaanwald
Schaanwald is a village of Liechtenstein, located in the municipality of Mauren.-Geography:The village is located in north-central Liechtenstein, close to Austrian borders of Feldkirch, on the main road from Schaan that links the country with Buchs and Feldkirch...
to Balzers
Balzers
Balzers is a village and community located in southern Liechtenstein. As of the 2005 census, the community has a total population of 4,420. The main part of the village is situated along the east bank of the Rhine.- History and Culture :...
. At the end, they would meet up with former Winter Olympics alpine ski racer
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
Marco Büchel
Marco Büchel
Marco Büchel is a retired alpine ski racer from Liechtenstein. He participated in a record-tying six Winter Olympics, starting in 1992 and ending in 2010....
and give him the distance that they traveled, written on the back of a postcard: 22 km (13.7 mi). If correct, Büchel would direct the racers to Castle Gutenberg where they would meet up with their teammate and read the next clue. If they were wrong, they would have to travel back to Schaanwald and start over. The Detour was a choice between Cheese and Wheeze. In Cheese, teams traveled to the Restaurant Walliserkanne Zermatt where they would have to finish an entire pot of cheese fondue
Fondue
Fondue is a Swiss dish of melted cheese served in a communal pot over a spirit lamp , and eaten by dipping long-stemmed forks with bread into the cheese...
. Once the pot was empty, the restaurateur would give them an empty fondue pot with the name of the next location printed on the inside. In Wheeze, teams had to dress up as bellhop
Bellhop
A bellhop, also bellboy or bellman, is a hotel porter, who helps patrons with their luggage while checking in or out. Bellhops often wear a uniform , like certain other page boys or doormen...
s and then pick up pieces of luggage from the Zermatt railway station. Then, using a luggage cart, they had to deliver the suitcases to different hotels throughout Zermatt where they would receive receipt tags for each piece of luggage. Once they had a total of 20 receipt tags from at least five different hotels, they could trade them in to the head porter
Porter (railroad)
A porter is a railway employee assigned to assist passengers aboard a passenger train or to handle their baggage; it may be used particularly to refer to employees assigned to assisting passengers in the sleeping cars....
for their next clue.
Leg 10 (Switzerland)
- Zermatt (Air Zermatt Rescue Helicopter Port) Riffelalp to Zermatt (via GornergratbahnGornergratbahnThe Gornergratbahn is a nine-kilometre metre-gauge mountain rack railway, with Abt rack system. It leads from Zermatt, Switzerland , up to the Gornergrat...
) - Zermatt (Le Petit Cervin)
- Zermatt (Mürini & Mittagstadel – Swiss Cabin)
In this Leg's Detour, teams chose between two mountain rescue
Mountain rescue
Mountain rescue refers to search and rescue activities that occur in a mountainous environment, although the term is sometimes also used to apply to search and rescue in other wilderness environments. The difficult and remote nature of the terrain in which mountain rescue often occurs has resulted...
tasks: Search and Rescue. In Search, teams used a set of avalanche beacons
Avalanche transceiver
Avalanche transceivers are a class of radio transceivers specialized to the purpose of finding people or equipment buried under snow. They are variously called Trackers, Pieps, or Arva's in a reference to some of the popular brands, "avalanche beacons" or "avalanche transceivers" - with many...
to search the Matterhorn
Matterhorn
The Matterhorn , Monte Cervino or Mont Cervin , is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit is 4,478 metres high, making it one of the highest peaks in the Alps. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points...
for a dummy buried in the snow; they then had to dig out the whole dummy before they could receive their next clue. In Rescue, teams used a special hoisting device to rescue a mountaineer
Mountaineer
-Sports:*Mountaineering, the sport, hobby or profession of walking, hiking, trekking and climbing up mountains, also known as alpinism-University athletic teams and mascots:*Appalachian State Mountaineers, the athletic teams of Appalachian State University...
trapped in a crevasse
Crevasse
A crevasse is a deep crack in an ice sheet rhys glacier . Crevasses form as a result of the movement and resulting stress associated with the sheer stress generated when two semi-rigid pieces above a plastic substrate have different rates of movement...
