Race Across The World S05E01
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TravelTranscript
00:00SPANNING MORE THAN 21,000 KILOMMETRES ACROSS THE VAST NATION OF CHINA,
00:24LEGEND SAYS THE GREAT WALL WAS BUILT ALONG A PATH CARVED BY A MIGHTY DRAGON.
00:31OVER MOUNTAINS AND THROUGH DESERTS, THIS FORTIFICATION OF BRICK, STONE, EARTH AND MORTAR HAS ENDURED FOR MORE THAN 2,000 YEARS.
00:44AND TODAY, JUST NORTH OF BEIJING, OVERLOOKING THE VILLAGE OF HUANGUA CHUNG, IS WHERE OUR RACE BEGINS.
00:55SO MANY PEOPLE UP ALREADY, LIKE, ACTUALLY WORKING.
01:03LOOK AT THEM. I LOVE THEM.
01:06SET FOR AN IMMINENT DEPARTURE, TEENAGE COUPLE FINN AND SHAWNED.
01:10WOW. THAT IS THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA, DON'T?
01:13YEAH.
01:15STUNNING.
01:17WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER FOUR AND A HALF YEARS.
01:19EXPERIENCING THE WORLD IS JUST TOP OF OUR LIST, ISN'T IT?
01:22YEAH. BEING FROM A SMALL TOWN IN WELLS, WE THINK IT'S A GOOD CHALLENGE FOR US.
01:26WE'RE STILL SO YOUNG. WE'VE NOT EXPERIENCED A LOT.
01:29WE STILL LIVE WITH OUR PARENTS, SO IT WOULD BE NICE TO SEE HOW MUCH WE CAN RELY ON EACH OTHER.
01:33YEAH. HOW MUCH WE CAN STAND EACH OTHER.
01:35YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HELP ME TOWN.
01:38NO, NO.
01:41WE ALWAYS BECKER. I MIGHT BE A BIT POODIE.
01:44A POODIE?
01:45POODIE?
01:46POODIE?
01:47DO YOU NOT SAY POODIE?
01:48YOU DON'T KNOW... POODIE?
01:49YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT POODIE IS?
01:51EVERYONE IN WELLS KNOWS POODIE.
01:52IT'S LIKE A TANTRUM.
01:54ARE WE GOING THE RIGHT WAY?
01:55YEAH, LOOK, THIS IS THE RIGHT WAY.
01:57OOF, THAT IS STUNNING.
01:59WOW.
02:00I'M A VERY HOMEY PERSON.
02:02LEAVING HOME IS A MASSIVE DEAL FOR ME.
02:04OH, I'M GONNA CRY.
02:05UP HERE, RIGHT HERE.
02:07THIS IS SO STUPID.
02:09I THINK IT'S UP HERE.
02:13HI.
02:14Nihau.
02:15Nihau.
02:16Please hand over your mobile phones, cash and bank cards.
02:20Sure.
02:21Without smartphones, the teams must survive with only essential race kit,
02:25money belts, safety trackers and a map.
02:29Xie xie.
02:30And here.
02:31Oh, thank you.
02:32And in China, red means good luck, so good luck on your race.
02:36Thank you very much.
02:39Last time we've been away was when?
02:411970s maybe together.
02:42I don't know.
02:43It must have been the 70s.
02:45Also ready to race.
02:47What does this remind you of?
02:49What, this river?
02:50Yeah.
02:51The River Derwent.
02:52Maybe.
02:54Retired financial advisor Brian and his brother, driving instructor Melvin.
02:59I'm the younger, the better looking one.
03:01I was going to say the same thing.
03:02I'm the older and the better looking one.
03:04How does that work?
03:05If you look at the hills, that is exactly how you see China.
03:08Yeah, maybe.
03:09The little hills, the mountains.
03:10Yeah.
03:11I'm lucky enough to have gone to lots of places in the world, stayed in nice places and travelled
03:17well.
03:18You would have gone on business class, wouldn't you?
03:19If you would have been on our own, you would have gone on business class.
03:21Probably this far.
03:23Brian's lifestyle is lavish and he definitely wastes money.
03:27And I'm not talking about a couple of quid.
03:29I think he lost an awful lot of money on the last car.
03:32I can't believe you didn't take my offer of a bloody personal trainer.
03:37And I did offer to pay for you as well, didn't I?
03:40Can you make it?
03:41We're here now.
03:42We're here, we're here.
03:43The longest time we've ever spent together as adults is two, three days.
03:46Hello.
03:47Hi.
03:48Eight, nine weeks with you, Malf.
03:50Whoa.
03:51We'll see.
03:52Thanks very much.
03:54See you.
03:55Bye-bye.
03:56Bye.
03:57We're on our way.
03:58Well, I'll tell you what, let's go and get a cup of tea or something.
04:02Who would have thought, after 31 years, this is where we would end up?
04:08On the Great Wall of China?
04:10On the Great Wall of China.
04:11What, out of breath and on?
04:12Next, to ascend the Great Wall, Yin and Gaz.
04:16When I first met Gaz, this is going to sound really cheesy,
04:20but I remember he turned around and it felt like a bit of a slow motion movie.
04:25And I just thought, wow.
04:27We did roll in luck pretty quick after meeting each other.
04:30Oh, my God.
04:31We're high, aren't we?
04:32Just a little bit.
04:33When we had the takeaway business, we worked together 24-7.
04:38We were a really, really good team together.
04:40Remember that picture that we had in the takeaway?
04:42Yes.
04:43We had the Great Wall of China.
04:44Yeah.
04:45Well, we're here now, aren't we?
04:46Now we're here, exactly.
04:47Because we've known each other for just under 40 years, that is going to play into our strengths.
04:50Aha!
04:51Oh!
04:52You can't just discount the 40 years of ups and downs.
04:55And here is the map.
04:57We've always grafted.
04:58Yeah.
04:59And I think, like, moving on into race, that's why I'm not so fearful or scared,
05:03because I know that that will come out in both of us.
05:07Bye!
05:08What's bye-bye in Mandarin?
05:09Say it to you.
05:10Bye-bye.
05:11Bye-bye.
05:12Nice that we're coming by boat.
05:15I didn't even know that you could get to the Great Wall of China by boat.
05:18Yeah!
05:19I didn't know it either.
05:20Floating towards the starting line...
05:22Oh!
05:23Looks like we're arriving!
05:24...Elizabeth and younger sister, Letitia.
05:27I think we're going to have an advantage, because we're well-travelled in different parts
05:32of the world.
05:33We just come together, and it's like a mighty force.
05:36We're coming like this!
05:38Well-travelled!
05:39Maybe they'll be seeing us from space.
05:42They're waving, us struggling with our backpacks.
05:45Like, oh!
05:47We've never actually really travelled together.
05:50No.
05:51Oh, yeah!
05:52What skills do you have?
05:54I've got a bit of good people skills.
05:56Okay, yeah, yeah, you do, yeah.
05:58Yeah.
05:59Oops.
06:01This one.
06:03You can put up with me.
06:04Yeah.
