S35.E03: No Sleep and a Million Dollar Dream

[30 Helens]

 

Half of Vietnam’s population is under 25?? What is this, Logan’s Run? I didn’t see any crystals on the palms of the locals, but I’m not convinced there isn’t something sinister going on.

Robbin seems like fun. (/sarcasm off) You don’t have to become friends with the other contestants, but would it hurt you to be at least civil?

Another reminder that true personalities come out when the pressure is on: Jocelyn and Victor. When they were winning, they were sunny and mutually supportive. But experience a setback, and there is nothing but sniping and blame. (From Jocelyn, especially.) This couple has moved a couple of notches down on my scorecard.

If you’re going to play your Express Pass, play it. Don’t waffle until the advantage is gone. By the time they made their decision, they were far enough down in the lineup (yet still enough ahead) that they should have just played it out. It was too late to make much of a difference.

I am so happy to see airport games (and taxi drivers) as a big component of the race again. For the last few years, the tasks have been the only differentiator. But in a true “race around the world”, how you get to the tasks should be just as important. 

I am not happy that the abundance of riches that is 90-minute episodes of TAR and Survivor (not to mention Big Brother on adjoining days) causes me to be late in catching up with all of it. If I were making the schedule, I’d spread it out. But I’m still thankful for the extra content.

 

 

[QuantumMechanic]

13 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Has the race gone to Vietnam before? I'm almost positive we've seen the floating market challenge, in some variation, before this.

Yes - there was the episode in S22 where the show got in a bit of hot water stateside for going to a monument in Hanoi depicting a shot-down American plane and then showing a choir singing a pro-communism song.

https://cartermatt.com/53974/the-amazing-race-22-addresses-vietnam-controversy-did-they-get-it-right/

Edited October 14, 2023 by QuantumMechanic

[North of Eden]

The latest episode of THE AMAZING RACE was a first...the first time I've nearly fallen asleep during an episode.

That challenge of throwing fruit on floating boats had to be the most godawful one in the race history. I don't think you could find a more boring, yet at the same time viewer-unfriendly challenge to watch. Made worse by the 90-minute format padding it out. Part of me felt we were never going to get off the river.

I will say the two challenges after it appeared to be some of the hardest I have ever seen. Without doubt, I would have failed attempting either one.

Cancer survivor is a sour puss and I like her less and less each episode. The same sex couple look and sound alike which is kind of weird. The blue-shirt sisters pretty much toasted their express pass and by the glum look on their face during the confessionals I don't hold out much hope they survive next week.

Anyway, every time Phil said Mae Kong Delta or however it's spelled I kept waiting for attack helicopters and the GIs to show up for the movie to begin.

Did appreciate the return of airport drama where people got screwed by not getting the more ambitious travel agent a well a smartly dressed taxi drivers in ties not looking like your average sloppy cabbie.

Edited October 14, 2023 by North of Eden

[iMonrey]

10 hours ago, 30 Helens said:

Half of Vietnam’s population is under 25?? What is this, Logan’s Run? I didn’t see any crystals on the palms of the locals, but I’m not convinced there isn’t something sinister going on.

🤣🤣🤣

2 hours ago, North of Eden said:

That challenge of throwing fruit on floating boats had to be the most godawful one in the race history. I don't think you could find a more boring, yet at the same time viewer-unfriendly challenge to watch.

Interesting take, but I wonder if you've seen some of the very earliest seasons. Because it reminded me of the kinds of challenges they used to do that were so chaotic it was hard to keep track of what was going on. In fact the first time I ever tried to watch this show, way back in Season 2 or 3, I found it so chaotic and hard to follow I gave up on it. I didn't become a regular viewer until Season 4. Even then, the Race was really hard, and really chaotic. 

So yeah - I agree the boat challenge was hard to follow but it felt very old-school to me and I appreciated how it shook up the placements.

[zapper]

Haven't seen any mention of expedia (or the gnome) this season. Perhaps why they are all at a travel agent. I prefer it - much more variation in flights based on the luck of the draw for agents.