. One team member had to lower his or her teammate into the crevasse; the lowered teammate then had to attach a carabiner
Carabiner
A carabiner or karabiner is a metal loop with a sprung or screwed gate that is used to quickly and reversibly connect components in safety-critical systems. The word comes from "Karabinerhaken", meaning "hook for a carbine" in German.-Use:...
to the mountaineer. The teammate at the top then had to raise the pair back to the surface; once at the top, the rescued mountaineer would give them their next clue. In this Leg's Roadblock, one team member made a Travelocity
Travelocity
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...
Roaming Gnome
Where is my Gnome?
Where is my Gnome? was a series of viral marketing ads used by Travelocity in early 2004. The ads consisted of a man named "Bill" looking for his garden gnome. On January 3, the Boston Herald and the Boston Globe had these ads on their publication. The ads were inspired by the travelling gnome prank...
out of Swiss chocolate
Swiss chocolate
Switzerland's chocolates have earned an international reputation for high quality.The famous Toblerone came from Switzerland; a man named Jean Tobler started the business in 1867.-History:The 17th century saw the start of chocolate processed in Switzerland...
. First, the team member had to decorate a chocolate mold with colored chocolate. Once the mold was properly decorated, the team member had the mold filled with chocolate and then buried it in the snow outside for 30 minutes in order to harden the chocolate. They then removed the gnome from the mold and covered up imperfections with more colored chocolate. Once the head chocolatier
Chocolatier
A chocolatier is someone who makes confectionery from chocolate. Chocolatiers are distinct from chocolate makers, who create chocolate from cacao beans and other ingredients.Professional chocolatiers study topics including the following:...
approved the gnome, teams would receive a real Roaming Gnome and their next clue.
Additional tasks
- Upon arriving at the Air Rescue Helicopter Port, teams had to sign up for a series of helicopter flights to their next location, each leaving at 5 minute intervals. Before they left on their flight, they would receive their next clue for the Detour before being flown onto the MatterhornMatterhornThe Matterhorn , Monte Cervino or Mont Cervin , is a mountain in the Pennine Alps on the border between Switzerland and Italy. Its summit is 4,478 metres high, making it one of the highest peaks in the Alps. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points...
.
Leg 11 (Switzerland → Brazil)
Zermatt (Zermatt railway station) to ZurichZürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
(Zürich Hauptbahnhof) Zurich (Zurich Airport) to Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro (state)
Rio de Janeiro is one of the 27 states of Brazil.Rio de Janeiro has the second largest economy of Brazil behind only São Paulo state.The state of Rio de Janeiro is located within the Brazilian geopolitical region classified as the Southeast...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
(Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport) Rio de Janeiro (Carioca AqueductCarioca Aqueduct
The Carioca Aqueduct is an aqueduct in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The aqueduct was built in the middle of the 18th century to bring fresh water from the Carioca river to the population of the city...
) to Santa Teresa
Santa Teresa (Rio de Janeiro)
Santa Teresa is the name of a neighbourhood in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is located on top of the Santa Teresa hill, by the centre of Rio, and is famous for its winding, narrow streets which are a favourite spot for artists and tourists....
(Escadaria Selarón
Escadaria Selarón
Escadaria Selarón is a set of world-famous steps in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They are the work of Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón who claims it as "my tribute to the Brazilian people".-History:...
)
- Rio de Janeiro (Largo de São Francisco de Paula )
- Copacabana (Centro de Orientação Profissional Salon)
- NiteróiNiteróiNiterói is a municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeast region of Brazil. It has an estimated population of 487,327 inhabitants and an area of ², being the sixth most populous city in the state and the highest Human Development Index. Integrates the Metropolitan Region of Rio de...
(Niterói Contemporary Art MuseumNiterói Contemporary Art MuseumThe Niterói Contemporary Art Museum is situated in the city of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is one of the city’s main landmarks...