06:05Which is actually a skill in itself, anyway.
06:08Right, so I'll be in charge of this then.
06:10And everything.
06:11I'll also be in charge of that, as well.
06:13What, for Matt?
06:14Oh, no, no, that's yours.
06:15Yeah, that's my world.
06:16Yeah.
06:17Apparently the wall goes under this water.
06:20Last to arrive.
06:22So was it flooded afterwards?
06:23It must have been.
06:25I'm Caroline, and I'm absolutely delighted and proud to be doing the race with Thomas,
06:30my only son.
06:31Thank you for doing this with me.
06:33Thanks.
06:35The fact we get together is pretty good, so we'll be all right.
06:38We'll make sure we're okay.
06:39I don't actually work, although I do feel I work very hard at home.
06:43I'm always cleaning up, I'm always shopping, preparing meals, cooking, looking after the animals, just being a housewife.
06:52It's really overwhelming, actually, Thomas.
06:54It's a shame, really, because then you find you're old and haven't really done as much as maybe you would have liked.
07:00You okay?
07:01Sorry, no, wait for me.
07:02No, you've got it.
07:03Come on.
07:04Sorry.
07:05And I feel there's still life out there, and I'd like to grab that opportunity, really.
07:09Look at it.
07:10Oh, my God.
07:12This is one of the wonders of the world.
07:14I can't believe you've done a few already.
07:16I've seen the Coliseum, Machu Picchu.
07:19Yeah, that's it, actually.
07:20Gosh.
07:21This is my first.
07:22I've done nearly ten months of travelling in total now, and whereas Mum has done zero, basically.
07:28Hello.
07:29Hello.
07:30Hello.
07:31I feel like I might know Tyne a bit more than Mum, which is quite nice, actually, for the first time,
07:35because everyone always says Mum's are always right, but this time maybe it's sons are always right.
07:39You never know.
07:40Good luck.
07:41Lovely. Thank you very much.
07:43Are you ready?
07:44I am.
07:45I don't think you have a choice now.
07:48Teams equipped with all the essentials, it's time to find out where the race will lead them.
07:56Ooh.
07:57Final destination is Kanyakumari.
08:00Where is that?
08:02Sounds Japanese.
08:04I don't think it is in China.
08:06No.
08:07This is impossible, man.
08:08That's it?
08:09Yes!
08:10The bottom of India?
08:11No way!
08:12Oh, my God!
08:13Look!
08:14The finish line.
08:15Kanyakumari.
08:16A journey of over 14,000 kilometres to the southernmost tip of India.
08:29Awaiting the first team to cross the line, a prize of £20,000.
08:34Let's go.
08:36To get there, the teams must pass through seven checkpoints.
08:41Only when they reach one will they learn the destination of the next.
08:45Oh, wow!
08:47They'll need to cross the vast ranging landscapes of three of Asia's ancient civilizations.
08:54China.
08:55My little village has nothing like this.
08:57Nepal.
08:58Very lively place, isn't it?
09:00And India.
09:01It looks like a picture.
09:04Come on.
09:05Oh, my God!
09:06You definitely would not see this in Wales.
09:09And they have to do it all for the lowest budget yet.
09:12Oh!
09:15Let's look at the money.
09:17The equivalent cost of flying the route.
09:19Just over £1,000 per person.
09:22That's not a lot.
09:25Around £22 each per day.
09:28That's not going to buy the accommodation, is it?
09:30It wouldn't buy your normal accommodation, but it's what we wanted.
09:34In the shadow of the Great Wall, ready to forge adventurous paths across China,
09:41teams gather at the start line.
09:43It's getting a bit real now, isn't it?
09:44Yeah, I know.
09:45I think the nerves are kicking in.
09:46It's the first opportunity to meet their rivals.
09:50I feel a bit sick.
09:51I'm like, oh!
09:53There they are.
09:55They look scared.
09:58Hiya!
09:59Hello!
10:01Oh!
10:02Hello!
10:03Hello!
10:04Hi!
10:05Everyone's younger.
10:06I know!
10:07I'm sure.
10:10Oh, my goodness.
10:11Oh, my goodness.
10:12Hello!
10:13Hello!
10:15Hi, Brian!
10:16Hi!
10:17How do you two know each other?
10:18We're brothers, believe it or not.
10:19Yeah, we are.
10:22That's damn impressive, isn't it?
10:24That is damn in Brazil.
10:25Hello!
10:26Hello!
10:27Hello!
10:28Hi, everybody!
10:29I'm Tom.
10:30Hi, Zoe.
10:31Hi!
10:32Has everybody found the final destination?
10:33Japan, wasn't it?
10:35Yeah!
10:44I'm well aware that it's going to be really difficult.
10:47I have a point to prove.
10:48People will underestimate them, and I think that's one of our superpowers.
10:52It's going to be completely unique.
10:54Yeah.
10:55Something we've never ever done before.
10:56I'm always looking to push myself.
10:58We are definitely going to work hard.
11:00Smells, the noise, the chaos, the energy.
11:03It's a race.
11:04We need to be on the ball.
11:08We both have different strengths and we can sit.
11:11I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else.
11:13He's probably more resilient than anyone else who'd known.
11:19It's about the challenge.
11:20It's about the excitement.
11:22Holding our head up high at the end of it.
11:24If you're going to do it, play to win.
11:33Oh, my God!
11:34There's so many spins!
11:35Yes, look at that.
11:36It's frenzy.
11:37Hold a handrail.
11:38We are not going to fawn.
11:39Come on, Mum.
11:40Come on, Mum.
11:41Let's get up on this bit.
11:42All right.
11:43Where are we going?
11:44One bling.
11:452,000 kilometres to the south,
11:46the south,
11:47the south, the south,
11:48the south,
11:49the south,
11:50the south,
11:51the south,
11:52the south,
11:53the south,
11:54the south,
11:55the south,
11:56the south,
11:57the south,
11:58the south,
11:59the south,
12:00the south,
12:01the south,
12:02the south.
12:03To the south,
12:04the south,
12:05the south's
12:051st checkpoint,
12:07clinging to the slopes
12:08of the Huayyuu mountains
12:09for over 500 years,
12:11Huangling Village.
12:15Famed for conserving its Huay-style dwellings
12:18and its colourful custom of drying chillies on rooftops.
12:23First thing we need to do
12:24is find our way out of here.
12:25It seems to be surrounded by mountains.
12:28Oh, I said Beijing.
12:29Yep.
12:30There is the railway lines going all the way.
12:33We'd both agree it's Beijing to start, don't we, mate?
12:35All routes from there are open.
12:38To reach the checkpoint, teams will have to navigate the first 100km
12:42through sprawling suburbs to the heart of Beijing.
12:47From there, high-speed trains connect the whole of China.
12:51Escaping the capital tonight could make or break this first leg.
12:56Do you know English?
12:58Beijing bus?
13:00To Beijing?
13:01No, she doesn't understand.
13:03It's OK.
13:03Anyway, thank you.
13:05Hello, hello.
13:06Hi, hi.
13:07Do you speak English?
13:08Does anybody speak English?