[RunningMarket]

1 hour ago, zapper said:

Haven't seen any mention of expedia (or the gnome) this season. Perhaps why they are all at a travel agent. I prefer it - much more variation in flights based on the luck of the draw for agents.

I do love the gnome (especially when he's dressed appropriately for the task or region), but the old school scramble for transportation is doing exactly what it should - mix up the order of the teams and keep it far more interesting.

[Quilt Fairy]

I'm going to give Jocelyn and Victor (and all of the other teams, too) a bit of a pass on the sniping.  Their "day" started before 5:30 am the previous day and it's now probably at least 30 hours later during which they've had only snatches of sleep while catching multiple taxis, an airplane flight, boat rides and a bus ride.  There's a lot of "hurry up and wait" that's tiring beyond the tasks themselves. 

For the people that were on the first 2 flights, did anyone say where they slept?  Hotel room or somewhere in the street?  (Perhaps that's not allowed there.) I miss them looking for cheap hotels and hostels. 

As to how the 5:45 ticket got mixed in with the 6:15 tickets, I could have sworn I saw someone move it, but on rewatch I can't confirm it.  A couple of the early teams who got 5:45 tickets did play around with the other bins, though, so I think that's what happened.  I don't think it was accidental or intentional on the part of the Race. 

[fishcakes]

18 hours ago, eel2178 said:

I don't think so. I remember it as being a red square wrapped in the edible cellophane.

That sounds like Tomoe Ame from Japan. It used to come with a little toy in every box, usually a plastic car or foam animal or doll. Now it just includes a sticker.

 

Funniest moment of the show for me was when Ashlie couldn't figure out how to pick up the rice paper and starting smacking it with the roller, while the Vietnamese woman glared at her.

Edited October 14, 2023 by fishcakes

[eel2178]

5 hours ago, fishcakes said:

That sounds like Tomoe Ame from Japan. It used to come with a little toy in every box, usually a plastic car or foam animal or doll. Now it just includes a sticker.

 

Yeah, that looks like what I was talking about. Where do you buy it now?

[North of Eden]

22 hours ago, iMonrey said:

🤣🤣🤣

Interesting take, but I wonder if you've seen some of the very earliest seasons. Because it reminded me of the kinds of challenges they used to do that were so chaotic it was hard to keep track of what was going on. In fact the first time I ever tried to watch this show, way back in Season 2 or 3, I found it so chaotic and hard to follow I gave up on it. I didn't become a regular viewer until Season 4. Even then, the Race was really hard, and really chaotic. 

So yeah - I agree the boat challenge was hard to follow but it felt very old-school to me and I appreciated how it shook up the placements.

I did see them, but it was so long ago but I do remember antics like I think Lennie was his name running up and down either Notre Dame or the Eiffel Tower multiple times but that was funny. The cluster F on the floating boats watching people toss fruit was just so tedious despite the anarchy. 

P.S. TAR was what got me to join the ancestor of this site TWOP or whatever it was called before that. My first screen name was EmilyFan after the daughter from the mom and daughter team. That was until I got the first of several boots on that site due to it's pathologically ruthless over-moderation.

[Netfoot]

On 10/12/2023 at 12:10 AM, KeithJ said:

It seems like a cop out when they say no non-eliminations but then the racers get to the mat and Phil says keep going.

To us it looks like two legs with no elimination between. But to them, it looks like one long, tiring leg.  Remember: Episode ≠ Leg.  Yes, Phil puts in an appearance halfway through, but he has done that before in legs where he showed up at a random challenge and just observed for a while.

On 10/12/2023 at 12:20 AM, Lantern7 said:

I'm intrigued by the concept of rice paper. Can you eat it as well as write on it?

My only exposure to rice paper is when it is wrapped around confectionery. Nougat for example, is generally wrapped in nougat rice paper which you are expected to eat along with the nougat itself. 

On 10/12/2023 at 9:04 AM, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Someone needs to explain to me again how Anna Leigh & her father found the final hidden 5:45am departure time? That made no sense at all.

Earlier teams just didn't look closely inside he box. If the card was leaning up against the inside of the front of the box, it can sometimes be missed by people who peer in over top. This happened to me once when the landlord swore I had not paid my rent and it was several days of acrimony before he proved it was not in his box by showing me the box was empty... only there it was, all along!