)
In this leg's Roadblock, one team member had to participate in a Rio Carnival
Rio Carnival
The Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a world famous festival held before Lent every year and considered the biggest carnival in the world with two million people per day on the streets. The first festivals of Rio date back to 1723.-Samba schools:...
parade. After putting on special costumes, teams learned the samba
Samba
Samba is a Brazilian dance and musical genre originating in Bahia and with its roots in Brazil and Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions. It is recognized around the world as a symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival...
and then led a parade of dancers. If the Carnival Princess approved their dance, teams would receive their next clue; if not, they would be sent back to relearn the dance and try again. The Detour was a choice between On the Rocks and On the Beach. In On the Rocks, teams traveled to the Espacio X bar on Copacabana beach where they learned to make caipirinha
Caipirinha
Caipirinha is Brazil's national cocktail, made with cachaça , sugar and lime. Cachaça is Brazil's most common distilled alcoholic beverage . Both rum and cachaça are made from sugarcane-derived products...
s. Once they made 100 proper caipirinhas, they would receive their next clue. In On the Beach, teams had to pick up an umbrella loaded with bikini
Bikini
The bikini is typically a women's two-piece swimsuit. One part of the attire covers the breasts and the other part covers the crotch and part of or the entire buttocks, leaving an uncovered area between the two. Merriam–Webster describes the bikini as "a woman's scanty two-piece bathing suit" or "a...
s and a mobile changing station and sell the bikinis to people on the beach. The buyers then had to change into the bikinis in the mobile changing station. Once teams earned R$
Brazilian real
The real is the present-day currency of Brazil. Its sign is R$ and its ISO code is BRL. It is subdivided into 100 centavos ....
100 (approximately 60), they would receive their next clue.
Additional tasks
- Upon arriving at the Escadaria SelarónEscadaria SelarónEscadaria Selarón is a set of world-famous steps in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They are the work of Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón who claims it as "my tribute to the Brazilian people".-History:...
, teams had to search the tile-covered steps for a Route Info tile that would have their next clue on the back. - At the salon in Copacabana, teams had to undergo a Brazilian body waxingWaxingWaxing is a method of semi-permanent hair removal which removes the hair from the root. New hair will not grow back in the previously waxed area for two to eight weeks, although some people will start to see regrowth in only a week. Almost any area of the body can be waxed, including eyebrows,...
session for 15 minutes. Once the time was up, the beauticians would give teams their next clue.
Leg 12 (Brazil → United States)
Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro-Galeão International Airport) to Miami, FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, USA
(Miami International AirportMiami International Airport
Miami International Airport , also known as MIA and historically Wilcox Field, is the primary airport serving the South Florida area...
)
- Virginia KeyVirginia KeyVirginia Key is a barrier island in Miami, Florida, United States in Biscayne Bay, south of Brickell and north of Key Biscayne. It accessible from the mainland via the Rickenbacker Causeway....
(Rickenbacker MarinaMiami Marine StadiumThe Miami Marine Stadium is a marine stadium on Virginia Key, Miami, Florida, United States. The facility, built and completed in 1963 on land donated to the City of Miami from the Matheson family, is the first stadium purpose-built for powerboat racing in the United States.-History:The 6,566 seat...
) - Key LargoKey Largo, FloridaKey Largo is a census-designated place in Monroe County, Florida, United States, located on the island of Key Largo in the upper Florida Keys. The population was 11,886 at the 2000 census. The name comes from the Spanish Cayo Largo, or "long key"...
(Jules' Undersea Lodge) - Big Pine KeyBig Pine Key, FloridaBig Pine Key is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Monroe County, Florida, on an island of the same name in the Florida Keys. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 5,032.-Geography:...
(U.S. 1U.S. Route 1 in FloridaU.S. Route 1 in Florida runs along the state's east coast from Key West to its crossing of the St. Marys River into Georgia north of Boulogne, and south of Folkston. US 1 was designated through Florida when the U.S. Highway System was established in 1926.US 1 runs in the state of Florida, and...
Mile Marker 29 – Seacamp) - Horseshoe Island Big Pine Key to MarathonMarathon, FloridaMarathon is a city on Knight's Key, Boot Key, Key Vaca, Fat Deer Key, Long Point Key, Crawl Key and Grassy Key islands in the middle Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 10,255. As of 2005, the population estimated...
(Galway Bay Mobile Home Park) - Old Seven Mile BridgeSeven Mile BridgeThe Seven Mile Bridge is a famous bridge in the Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It connects Knight's Key in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys...
to Pigeon KeyPigeon KeyPigeon Key is a historic district located on the small island of Pigeon Key in the lower Florida Keys. The island is named "Cayo Paloma" on many old Spanish charts...