13:10Do you speak English?
13:11They don't understand.
13:12Let's move on.
13:13Wow, there really is a language barrier, isn't there?
13:15I know.
13:16One team to make a quick getaway from the Great Wall.
13:20Oh, well, we know, you know.
13:21Travel savvy sisters Elizabeth and Letitia.
13:24I think we should ask for the main Beijing station.
13:27The fact that we've been exposed to learning other languages,
13:32is we're definitely going to be a bit more comfortable in these kind of settings.
13:36Yeah.
13:37Jan means station.
13:40Jan means station.
13:41Yeah.
13:41I lived in China for six months.
13:45I just start learning Mandarin.
13:48Yeah, I should probably clock up the camera, sure, to ask something.
13:52Yeah, you got this.
13:53Oh, OK, how, how, how.
14:18Here, OK?
14:21We need to get up there.
14:22OK.
14:25She gave us directions to go down that way to get another connection to get the subway.
14:30As the sisters put their faith in a local tip-off, 30 kilometres behind...
14:35Thomas, have you worked out where we are?
14:37We're looking for Hiro Wanzong.
14:40Tom is figuring it out for himself and Mother Caroline.
14:43I'm just kind of taking the lead for a little bit.
14:45You have confidence in your own ability, don't you?
14:47You're really good by that.
14:49If we manage to get on a night bus tonight from Beijing to somewhere,
14:53or a night train, that feeling will be so good.
14:56So, I think that's the plan for now.
14:57I'm just going to have to see how it goes.
15:00Thomas, this is it.
15:01This is the next stop.
15:02Hiro Shidong.
15:03You have a look.
15:04Hiro Shidong.
15:07Wrong.
15:07No, wrong.
15:08Read what I've written.
15:10Hiro Wuzong.
15:11There you go.
15:12Is that Hiro Wuzong?
15:13Isn't that good enough?
15:14No, it isn't.
15:15Sorry.
15:16OK.
15:17No, not quite.
15:18Nearly.
15:18OK.
15:20We need to find, like, the way out of here.
15:23I want to feel like I'm getting out of this little village
15:26in the middle of nowhere.
15:27Still struggling to get going,
15:29first-time travellers Finn and Seanhead.
15:34Do we sit down?
15:35I think we sit down.
15:36Right.
15:36Put the map down for a sec.
15:38Once I've got a plan, I'm happy.
15:41She's a control freak.
15:43She's already planned the wedding.
15:44I have no say in it at all.
15:46Yes, you do.
15:47Don't be silly.
15:49Your first checkpoint is Huangling.
15:50Right, well, I straight away think Shanghai's bad.
15:53To reach the first checkpoint, teams must traverse eastern China.
15:59Home to some of the country's most trailblazing cities,
16:02it's also the birthplace of profound philosophy
16:05and some transformative inventions.
16:08Silk, porcelain, and the compass.
16:11From Beijing, teams could travel along the Yellow Sea coast,
16:17well-connected by China's extensive high-speed rail network.
16:22The route's showstopper, the glittering metropolis, Shanghai.
16:27The more adventurous could veer inland,
16:30steeped in tradition and history.
16:33Less direct, but with the advantage of fewer crowds.
16:36I do feel like sticking with the city gives you peace of mind.
16:41Oh!
16:42There are bullet trains from Qingdao to Shanghai.
16:44Right, check where Qingdao is.
16:46Come on.
16:46Because once we're in Shanghai,
16:48I feel like it'll be straightforward.
16:50Seanet's plan,
16:52play it safe
16:53and city hop down the coast via Shanghai.
16:55That's not cheap.
16:59I feel like not to just splurge on the first leg.
17:01I feel like this is the leg we should splurge on.
17:04Now we've sat down and we have planned,
17:06like, we've got a bit of a...
17:08..inkling of what we're going to do, I guess.
17:11Let's try and find a bus stop.
17:14Oh, my God!
17:1545 kilometres ahead...
17:17We're practically walking back to the Great Wall of China.
17:20..but still 60 kilometres from the centre of Beijing,
17:23Yin and guys have reached the suburb of Huarou,
17:27with nightfall approaching.
17:29We've gone off the bus, and if I'm brutally honest,
17:31I think we've gone completely wrong.
17:33So I don't know where we are.
17:35We're certainly not in the centre of Beijing.
17:38Just kind of assumed that the bus would take us to the terminal,
17:40but obviously not.
17:42Everyone just jumped off.
17:44We're looking for bus station or train station.
17:47What do you understand?
17:49Do you have your phone?
17:50Do you have any language?
17:51There's...
17:52Oh...
17:53OK.
17:55Ying won.
17:59No, I don't...
18:02Although I'm Chinese, I was born in the UK.
18:07I've been to China once before,
18:08a really long time ago in the 80s,
18:10and to be fair, my Mandarin is like zero,
18:12so it's just impossible.
18:13Neither of us are getting anywhere, basically.
18:20The problem is, is that we ask people...
18:22And they speak Chinese to you?
18:24They speak Chinese to me, because I look Chinese.
18:26Yeah.
18:27We don't get anywhere.
18:28I've kind of lost a bit of heart, to be honest.
18:30I know you have.
18:31OK, but we need to...
18:32What do you want to do, then?
18:33There's going to be an answer.
18:35Let's head across there, ask around.
18:37I do feel like I'm a hindrance.
18:39No, you're not a hindrance at all.
18:40No, 100%.
18:41Could you help us?
18:44Is this the city centre, or is this the suburbs?
18:47This is...
18:48Yeah, yeah.
18:48..central Beijing.
18:49Right, and where are we?
18:50Three hours to go by bus.
18:52Oh, wow.
18:52Three hours?
18:53No, three hours by bus.
18:54Oh, wow.
18:57What's kind of, like, a good place
18:59to get a cheap, clean hotel?
19:01Like here...
19:02It's cheaper here.
19:03Right.
19:03Like, folks, the centre...
19:04Yeah, it's more expensive.
19:06OK, so...
19:06Stay here tonight, and then get to Beijing tomorrow.
19:09I think that's the best plan.
19:11Come on, red man, green man.
19:16Hey, green man.
19:17Go, go, go, go, go.
19:1821.
19:19That's what the place this is.
19:22Beijing, a name that means northern capital.
19:26Once home to imperial dynasties,
19:29today it's the centre of power for the Communist Party.
19:34Twice the size of London,
19:35it's the most visited destination in China.
19:38Is it to the left and then right,
19:42or straight up here, straight up here?
19:44Trying to plot a way out...
19:46Well, decision time, I think.
19:48Brian and Melvin...
19:50It's dark, late, we're tired.
19:52I think we'll find a cafe,
19:54sit down, have a plan.
19:56Do what we need to do,
19:58and then find a hotel tonight.
19:59It's been a long day, really, hasn't it?
20:01Yeah.
20:01Yeah.
20:01It could always get me on a bit of cake.
20:08Personally, I think we should do the most direct route.
20:10I don't fancy ending up at Shanghai,
20:12which is going to be a very bustling and large city,
20:15and I would be more comfortable in the countryside.