On 10/12/2023 at 10:45 AM, Colorado David said:

Ugh that vinyl challenge...reminds me back when I was a kiddo, trying to attach  decals exactly right on the models I assembled.

I thought it was very similar to attaching MonoKote covering to a Balsa R/C Model. Except they didn't seem to have an iron, just the heat gun.

On 10/12/2023 at 12:06 PM, Fukui San said:

And dragonfruit is a cool looking fruit which is, in my opinion, entirely underwhelming to eat. The white flesh with black speckles tastes like a blander cantaloupe maybe?

Never tried one - always wondered. Glad to know I'm not missing a whole helluva lot.

On 10/13/2023 at 11:24 AM, zapper said:

[1] panama hats are crushable, but are not straw.

The Panama Hat (made in Ecuador, not Panama) is made from the leaves of a particular type of palm and is considered a straw hat. Traditionally sold rolled small enough to fit through a wedding ring, they are blocked to fit the wearer's head. I would not have considered mine crushable, especially after a very stupid and pretentious woman crushed mine to death.

Edited October 17, 2023 by Netfoot

[fishcakes]

I feel bad for the teams who were on the third flight because they lost at least one more night of sleep than the other teams. The others got there the night before the boat task and had overnight to sleep, but the third flight teams only had what they could get on the plane and the bus. Unless there's some bunching at the beginning of the second half of this leg, they could be two nights in a row without decent sleep.

I cracked up at "OUT OF TOWNERS! OUT OF TOWNERS!" Malaina seems exhausting, but fun.

14 hours ago, eel2178 said:

Yeah, that looks like what I was talking about. Where do you buy it now?

You can get it on Amazon (search for "Botan Rice Candy") but be sure to compare the different results because the prices vary wildly and some of them are insanely high. Cost Plus World Market sometimes has it. But your best bet is a Japanese grocery store, if there's one where you live; they always stock it.

[dgpolo]

33 minutes ago, fishcakes said:

I feel bad for the teams who were on the third flight because they lost at least one more night of sleep than the other teams. The others got there the night before the boat task and had overnight to sleep, but the third flight teams only had what they could get on the plane and the bus.

And at the airport before they caught their flight.

[iMonrey]

22 hours ago, fishcakes said:

Funniest moment of the show for me was when Ashlie couldn't figure out how to pick up the rice paper and starting smacking it with the roller, while the Vietnamese woman glared at her.

There was another team that poured the mix onto the hotplate and it spilled over. The judge there went "Noooooooo!"

[aradia22]

I'm very late to this one. I did watch the episode and take notes but I wasn't in the mood to comment. Anyway, I really didn't like the editing this episode. I don't know if it was a different lead editor or they were going for a different vibe, but I wasn't into it. It was subtle but noticeable, especially in a longer episode. I don't think it was really KF. The contestants weren't behaving that differently... it was the framing. 

For example, Corey came across more influencer-y. They kept the shot of him jumping over the bumper pole at the airport for no reason (dumb, could have injured himself and been out of the race) and there were not only more shots where I noticed the awkwardness of Corey and Rob talking to camera instead of to each other but also the editing didn't seem as interested in highlighting Rob. Like, if he's signing for a talking head, why make that a split screen? Weird choices.

There were weird choices throughout with the editing though like using all these tight shots and close ups. But also shots that didn't make any sense... like when Liam and Yeremi were doing the vinyl wrap at first they were saying something uninteresting and the shot was of them putting on their gloves. If them putting on their gloves is the only footage you took (like only a tight shot of their hands) and the words are not that important, why use that? Ugh.

Overall, a lot of the racers felt ruder to the locals this episode but I blame the editor. That said, while I already liked them, Greg/John and Joel/Garrett rose in my estimation for their enthusiasm and politeness. 

Robbin's "not really looking to make a new bestie" was so close to "I'm not here to make friends."

Credit to Anna Leigh for finding the extra envelope for the early group but I didn't need to hear about it so many times. 

Todd playing pro basketball for France and Germany... Them being a couple since fifteen also explains a lot. 