(Pigeon Key Historic DistrictPigeon Key Historic DistrictThe Pigeon Key Historic District is a U.S. historic district located on Pigeon Key in Florida. The district is off U.S. 1 at mile marker 45. It contains 11 historic buildings and 3 structures...
)
In the first Roadblock of this leg, one team member had to learn how to operate a heavy load forklift
Forklift truck
A forklift is a powered industrial truck used to lift and transport materials. The modern forklift was developed in the 1920s by various companies including the transmission manufacturing company Clark and the hoist company Yale & Towne Manufacturing...
to move a boat into drydock without dropping the boat which would destroy it. Once the boat was successfully moved, teams would receive their next clue. In the second Roadblock, one team member had to use a BOBdive submersible
Submersible
A submersible is a small vehicle designed to operate underwater. The term submersible is often used to differentiate from other underwater vehicles known as submarines, in that a submarine is a fully autonomous craft, capable of renewing its own power and breathing air, whereas a submersible is...
to search the lagoon of the Jules' Undersea Lodge for one of several floating treasure chest
Treasure Chest
Treasure Chest was a Catholic-oriented comic book series created by Dayton, Ohio publisher George A...
s that contained their next clue, while being surrounded by distracting mermaid
Mermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
divers who were swimming around them and playing music.
Additional tasks
- Upon completing the second Roadblock, teams were given a riddle telling them to go to the Sea Camp near a mile marker on Big Pine KeyBig Pine Key, FloridaBig Pine Key is a census-designated place and unincorporated community in Monroe County, Florida, on an island of the same name in the Florida Keys. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 5,032.-Geography:...
by "subtract[ing] 4 from 33" (Mile Marker 29). - Upon arriving at Mile Marker 29, teams were instructed to walk across a shallow portion of the Atlantic OceanAtlantic OceanThe Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to Horseshoe Island where they would find their next clue underneath the island's tallest tree. After getting the clue, teams were instructed to walk back to Big Pine Key where they would take a speedboat to the Galway Bay Mobile Home Park in MarathonMarathon, FloridaMarathon is a city on Knight's Key, Boot Key, Key Vaca, Fat Deer Key, Long Point Key, Crawl Key and Grassy Key islands in the middle Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 10,255. As of 2005, the population estimated...
. - At Galway Bay, teams had to set up a travel trailerTravel trailerA travel trailer or caravan is towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent . It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places...
as it appeared in a brochure for Galway Bay. Once the trailer was set up with a lawn, a pool, plastic flamingoPlastic flamingoPink plastic flamingos are one of the most famous of lawn ornaments in the United States, along with the garden gnome and other such ornamentation....
es, and a table setting, among other amenities, teams would receive their final clue. - At the Old Seven Mile BridgeSeven Mile BridgeThe Seven Mile Bridge is a famous bridge in the Florida Keys, in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It connects Knight's Key in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys...
, teams had to ride tricycleTricycleA tricycle is a three-wheeled vehicle. While tricycles are often associated with the small three-wheeled vehicles used by pre-school-age children, they are also used by adults for a variety of purposes. In the United States and Canada, adult-sized tricycles are used primarily by older persons for...
s along the bridge to Pigeon KeyPigeon KeyPigeon Key is a historic district located on the small island of Pigeon Key in the lower Florida Keys. The island is named "Cayo Paloma" on many old Spanish charts...
, where the Finish Line was located.Although it was implied that the teams had to ride the entire length of the bridge, the actual distance covered was closer to two miles due to the location of Pigeon Key along the bridge route.