20:18But I think you'd actually get to the checkpoint
20:20quicker by going to the Shanghai route.
20:22But we'll miss out on the ancient stuff.
20:25So let's forget the Shanghai route.
20:27Not that one on the head.
20:30I am a bit controlling.
20:32That's one of my bad qualities.
20:34So Luang is the birthplace of Chinese civilisation.
20:37OK.
20:38Full stop.
20:39There's Buddhist grottos 1,700 years old.
20:44That's unique.
20:45Yeah, yeah.
20:46My wife said to me,
20:47don't come over all pushy,
20:49don't come over all pompous, Brian.
20:52That'd be brilliant for me.
20:53Do you think it's a risk, then?
20:55Yeah, it is a risk,
20:57but we need to see how far it is.
20:59There's the point.
21:00Brian's route will lead the brothers deep inland
21:03to Luang in Hernan province,
21:06a dicey detour from the checkpoint.
21:09Is the risk worth it?
21:10Yeah, I think it is.
21:12All right?
21:13No, that's decision made,
21:15because you can't fart about all day.
21:15Decision made, go all day.
21:19I think we need to just speed up the pace.
21:22Also gambling on venturing into less-travelled territory.
21:26I think we should definitely go inland,
21:28where there's more opportunity to do a bed and board,
21:31where we can save money.
21:32Elizabeth and Letitia looking to escape the city tonight.
21:35On here, Beijing Fongtai-Dhan.
21:38Oh, a different...
21:39A different station.
21:40Here to Beijing Fongtai, about 80 kilometres.
21:44But needing to grapple with six major railway stations
21:47and nearly 900 kilometres of metro system.
21:50We're coming in a mighty, mighty fire.
21:55It's the slide.
22:01We didn't make it on time.
22:03Which means we have to stay the night here.
22:06We were so close.
22:11Oh, so so that...
22:13So we're buggered.
22:14Also failing to exit Beijing.
22:17Oh, God, I'm gutted.
22:19Well, we'll call it a night tonight.
22:21Fine accommodation.
22:22Which is brilliant.
22:23Is the one thing that we said we didn't want to do.
22:27So I think the plan for tonight is to...
22:29Eat up, rest up, shut up and perk up.
22:32Exactly.
22:33Oh, I think they're going to do cheap buffets.
22:37That's what I need right now.
22:39As day one draws to a close...
22:42..one team has managed to leave the capital
22:45and squeeze into the lead.
22:48Sorry, it's a bit tight.
22:49Yeah, right.
22:52Oh, hello, Sean.
22:53Finn and Sean Ed are looking to leave Beijing
22:56and the competition 650 kilometres behind
22:59via an overnight train to Qingdao.
23:02I think we've done well on our first day,
23:04although we have definitely spent more than we probably...
23:08More than we wanted.
23:08Wanted to, but we are on a move.
23:10We're on a ten-and-a-half-hour train now.
23:12I do feel like we've got further than we expected to.
23:15Oh, it's a tight squeeze.
23:17Good night, love you.
23:18Love you.
23:25I'd love to have a little cuddle tonight.
23:28Tough.
23:29Win a prison cell tonight, Chad.
23:31OK.
23:31All right, Thomas, you got everything?
23:44Yeah, I think so.
23:45I feel so much better.
23:46I washed out my underwear.
23:48I think yesterday was a bit of a shock to the system
23:52and a bit disheartening,
23:54but now we're ready to crack on,
23:56especially as we can see the train station from our room.
23:59One step ahead...
24:00Finally have a ticket.
24:01Yeah, we're making progress.
24:02Elizabeth and Letitia are heading south,
24:06seeking rural homestays to protect their budget.
24:09Do you know what this reminds me of?
24:10The train from Nairobi to Mombasa.
24:13Yeah, look, we can actually even see some mountains over there,
24:16which is quite nice.
24:17Bye, Beijing.
24:20Also venturing inland, Brian and Melvin,
24:23making a journey of over 800 kilometres
24:26to enjoy the ancient sites.
24:29Yeah, we're making good speed.
24:30The only thing is we're spending a lot of money.
24:32That's the problem.
24:34So when we get to Luang,
24:35if we can get a paid job and accommodation,
24:37we might be able to get back on an even keel.
24:41We know where we're going.
24:43All we've got to do is book a train,
24:44take in what Jilang has to offer.
24:47Oh, sold out, sold out, sold out.
24:50Look at this.
24:51How are they so busy?
24:53Yeah, we have to get out of Beijing.
24:54We have to get out of Beijing.
24:55It would be really nice to still stick to the plan
24:57and go to Jilang.
24:58It is the capital of another province,
25:00so it's got great transport links.
25:03Come up with a different method,
25:04and hopefully that will work.
25:07That might be booked up as well,
25:08and then I don't know what we do.
25:10Probably just start walking to the checkpoint.
25:13It says on here there's some left.
25:16Leave from a different station.
25:17We don't even know where it is.
25:18OK, we'll try going somewhere else, Thomas.
25:20We need to look at other stations and how to get there.
25:22Come on, you're better than me.
25:23You know what you're doing.
25:25Right, line two, the subway.
25:28If we can get on the way to Jilang,
25:30then we can get excited.
25:32OK.
25:33But until then, I think we're very much in race mode.
25:36That looks like us, yeah.
25:37916.
25:38Yeah.
25:38Still just 45 kilometres from the starting line,
25:42Yin and Gaz are finally on their way into Beijing.
25:46After yesterday and kind of having a bit of a meltdown,
25:49I do feel a lot better today,
25:50and now that we're moving, it feels quite good.
25:53We want to get to Shanghai,
25:54because it is pretty close to the end checkpoint.
25:57Small win.
25:57We're good.
25:58We're on the move.
25:58I'm just really glad that we didn't get stuck in Beijing last night.
26:05No.
26:07There we go.
26:08Well done, Seanad.
26:08At the front of the pack,
26:11Finn and Seanad have reached China's Yellow Sea coast.
26:15Oh, look at that.
26:17Absolutely massive bridge.
26:19And the sea.
26:22One of the world's longest sea bridges,
26:25spanning 42 kilometres,
26:27connects Zhaozhou Bay to Qingdao.
26:32It was Europe's first colony on China's mainland.
26:36But despite centuries of foreign influence,
26:39the city's culture and cuisine remains resolutely Chinese.
26:44Do you need some more fish yet?
26:44Because I can.
26:46No.
26:46I could do with some food.
26:48Maybe hot food.
26:49Before heading to Shanghai,
26:51Finn and Seanad plan lunch at Tuandao Market.
26:54Can't wait for the crispy beef,
26:56the sweet and sour sauce.
26:58Crispy duck.
27:00Oh.
27:03Oh, look at the head.
27:06Oh, wow.
27:08Is that a lung?
27:09Do you want to try a lung, Seanad?
27:10No.
27:10I reckon we should try a lung.
27:11Do you try it?
27:13Do you want to try it?
27:14No.
27:14Do you want to try it?
27:15No.