I wonder when Morgan and Lena were told they could use the Express Pass. I assume they had to get on the boat first. It seemed like they waited a long time. While they did slip in placement and it looks like the next half of the leg will be challenging, I don't think there were really great options for them. There was no way of knowing they'd have to keep racing and they would have lost time either waiting for the boats or doing the vinyl. 

For all the talk of Victor having a language advantage, it was fun to see some special skills like Joel and Garrett being good at the rice paper task because one of them lived in France and made a lot of crepes. And Lena having worked with vinyl before. I do like that at least some of the group seems well traveled and they have different experiences and skills to bring to the table. 

Morgan telling Lena "slow and steady, we're here, nobody else is here" is probably the nicest, most encouraging thing I've heard her say so far. 

There were at least 4 chubby little dogs running around at the rice paper task and I enjoyed that very much.

The monastery for the pit stop was gorgeous. The architecture in SE Asia is severely underrated. The greeter at the mat was lovely. I wonder if they'll have to remember traditional dress for the final task this year. 

I don't know how well they deal with sleep deprivation so I'm worried about KF for next week's episode. I don't want to watch 90 minutes of bickering and breakdowns.

[aradia22]

Quote

Was it just editing or were Jocelyn and Victor spectacularly bad at making rice paper?

I think the editing focused on them because after getting frustrated at the fruit task and then running around trying to find the rice paper task, they were agitated and primed to bicker and this editor loves drama. But putting aside the teams who aced it (Joel/Garrett, Corey/Rob, Andrea/Malaina), they didn't seem that much worse at making the rice paper. They just had issues because they were rushing and frustrated. Steve and Anna Leigh probably struggled as much or worse. It's a task where you need to be focused and deliberate. Both detours really forced the contestants to slow down and be patient to do the task correctly. 

Quote

I'm shallow, because I like both of the cute boy teams:  Greg and John, Liam and Yeremi.

I also find them likable, but I'm not going to pretend that's not part of it. Greg and John (at least on camera) are doing their best to stay calm and be agreeable and friendly wherever they go. They're competitive but they seem to be having a good time... even when one of them fell in the water at the pomelo task (though maybe they left out Greg getting upset). And Liam and Yeremi are CW pretty. And the fact that they haven't mentioned any acting or modeling aspirations makes me like them more.

Quote

Yeah, I think we were duped!  Phil made it seem that there won't be any non-elimination rounds but really this one is.  They just made it the same round.  Not good for the viewers in my opinion.

I did feel duped! It did create more tension for me as I didn't realize until Liam and Yeremi made it to the mat that they would also be allowed to continue racing. I guess there's a slight difference since they might have been able to sleep in between if it had just been a NEL. But, come on.

Quote

I did laugh at the 7:55 flight crew getting mad at Joe/Ian for....getting a better flight time? Sorry you all didn't get the right travel agent to get you on the earlier flight? Like, Ashleigh was PISSED. Which, I don't necessarily blame them for being annoyed because, at the time, a 6 hour gap between flights is huge, but don't hate the players, hate the game!

I think Steve and Anna Leigh actually did have the same travel agent... or someone did. I assume there was a cancellation while they were booking flights so Joe/Ian could suddenly get on the better flight when the earlier teams couldn't. 

Quote

And dragonfruit is a cool looking fruit which is, in my opinion, entirely underwhelming to eat. The white flesh with black speckles tastes like a blander cantaloupe maybe? 

I've had sweet ones but usually, at least here in the US, they're so bland. I briefly flirted with the idea of growing one to have a cheap cactus but I'm in the wrong climate for it. 

Quote

I was worried for Jocelyn and Vincent.  I think Vincent was key to getting them through this part of the leg as Jocelyn seemed to get really down and convinced they were out of it.  Thanks, Vincent.  I really like you two and want to see you continue in the Race.

Victor. For all Todd has said that Ashlie needs encouragement, Jocelyn seems like the one who immediately gets down on herself. She pushes through but if you watch for it, she makes a lot of self-deprecating comments even when they're doing relatively well. 