US Ratings
| # | Airdate | Episode | Rating | Share | 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... |
Viewers | Rank | Rank | Rank | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households | 18–49 | (millions) | Timeslot (Viewers) |
Timeslot (18–49) |
Week (Viewers) |
Week (18–49) |
||||
| 1 | 02/20/11 | "Head Down and Hold On" | 5.1 | 8 | 2.5/7 | 9.15 | #2 | #1 (tied) | #30 | (<#25) |
| 2 | 02/27/11 | "I Never Looked So Foolish in My Whole Entire Life" | 4.3 | 7 | 2.1/5 | 7.68 | #2 | #3 | (<#30) | (<#25) |
| 3 | 03/06/11 | "We Had a Lot of Evil Spirits Apparently" | 5.5 | 9 | 2.7/7 | 9.78 | #2 | #2 | #22 | #23 |
| 4 | 03/13/11 | "This is the Most Stupid Day Ever" | 5.3 | 9 | 2.7/8 | 9.44 | #2 | #2 | #21 | #17 |
| 5 | 03/20/11 | "Don't Ruin the Basketball Game" | 5.7 | 9 | 2.8/8 | 10.13 | #1 | #1 (tied) | #13 | #18 |
| 6 | 03/27/11 | "I Feel Like a Monkey in a Circus Parade" | 6.2 | 10 | 3.2/9 | 10.96 | #1 | #1 | #12 | #14 |
| 7 | 04/10/11 | "You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win" | 6.0 | 9 | 2.9/8 | 10.48 | #1 | #1 | #21 | #18 |
| 8 | 04/17/11 | "I Cannot Deal With Your Psycho Behavior" | 5.1 | 8 | 2.4/7 | 8.78 | #1 | #1 | #22 | (<#25) |
| 9 | 04/24/11 | "We're Good American People" | 5.3 | 9 | 2.6/8 | 9.37 | #1 | #1 | #17 | #15 |
| 10 | 05/01/11 | "Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen" | 5.3 | 8 | 2.6/7 | 9.20 | n/a | n/a | #20 | #18 |
| 11 | 05/08/11 | "This is Where It Ends" | 5.0 | 8 | 2.5/7 | 8.97 | #2 | #1 | (<#25) | #24 |
- Episode 2, "I Have Never Looked So Foolish In My Whole Entire Life", aired the same night as the 83rd Academy Awards83rd Academy AwardsThe 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ...
. - Episode 9, "We're Good American People", aired on Easter Sunday.
- Episode 10, "Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen", was delayed for one hour in most west coast CBS stations due to the Osama bin LadenOsama bin LadenOsama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
death coverageDeath of Osama bin LadenOsama bin Laden, then head of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1 a.m. local time by a United States special forces military unit....
. (In four Pacific markets that air primetime from 7-10pm – Sacramento, Phoenix, Tucson, and Yuma – the ending was not seen.) - Episode 11, "This is Where It Ends", the two-hour season finale, aired on Mother's DayMother's DayMother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May...
.
Canadian Ratings
Canadian broadcaster CTVCTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
also airs The Amazing Race on Sundays at 8pm, with only two exceptions: Episode two aired an hour earlier than its normal start time due to CTV's broadcast of the 83rd Academy Awards. Episode six aired an hour earlier due to the said network's broadcast of the 2011 Juno Awards
Juno Awards of 2011
The Juno Awards of 2011, honours Canadian music industry achievements in the latter part of 2009 and in most of 2010. The awards presented in Toronto, Ontario, Canada during the weekend of 26 and 27 March 2011. A week of related events on 21 March 2011...
.
| # | Airdate | Episode | Viewers (millions) |
Rank (Week) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 02/20/11 | "Head Down and Hold On" | 2.664 | #4 |
| 2 | 02/27/11 | "I Never Looked So Foolish in My Whole Entire Life" | 1.621 | #20 |
| 3 | 03/06/11 | "We Had a Lot of Evil Spirits Apparently" | 2.786 | #1 |
| 4 | 03/13/11 | "This is the Most Stupid Day Ever" | 2.533 | #3 |
| 5 | 03/20/11 | "Don't Ruin the Basketball Game" | 2.441 | #3 |
| 6 | 03/27/11 | "I Feel Like a Monkey in a Circus Parade" | 1.809 | #12 |
| 7 | 04/10/11 | "You Don't Get Paid Unless You Win" | 2.436 | #5 |
| 8 | 04/17/11 | "I Cannot Deal With Your Psycho Behavior" | 2.569 | #1 |
| 9 | 04/24/11 | "We're Good American People" | 2.326 | #5 |
| 10 | 05/01/11 | "Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen" | 2.742 | #3 |
| 11 | 05/08/11 | "This is Where It Ends" | 2.700 | #2 |