27:16Periods of food scarcity throughout Chinese history
27:19have led to the nation having a wide-ranging palate,
27:22with everything enjoyed from insects to offal.
27:26Chinese food at home is a lie.
27:28It's a massive lie.
27:29It's a really big misconception, I think.
27:32Loads of little willies.
27:34It's a bit gross.
27:35I reckon we have to try something
27:37we'd never normally eat,
27:39because we have to eat it then,
27:40because we spent money on it.
27:43This just feels wrong.
27:47Oh.
27:47Oh.
27:49Do you know what it reminds me of?
27:51Like, Voldemort,
27:52when he's like,
27:53but you haven't watched it,
27:56so you wouldn't know.
27:58Oh, my gosh, it's so squishy.
28:00It's so squishy.
28:01I want to ask a local how do you eat it,
28:03because I don't know how.
28:05Ni hao, uh,
28:06do you want help?
28:07Just, just...
28:08Very good at.
28:09Anyway,
28:10how do we, like,
28:12or...
28:13Oh, shit.
28:14Oh.
28:20What?
28:21Did you just bite it?
28:22It's any...
28:23Oh.
28:24I can't eat that.
28:25Oh.
28:28In the capital...
28:29Can we please get
28:30any ticket to Janan today, please?
28:33No, today, no.
28:35There's no tickets?
28:37There's got to be tickets.
28:40Is there any...
28:41What about an overnight?
28:42An overnight train?
28:43A train to Janan?
28:45No, no, tomorrow.
28:47We haven't made it out of Beijing
28:48in 24 hours now.
28:51We'll have to start with a plan.
28:52Well, we can't, Thomas.
28:53This is the plan.
28:54Yeah, I know.
28:55OK, OK.
28:56OK.
29:00It's all right.
29:07Give me a hug.
29:08But we're so useless.
29:11I'll try.
29:12Come on, we're up to a challenge.
29:13We said that.
29:14I'll give it a go, shall I?
29:16And you can watch me fail.
29:17It's difficult as a parent
29:19to see your child struggle,
29:21especially as I would say
29:22this is more his strength
29:24because he has travelled
29:25on his own before.
29:26And I think he was hoping
29:27he'd find it easier
29:28and he could show me.
29:30Yes, 620.
29:32202.
29:33Can I have two tickets, please?
29:35Thomas, it's sorted.
29:36We'll find a hostel.
29:37OK?
29:37I think we just sleep
29:38on the street.
29:40I don't know if it's safe.
29:42I feel like I've kind of
29:44taken the role
29:44that I'm going to take the lead
29:45and take care of you
29:46and I'm worried I can't...
29:47Oh, Thomas!
29:48I can't do that as much already.
29:49We're doing it together.
29:50I'm just worried
29:51I'm going to let you down
29:52a little bit.
29:52No, darling, no.
29:55Yesterday, I was putting
29:56on a brave face for Mum
29:57and that was OK.
29:59I think I tried to do
30:00the same again today
30:01and it just all got a bit too much.
30:03It built up
30:04and then it just kind of
30:05forced its way out
30:06which even took me
30:07by surprise, to be honest.
30:08I haven't seen you cry for years.
30:10It was just so overwhelming.
30:14With the way we've been brought up,
30:16I think Mum and Dad
30:17have always been quite
30:19traditional roles
30:21and values in our family.
30:23I've never really seen
30:24Dad get emotional
30:25and I think you're worried
30:26that showing your emotions
30:27can sometimes be perceived
30:29as you being weak.
30:31So I think maybe that's why
30:32sometimes I don't show
30:34my emotions as much
30:35as I'd like to.
30:39Dad would absolutely love these.
30:44With Caroline and Tom
30:46stuck in Beijing
30:47for a second night,
30:49300 kilometres south,
30:51Elizabeth and Letitia
30:52are pushing on to Bangbu.
30:54Sleeper beds look so nice.
30:56The pillows look so comfy.
30:59Damn it.
31:00It's OK.
31:01We're saving on accommodation.
31:03With a nine and a half hour
31:04overnight journey
31:05in third class.
31:09Oh, and it's even hard.
31:11You know when you sit down
31:12or something
31:13and you're expecting a cushion?
31:14This is going to be interesting.
31:16Yeah, I'm not getting
31:17to sleep tonight.
31:18I don't think so.
31:19Deep inland,
31:22in the city of Luoyang.
31:28I wish I knew
31:29what she was saying.
31:31With plans to visit
31:32the ancient grottos tomorrow,
31:34tonight,
31:35Brian and Melvin
31:36are earning their bed and board.
31:38OK.
31:39I've got it.
31:40I've got it.
31:40I've got it.
31:41It's in hand.
31:41You lead the way.
31:43At Miss Wang's restaurant.
31:44You hold it now.
31:48There we go.
31:52OK.
31:53She's a bit of a hard worker,
31:54isn't she?
31:55What a taskmaster.
31:57She's clipped me once.
31:58Is she?
32:00For me,
32:01I'm used to
32:01the Michelin star restaurant
32:03and the five star hotel.
32:05Actually quite a posh restaurant.
32:07There's some business people
32:08in there
32:08with suits and ties.
32:10A place where I'd certainly eat.
32:12I may have been lucky,
32:13but I've made that luck
32:15by hard work.
32:16Do not fall over,
32:18but do not bear prat.
32:20So I'm quite happy
32:21to get my hands dirty.
32:23That will help us
32:24get those little bits of luxury.
32:26Bye.
32:27Thank you, girls.
32:27Thank you very much.
32:28Bye-bye.
32:29I tell you what,
32:31I'll be glad to get into my bed.
32:33So where are we going then?
32:34The restaurant's over there.
32:35Oh, it's a hotel up here.
32:36I always wanted to go there,
32:38are we?
32:38We're going up a little side alleyway.
32:40It's a bit dark down here, isn't it?
32:42It is, mate.
32:44What's that, Mel?
32:45Yeah, I've seen it.
32:46Oh, I've felt.
32:46Seen it, seen it.
32:48Thank you very much.
32:49I've got a little bit of time on that.
32:50Yeah.
32:51Ah, lovely.
32:53Lovely.
32:56Very good.
33:03People at home
33:04think that I probably can't adapt.
33:06My kids don't think
33:07that I can adapt.
33:09Where's the loo?
33:09Just over there.
33:10Oh, OK.
33:11No.
33:14OK.
33:14We might not be in a hotel every night,
33:16but I would like a bed at night
33:18to lie in and a pillow.
33:20Oh, what's that?
33:22That's just a piece of board.
33:24The bed and board.
33:26It's literally a board.
33:29Bloody, is there any glass in that window?
33:31There was glass on the floor that I picked up,
33:33but there's none in the window.
33:34Does it smell?
33:36Yeah.
33:36No, it doesn't.
33:37It does.
33:38It smells of wee.
33:42Here's a key in the door.
33:45I can't.
33:47Who's going to break it?
33:51Who in the right mind
33:52is going to nick out?
33:54What's happened tonight
34:12is exactly the sort of thing
34:14I was hoping would happen.
34:18I can't remember the last time
34:20we laughed like that together.