Quote

I hate when that happens. If they're going to put the contestants through all that anxiety, it should be for something they really should be worrying about, not a fake out.

I think the contestants stressed themselves out. It was not knowing. Though even at the airport, someone guessed that there probably weren't a lot of tasks they'd make them do in the dark (it was when they mentioned frog catching) and obviously the boat task wasn't happening at night. 

Quote

I get that you never know how hard a task will be before you try it, but if I were Morgan or Lena, I'd be annoyed with myself for not using the Express Pass before even getting on the boat at the floating market. It seemed like one of them suggested doing just that, although it could have just been editing. You lose too much time getting on the boat, going round to the merchants, and then coming back. In all honesty, they might have been better off completing the market task and then skipping the detour altogether.

Same... I wonder if production made them at least get on the boat. Was it even an option to drive to the Detours?

Quote

I’m not always clear what the racers see on their clue cards compared to what Phil describes, but from description alone, making rice paper wrappers (essentially crepe technique) would have been the obvious choice over dressing a motorcycle. Then again, I’d take my chances in a kitchen over a mechanic’s shop any day.

I like that racers this season evaluate their skills differently. Like everyone who chose Plastic (the vinyl task) obviously thought they'd be good at it. Everyone was scared of the choreography task with the swords in episode 1 but Joe/Ian aced it. I find it boring when there's one obviously "easy" detour and people only choose the other option if there are limited spaces and they're forced to switch. Similarly with pomelos and market shopping, it'd be boring if everyone only wanted to do the physical task. 

[iMonrey]

The only other team in the travel agency with Joe and Ian were Liam and Yeremi. Joel and Garrett came in as they were leaving. They apparently told Joel and Garrett about the 1:50 flight but we didn't see it. I get that Ashlie and Anna Leigh were mad they didn't get that flight but I don't think they were mad at Joe and Ian, there wouldn't have been any way for them to tell them about it.

[blackwing]

I am still liking Victor but I'm really tiring of Jocelyn.  She reminds me of C-3PO, if C-3PO was capable of crying.  The instant anything goes wrong, she's instantly sobbing and crying "we're doomed!!!"  She's happy and smiling and positive when they are doing well, but the slightest bit of adversity and she just crumples.

The sisters Morgan and Lena, I thought they wasted their Express Pass.  They had until leg 4 to use it, this was only leg 3.  Plus since this was a megaleg, they probably had even longer to use it.  I was surprised they used the pass for the floating market route marker task, considering that they knew there were teams that were at least 15 minutes behind them.  Plus, the detour tasks are always invariably more time consuming.  They should have just waited their turn at the one boat and kept going.  Then use it at the Detour if they really felt they were in trouble.

Their faces when Phil told them they were in sixth were priceless.  Not sure why they were shocked.  There were only two other teams with them at the decaling so I'm not sure why it didn't occur to them that most of the other teams did the other task and perhaps finished faster.

I would have chosen the rice paper task immediately.  As soon as you get the hang of it, it seems easier.  But I am terrible with stickers, I always hated whenever one of my kids' toys like Lego needed for me to apply some sticker.

Phil telling those brothers that they were "DEAD LAST" was hilarious, especially since they clearly didn't think they were in last.  And then one of them said in interview "not just last, DEAD LAST!"  Too funny.

On 10/12/2023 at 3:01 AM, rr2911 said:

Yeah, I think we were duped!  Phil made it seem that there won't be any non-elimination rounds but really this one is.  They just made it the same round.  Not good for the viewers in my opinion.

Yes, dislike.  "We have more teams this season because we have no non-elimination rounds... except for when we just don't eliminate anyone and make it a megaleg."  A megaleg is not a new thing.  Not sure why Phil stressed that there's no non-eliminations when there still kind of are.

On 10/12/2023 at 11:06 AM, Fukui San said:

And dragonfruit is a cool looking fruit which is, in my opinion, entirely underwhelming to eat. The white flesh with black speckles tastes like a blander cantaloupe maybe? 

I compare them to a bland kiwi, with the little seeds.  Rarely do I get one that's truly sweet.  Sometimes I've had one that is downright tasteless, even when ripe.

On 10/12/2023 at 1:30 PM, eel2178 said:

That could turn out well for Victor and Jocelyn. If they had come in first or even near the front again this leg, they would have been the mostly likely target. However, now that they're at the back, there is no reason to U-turn them, and they'll have the chance to get caught back up with the front of the pack.

I'm also thinking that the U-turn won't appear this far into a continuation leg. I think it will be the week after next before we see it.

I think it'd be a perfect time to U turn them.  They have been strong in the past and just had a bad leg, and now would be the time to pick them off.

On 10/13/2023 at 10:38 AM, iMonrey said:

Has the race gone to Vietnam before? I'm almost positive we've seen the floating market challenge, in some variation, before this.

On 10/13/2023 at 10:41 AM, tracyscott76 said:

They were at least there in Season 3. Ian, a Vietnam vet, was leery of going back, but ended up having the time of his life. They did do a challenge in a floating market as one half of a Detour, but it was "find the only vendor selling this specific thing", not a multi-part task like this one.

I loathed Ian and the way he treated his poor wife.  Who can forget the way he yelled at her when she stopped to tie her pants.  "This is more important than your pants falling down!"  What I remember most about Ian in Vietnam was the way he kept barking "di di mau" (faster) to the people driving him.

In addition to Season 3 and Season 22 which was already mentioned, the season with the controversial Vietnamese propaganda song and the downed B-52 marker, the Race recently went to Vietnam about 5 seasons ago, I think?  It was the season where all the teams were past CBS reality stars.  I remember a task where teams had to deliver fish.

I do think there have been seasons where there was a floating market, but not sure if that was Vietnam or another Southeast Asian country.

On 10/14/2023 at 12:02 PM, zapper said:

Haven't seen any mention of expedia (or the gnome) this season. Perhaps why they are all at a travel agent. I prefer it - much more variation in flights based on the luck of the draw for agents.

The gnome was from Travelocity.  Travelocity got replaced by Expedia I think last season?  So we probably won't see the gnome anymore.  I thought Expedia and Travelocity were related companies (same parent maybe?) so not sure why they are pushing Expedia instead of Travelocity.  The gnome was fun and recognisable.  Expedia doesn't have anything similar.

Edited October 16, 2023 by blackwing

[eel2178]

22 minutes ago, blackwing said:

The gnome was from Travelocity.  Travelocity got replaced by Expedia I think last season?  So we probably won't see the gnome anymore.  I thought Expedia and Travelocity were related companies (same parent maybe?) so not sure why they are pushing Expedia instead of Travelocity.  The gnome was fun and recognisable.  Expedia doesn't have anything similar.

Travelocity was bought out by Expedia. The gnome is no more as is the entire company.

[RunningMarket]

2 hours ago, eel2178 said:

Travelocity was bought out by Expedia. The gnome is no more as is the entire company.

That explains why the last few times I've got to each site, they are exactly the same.

[blackwing]

1 hour ago, RunningMarket said:

That explains why the last few times I've got to each site, they are exactly the same.

Expedia also owns Orbitz, Hotels.com, Trivago, and Hotwire.  I don't really understand why all these travel sites are still active or how Expedia is avoiding some kind of anti-monopoly issue.  Whatever the reason, I would rather they still use the Travelocity brand (which is still an active site) on TAR.  I miss the gnome.  Always gave us the opportunity to watch one careless team leave the gnome behind.

[SG429]

6 hours ago, blackwing said:

They were at least there in Season 3. Ian, a Vietnam vet, was leery of going back, but ended up having the time of his life. They did do a challenge in a floating market as one half of a Detour, but it was "find the only vendor selling this specific thing", not a multi-part task like this one.

And on that first visit route markers were solid yellow instead of red and yellow, to avoid being too similar to the former S. Vietnam flag.

[Ilovepie]

I cannot express my utter joy at seeing the travel agents and airport drama return!!!!! As one of the racers said: classic TAR! It was so sweet to see those guys leapfrog the early flight when theirs was delayed! I know there are equalizers when the travel is this spread out, but it adds so much drama to the show that's been missing for years. LOVE IT!!!!!!