34:21It's been all bloody days.
34:28I'll tell you what,
34:28I'm happy with the accommodation.
34:30The accommodation is fine.
34:32That is now my problem.
34:33Hello.
34:51This area feels very calm.
34:53Quite serene.
34:54I like this, yeah.
34:56At the midway point of their journey to Shanghai,
35:00Yin and Gaz have made it
35:01to the holy city of the East,
35:05Chufu.
35:06That's well cool.
35:07Look at that.
35:08Well over 2,000 years old at least.
35:10Home to a sprawling complex
35:12of ancient temples
35:13and the birthplace
35:15of China's most renowned philosopher.
35:17That's the man himself.
35:19Confucius.
35:20When you get your fortune cookie
35:22and there's a proverb in there,
35:23that's probably come from Confucius.
35:26Born 2,500 years ago,
35:28his teachings on morality
35:29and family
35:31garnered such fame
35:32that his home
35:33was turned into a temple
35:34and decorated in a style
35:36usually reserved for emperors.
35:39Do you think they are, dragons?
35:40They are dragons, yeah.
35:42There's a lot of symbolism
35:43in Chinese culture.
35:45I know fish is going to be wealth,
35:47dragon of the strength, courage.
35:49I'm having a really nice time.
35:50It's incredible
35:51being able to see
35:52the symbolism here
35:53that kind of ties back in
35:54with some of the things
35:56that I grew up with.
35:58It's really nice to see
35:59in its context.
36:01My mum and dad
36:02were very traditional Chinese.
36:04They were quite insular.
36:06But I do understand why
36:08because they were
36:09the first wave of immigration.
36:11The writing is so intricate
36:12and they kind of carved
36:14all that scripture in.
36:17I wasn't allowed
36:17to go out into town,
36:20go to parties
36:21and things like that
36:21so I found it really challenging
36:23to be hemmed in.
36:25So when they first met Gaz,
36:28bear in mind
36:29it was in the midst of the 80s
36:32where it was like
36:32the rave culture.
36:34I had long hair,
36:34I had a goatee beard,
36:35you know,
36:36I did look like
36:36a bit dodgy character.
36:38There's a big drum.
36:39Oh, that's cool.
36:40That's a big drum.
36:42The first thing
36:43that my mum said to me
36:44was,
36:45why have you brought
36:45a drug dealer
36:46into our house?
36:48There is quite a rebellious
36:49streak in you as well
36:50and I think that was almost
36:51two fingers to your parents
36:53by saying,
36:53look, I'm going to go this way.
36:55We're going to make a...
36:56Wish to win the race.
36:57OK, let's go.
37:00We've got Confucius
37:01on our side now.
37:02Come on,
37:03we need to get a move on.
37:06This place is huge.
37:07My little village
37:08has nothing compared
37:09to the size of this.
37:10City hopping south,
37:12teenage couple
37:13Finn and Seanhead
37:14are the first team
37:15to reach China's
37:16biggest metropolis.
37:17Once a fishing village
37:20on the Yangtze River,
37:22today Shanghai reigns
37:23as China's
37:24dazzling showpiece.
37:26Packed with over
37:2724 million people,
37:28a flurry
37:29of futuristic skylines
37:31and streets
37:32that echo
37:32with stories
37:33of the past.
37:34Look at his tash.
37:36I think I'm pulling.
37:39Yes!
37:39Oh, she's spinning
37:43too quickly.
37:44I'm getting dizzy,
37:44Seanhead.
37:45Yay!
37:46Well done.
37:48Say cheers.
37:50Let's go.
37:51Right.
37:52I thought she wasn't
37:52going to stop then.
37:55Sean, how long
37:56have you been walking for?
37:57Probably been like
37:57an hour and a half,
37:58an hour.
37:59My back hurts, right?
38:00You feel really dizzy
38:01when I'm at Seanhead.
38:02Oh, my levels are going low now.
38:04Yeah, I think.
38:05You need something.
38:06I need to get
38:06some sugar down me.
38:09I was diagnosed
38:10with type 1 diabetes.
38:12I was 11 years old.
38:13The exercise
38:14will bring down
38:14my levels.
38:15So I'm sitting down now.
38:17I have fast-acting sugar.
38:19We need to wait
38:19for your levels
38:20to go up anyways.
38:21I used to be very,
38:22I guess, insecure.
38:24I thought it was embarrassing.
38:25I remember the day
38:26you found my sensor.
38:27You went here
38:28and you touched.
38:29I was like,
38:29what's that?
38:30I was like,
38:30oh, no.
38:31Like, how did you
38:32actually feel
38:32when I found it?
38:33Were you like,
38:33oh, shit, she's found it?
38:34Gutted.
38:34Or were you...
38:35Really?
38:36Why?
38:36Embarrassed and gutted.
38:37I think I would have
38:37probably hid that
38:38for a lot longer.
38:39Oh, that's quite sad.
38:43I feel like I worry
38:44about Finn's sugar levels
38:45more than he worries
38:46about it, to be honest.
38:47I feel like I take
38:48on the motherly role
38:49a bit with that,
38:50especially when
38:51his mum's not around.
38:53Who's going to be
38:54challenged doing the race?
38:56It's making sure
38:57we plan ahead, I think.
39:02I literally inject you now.
39:04Yeah.
39:04Yeah, to be fair,
39:05you've injected me
39:06in my bottom
39:06many times.
39:10Do you think
39:11we can get a bit
39:11quicker, Mel?
39:12Yeah, but I'll spill my tea.
39:13The key is to see the...
39:15Statues, that's what
39:16we're coming for.
39:17Brian's cultural journey
39:18west has brought
39:20the brothers
39:201,000 kilometres inland
39:22to Longyang,
39:24one of the four
39:25great ancient capitals
39:26of China,
39:27where Buddhism
39:28was first introduced
39:29to the nation
39:30nearly 2,000 years ago
39:31and home to one
39:33of the finest examples
39:34of Buddhist art,
39:35the Longmen grottos.
39:39It's pretty awesome.
39:40I didn't expect it
39:41to be this big again.
39:42I mean...
39:43This is massive.
39:44Oh, my neck.
39:46Hollowed out
39:46of the limestone cliffs
39:48of the Yee River,
39:49countless caves
39:51hold over
39:51100,000 statues.
39:55Amongst them,
39:56the 17-metre-tall
39:57Varyokana Buddha.
39:59He's a big one,
40:00isn't he?
40:01Yeah.
40:01That's hard to call.
40:06Yeah.
40:07His tops of his fingers
40:08are missing,
40:09but if you look
40:10how well-preserved
40:11that is for 1,500 years.
40:13Yeah, you can forgive
40:14the fingers, can't you?
40:15Worth coming, isn't it?
40:16Yeah, definitely worth.
40:17We have taken a step
40:18back in the race
40:19to come and do this,
40:20but this is the real China.
40:24Come on.
40:24It is nice for me
40:27to remember
40:27that Melb is similar to me.
40:29What do you think?
40:30It's huge.
40:31It's amazing, really.