And I feel a little evil, but I was kind of happy to see Victor and Jocelyn struggle. Their attitude at the beginning like it's their right to be in first was so unrealistic. They were absolutely terrible at making that rice paper. Talk about flop sweat - Jocelyn looked like she just stepped out of a shower by the end ;-p

I am glad the girls used their Express Pass, but it would have been better to use it on the second task instead of the boat one which they were already partially finished with and wasn't that hard - if they had used it on the second task they would have been at the front of the pack instead of the middle.

I think they guys were completely flabbergasted that they were in last place, like no clue. I am glad it's a mega leg because I would be sad to lose them. They need to pick up the pace though.

I wasn't loving the crabby lady that said she wasn't here to make friends. Like, you are experiencing something incredible that very few people have ever done, and for better or for worse, you are experiencing it with these people! Who cares if you don't have a lot in common with them - you have TAR in common now - bond over that! What is the point of travel if not to have new experiences and broaden your mind, and part of that is people!

[JH Lipton]

On 10/12/2023 at 10:20 AM, eel2178 said:

I hate when that happens. If they're going to put the contestants through all that anxiety, it should be for something they really should be worrying about, not a fake out.

That wouldn't be fair to the locals though.  If you have one group arrive 6 hours after another, that means that the people involved with the task have to stay 6 hours plus the time of the task.  As it is, those arriving late to a bunch get less rest than those arriving early.

On 10/12/2023 at 1:25 PM, Hera said:

I get that you never know how hard a task will be before you try it, but if I were Morgan or Lena, I'd be annoyed with myself for not using the Express Pass before even getting on the boat at the floating market.

I'm not sure that they could tell how difficult the task was before getting on the boat. And as others have said, they may have needed  to get on the boat to get to the next clue.

[AnnaBaptist]

On 10/15/2023 at 11:40 AM, fishcakes said:

I feel bad for the teams who were on the third flight because they lost at least one more night of sleep than the other teams. The others got there the night before the boat task and had overnight to sleep, but the third flight teams only had what they could get on the plane and the bus. Unless there's some bunching at the beginning of the second half of this leg, they could be two nights in a row without decent sleep.

I cracked up at "OUT OF TOWNERS! OUT OF TOWNERS!" Malaina seems exhausting, but fun.

You can get it on Amazon (search for "Botan Rice Candy") but be sure to compare the different results because the prices vary wildly and some of them are insanely high. Cost Plus World Market sometimes has it. But your best bet is a Japanese grocery store, if there's one where you live; they always stock it.

My Target has them for 99 cents a box.

I remember getting Tomoe Ame (with the "amusing toy") from the Asian grocery store in my neighborhood in the 60s and 70s. Sometime in the 70s, the name was changed to Botan Ame, and now it has been Anglicized to Botan Rice Candy. 

[Ancaster]

On 10/15/2023 at 5:22 PM, aradia22 said:

 

The monastery for the pit stop was gorgeous. The architecture in SE Asia is severely underrated. The greeter at the mat was lovely. I wonder if they'll have to remember traditional dress for the final task this year. 

 

I'm curious as to what makes you say/think that.  It wouldn't occur to me that SE Asian architecture is underrated.  The Taj Mahal, the museum in Singapore that looks like a lotus, Angkor Wat, the twin towers in Kuala Lumpur with the sky bridge . . . .  Not to mention of course the countless temples, pagodas, formal gardens, etc.

Edited October 18, 2023 by Ancaster

[proserpina65]

On 10/14/2023 at 1:02 PM, zapper said:

Haven't seen any mention of expedia (or the gnome) this season. Perhaps why they are all at a travel agent. I prefer it - much more variation in flights based on the luck of the draw for agents.

If I remember correctly, some countries only allow you to book airfare through travel agents.  Although that might have change since the last time AR was in SE Asia.

[dgpolo]

1 minute ago, proserpina65 said:

If I remember correctly, some countries only allow you to book airfare through travel agents.

And there were some where you had to have a ticket through a travel agent but once you were at the airport you could try to change it. I think.

[Haleth]

Shoot. Wrong episode. Sorry. 

Edited October 21, 2023 by Haleth