40:33As we're getting older,
40:34it's nice spending
40:35a bit of time
40:36with each other,
40:37which we haven't done
40:38in 50 years.
40:4050 years?
40:41Yeah.
40:41Mainly because
40:42we've gone our separate ways.
40:44Let's take a photo.
40:45Yeah.
40:46Hi.
40:46Would you take a photo
40:47of us two?
40:48Okay, okay.
40:49Hey, thank you, mate.
40:50It's just that one there.
40:51Okay, okay.
40:51Thanks very much.
40:52When we were kids,
40:54we did share interesting things.
40:56Youth hostling,
40:57phishing,
40:57all that kind of stuff.
40:58And it's nice
40:59to start that over again
41:00and pick up
41:01where we left off.
41:02We've not got
41:03on each other's nerves yet.
41:04It's nice at the minute.
41:05It's pleasant.
41:07Yeah, thank you.
41:07Brilliant.
41:09You're welcome.
41:11If you think back,
41:12that's the first time
41:13that we've actually
41:15been together
41:15on the same photograph
41:17in 20, 30 years,
41:19I suppose.
41:20Is it really?
41:21Yeah.
41:21And that's...
41:22Is it?
41:22Well, we need more
41:23of it then, don't we?
41:24Yeah.
41:24We need some more
41:25memories together,
41:26so we need to
41:27throw our camera
41:27at people
41:28and get our picture
41:29taken a bit more, yeah?
41:30Yeah.
41:31Yeah, let's get on the train.
41:32Let's get sorted.
41:35Let's go.
41:38Oh, gosh.
41:42560 kilometers southeast.
41:44Oh, my God.
41:45This is so fun.
41:46I love it.
41:47I mean, it is fun.
41:48I just don't want to go...
41:49Oh!
41:50It's like going up
41:51very steeply.
41:53And heading into
41:53hilly farmlands,
41:55Elizabeth and Letitia
41:57are in the rural
41:58outskirts of Bangboo.
42:01Look how big.
42:03Yeah.
42:04I didn't even know
42:04they'd grow on trees.
42:06Earning their bed and board,
42:08working on the Wang family farm.
42:11OK.
42:11Get to work.
42:15For generations,
42:17they've made their living
42:18growing and selling
42:19white pomegranates,
42:21Chinese symbols
42:22of prosperity.
42:23Oh, dear.
42:24Oh, dear.
42:25Oh, dear.
42:26Ouch.
42:27If I wasn't being stabbed
42:28like every two seconds
42:29by the fawns,
42:30it's actually quite relaxing.
42:32I don't know
42:32how you're getting
42:32stabbed so much.
42:34There's a seven-year
42:36age gap between
42:37the both of us.
42:38Yeah.
42:39Oh!
42:39Oh!
42:40Oh!
42:40No!
42:41Don't throw them.
42:42Who can a bruise?
42:43I think our dynamic
42:44is quite
42:45younger sister,
42:46older sister.
42:47Vibes.
42:48Yeah.
42:49I want to get out
42:50of that, though.
42:51You know?
42:51You're not really trying
42:52to get out of it.
42:54I think you're even
42:55deepening the
42:55younger sister vibes.
42:59Just twist,
43:00twist, twist, twist, twist.
43:01Twist!
43:01Be careful.
43:03I've got to be done
43:04perfectly.
43:05Elizabeth nitpicks
43:06everything.
43:08I think we need
43:09to speed up as well
43:10because we're going
43:10quite slow.
43:12You don't like being
43:12told what to do at all?
43:15No.
43:16Oh!
43:17Yeah.
43:18Just show
43:19something young.
43:20Okay.
43:22He didn't say good.
43:23He said,
43:24okay.
43:27He's asleep here.
43:30It's like a princess
43:31room.
43:31Yeah.
43:32Yeah.
43:33It's us back
43:34sharing again,
43:35isn't it?
43:36It's a piece of
43:36share.
43:37Yeah.
43:38Mm.
43:39Growing up,
43:40it was great having
43:40an old sister,
43:42but then Elizabeth
43:42went to Italy
43:43for nine years,
43:44so we did have
43:46that distance.
43:47She left
43:47when I was
43:48maybe like 15
43:49and she came
43:50back and I was
43:51like an adult,
43:52so we had
43:52that gap.
43:53Oh, wow.
44:05Look at this bread.
44:07She said,
44:10I think my sister
44:22still sees this
44:24how I was
44:24like back then.
44:29It's not spicy.
44:30It's a child.
44:33Yeah, it's a good one.
44:34Oh, um,
44:36her, her, her.
44:37Wow, this is a spirit.
44:38It's so strong.
44:40Our relationship
44:41is very surface level,
44:43so on this race,
44:44I would like her
44:45to see me
44:46as an adult,
44:47as mature
44:48woman.
44:50Mm.
44:51That was so strong.
44:53Anyway.
44:54Wow.
44:55Wow.
44:57Where's the smooth bag?
45:00Have you not got it?
45:01No.
45:02You're such a...
45:03Oh, Mum.
45:06After their static start,
45:08Caroline and Tom
45:09have finally reached
45:10the travel hub
45:10of Xinan.
45:12Eager to make up time,
45:14they've secured
45:15an overnight train
45:16that will take them
45:16770 kilometres
45:18southwards
45:19to the city
45:20of Suzhou
45:20and are riding
45:22in the cheapest
45:22seats they could find.
45:24This train
45:25is really going
45:26to help us
45:27cover a lot of distance
45:28and save money.
45:29So, look,
45:30in the grand scheme
45:31of things,
45:32it's not that bad.
45:33Got a seat.
45:34It's fine.
45:34There's a shared table.
45:36I didn't expect
45:36a bed or anything
45:37or a really comfy seat
45:39for the price we paid.
45:41I've tucked my trousers
45:42into my socks.
45:43I've got plastic shoes on.
45:46This is what happens
45:46when you travel
45:47on a budget, so...
45:48I don't care
45:48how tough it gets
45:49that I'll get through it
45:50and I'll bounce back.
45:51You're doing well.
45:52I think the news
45:53might present a problem,
45:55but...
45:55Go early
45:55before it gets worse,
45:56perhaps.
45:58This is the kind
45:59of travelling I wanted.
46:00I'm sure I wouldn't
46:01be your first choice.
46:02You seem to be now.
46:05You're going up
46:05in the ranks.
46:06Am I?
46:07Fantastic.
46:09You're impressing me.
46:11Yes, really good son.
46:12That's lovely.
46:13I'm quite happy.
46:15Mum is doing pretty good.
46:17I'm sure there's an element
46:19of putting a brave face on.
46:20We're both very determined.
46:23I think we really want
46:25to prove we can come
46:26back from this.
46:27That we do everything
46:28we can to stay
46:29in this race.
46:30I think I love
46:31adventurising now.
46:32Oh, this is so cute.
46:34This family has shown such
46:34great hospitality.
46:35So we really felt really welcome here.
46:37With money saved on accommodation,
46:38the sister's strategy
46:41early morning bang boo this family has shown such great hospitality so we
47:01really felt really welcoming with money saved an accommodation a sister's
47:06strategy to spend big on a direct train 550 kilometers to wuyen the closest station to
47:14the checkpoint town of huanling hopefully we'll make it to the checkpoint really quickly and then
47:20we can enjoy the pomegranates 230 kilometers closer to huanling we're ready to go dear
47:30passengers we are now at hansel station prioritize speed we spend so much on transport I feel like
47:37if we're not there first now I don't know what we've done wrong no I know Finn and Sean had have
47:42one final connection to make to reach the checkpoint uh we on six twenty five six hours no we're not
47:54waiting not long is that earlier earlier only this one then it's three hundred and six one another 30
48:03quid this is so shit okay we'll maybe come back so that's a bit of a kick in the teeth when I've
48:10made a plan I just don't like steering from it well it says buses this way no bus no bus no bus today
48:17at all what you want to do because I've had enough of making decisions I don't know awesome I can't
48:25believe this you're waiting for me to do every single decision this is a joke we should not still
48:30be enough station wow we can't have a bus well I think we should have to go pay for the train and
48:38shut away a stupid amount of time I don't think that we have any other options the youngest team at a
48:45standstill we're off behind them in Shanghai Unam gas have already secured a train towards the
48:54checkpoint departing later in the day it's like an onslaught of the senses really look at that through there
49:02it's going it is like unreal isn't it giving the pair a chance to wander the streets of the city yeah
49:11look at this what's that over there I mean I can't read all of it but there's like I'm assuming parents
49:18who have adverts for their children who are seeking marriage or partners in a city where tradition meets
49:25its ambition many young professionals are too busy to date so every weekend people's park transforms
49:33into a bustling marriage market let's see what's on the market because we're gonna find you a nice
49:39bride you look very very presentable yeah genuinely he'd be a catch for anyone he's got his own teeth and
49:48you know he hasn't got very much hair but he's still I think quite a good-looking man I mean you
49:54know gas was a great husband like when it when the marriage was good I mean it he was a brilliant
50:01husband we were together we were married for I think we were together for 31 years we did split
50:08up two or three years ago when our separate ways I'd consider gas to be a best friend now I think at
50:13the point of the marriage breakup I probably hated him little elements of our relationship deteriorated
50:19we became two separate people living in a house together and then before you know it there's no
50:24going back it's like a rock going down the hill you can see what's happening but you don't change
50:28it see if we can find someone with a friendly face you might we can offer you up to I still get people
50:35friends saying to me oh you guys gonna get back together yeah I'm like absolutely not we're over
50:42that aren't we we're over that did you look for yourselves to find a match actually she's not
50:49single but I'm single oh do you think that um gas would be a really good project too old it's not my
50:56taste not your taste oh no not for me yeah plenty more fish in the sea I might find a wife in India
51:06oh well you'll have lost some weight then won't you so you'll be even more engaged now we need to
51:12concentrate on the checkpoint because I mean we're in touching distance mate as the teams make their
51:18final push towards Huan Ling could you take a photo of us too please Brian and Melvin smile you
51:24miserable get are unable to resist another cultural pit stop another one together it's the second one
51:31under making slow progress towards the checkpoint ahead of them oh my golly an overnight train has
51:40propelled Caroline and Tom's south and back into the race at the lakeside city of Suzhou hello we're
51:47trying to get a train to we can't say it we don't know how oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah oh yeah okay so
52:00Joe to your finance station coffee now transfer in coffee now to oh yeah nothing simple versus it but to
52:08reach the checkpoint a 380 kilometer detour a serious setback for their race even though we covered a
52:17good distance yesterday it's shot us in the back because we kind of have to go back to get to where
52:23we need to it is very deflating to be honest closing in on Wuyen station if we see people we're running we
52:37need to get our chugging on I just wonder how fast the others have gone two teams we should have been
52:43there hours ago we just want to get there now yeah it's going to be close I think it's going to be very
52:48close race mode is on reaching the closest station to the checkpoint teams receive instructions on the
53:04tracker
53:08travel to TTN saw doll in honey and await further instructions okay it begins I would
53:18just get a taxi should we just get a taxi look finally hall
53:23what on route route route route route quick yeah quite yeah
53:35some of the home it all part of us or also should it what did he say it's on a mountain we have to get a
53:41cable car to reach Wang Ling teams must ascend into the mountains via cable car alighting to cross the
53:49leishin suspension bridge their only option to reach the village and the checkpoint
53:55oh wow okay oh gosh wow there is there go go go cable car entrance should we just go let's go let's go let's go let's go oh my gosh oh
54:12okay shall we have a look take cable car B B
54:23and we did not do that I think we've made a mistake this is really really really bad
54:29go we went together soon as possible we've wasted too much time today cable car B B right first stop thank you thank you
54:43thank you so I'm back down again we've wasted time wow look at this that's stunning it's actually really fun oh holy shit
54:57holy shit for the light I feel like I'm in Peter Panza I think a bell will fly out now
55:10continue through the ancient village and find the first checkpoint Wang Ling
55:14Shai Kui Hotel all right let's keep going
55:20okay so after the bridge find the first checkpoint hotel
55:24right we're here there's no hotels on here where's the hotel the village is all up and down up and down could
55:32be up there they're so confused this place just keeps on going I feel like we're just getting nowhere
55:38oh wow I can imagine it's probably quite a nice view in the daylight you can just about see the tops of the
55:47trees and stuff oh god I can hear glass cracking we should ask someone here because there's so many like
55:52different directions we can go see yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah ah okay okay okay
56:00come on oldie what the we're in a race traffic we have to wait a minute quick quick quick quick quick quick
56:17how excited welcome to following a hotel please sign it oh how do you open it I'm too scared I actually
56:29genuinely am you have successfully reached your first checkpoint please sign overleaf
56:34oh wow fair play to them well done I'm actually so glad that we just went last I'm so happy that we're first
56:50it's good I've surprised myself with how well we've actually managed to navigate stuff because China is
56:56massive compared to Wales proud of you well done yay is this it do it go on do it oh okay that's cool
57:06third I'll take that to be third was pretty amazing actually yeah it was amazing because it was a rough
57:13start I really enjoy being together with you as a team I couldn't choose anyone better to do it with
57:18yeah me either
57:19whoa up the page my trousers will fall down with it with it bloody there's so many people
57:35look at that excuse me please thank you thank you what a beautiful place
57:44that's it for us brother mate in hindsight I think we chose the wrong route we're gonna have to plan a
57:59bit better we're not last mate oh it's good Caroline and Tom's still out there
58:04oh brilliant it's going to be really difficult I'm not quite sure how I'll cope come on look at this
58:16place this is just extraordinary in general I think we're quite different and I'm hearing more
58:22differences the more you talk look about my heart we're a couple of old blokes yeah this is an
58:30opportunity to do things differently when we were married in a crisis we're pretty good whoa
58:38as well only just come out of school we're gonna hit bumps I need to wise up I'm a big girl quick
58:46quick quick oh shit shit shit I have no word it is definitely endurance race across the world
59:00people
59:14you