Race Across the World

[Liquorandvinegar]

New series starting next week - really looking forward to it. The teams are travelling in Asia, but I can't find information about the couples yet. Wednesday nights sorted!

I agree.

Er, they’re not presenting the show. How would you have liked to them to have reacted to the accommodation?

My post was in response to PPs saying they will get a travel show deal. Obviously they are not presenting this show.

They can react how they wish to poor people's living conditions.

but they were actually sitting down crying, just get to your destination, fair enough to cry if it helps but the shot of them actually sitting crying was pathetic in a race

Harsh! We’ve seen participants crying before on RATW, I understand why. I’d probably cry from lack of sleep, being uncomfortable, not having a shower, and panicking about where the next decent loo might be.

Our tour in the Himalayas was in a small bus (for about 12 people). We could not understand what job the young lad had who put out the steps every time we stopped until we got into the mountains. When there, he would lean out the window and tap the side of the bus, fast tapping meant we were getting too near the edge! The bus body overhung the wheel base so it would often feel that we were over the edge. Strangely, despite being a nervous traveller,I never felt scared.
It was amazing to see the school children, in pristine white school uniform, hoping from boulder to boulder ….these boulders marked the edge of a vertiginous drop.

i was annoyed by sioned actually sitting on the ground crying about being overwhelmed.#*

I didn't like India and I was there on a work trip with 5-star hotels. The volume of people is just something else - even in rural areas.

i wondered if the camera crew told them to sit down

There wasn’t much of the Welsh couple the trailer for next week. I wonder if they leave??

I like the brothers as they can laugh at themselves and their situations

Being a similar age, I can relate to their description of their upbringingng. Their mother sound as warm and caring as mine was.

I am sad when people say their parents didn’t love them. My late mum certainly wasn’t perfect , but she had so much love for us all and was wise and caring and just looked out for us. I didn’t always appreciate it, but hearing others I realize how such small things are important ( like a hug or a chat )
The brothers relationship was obviously influenced by being parted and the sisters are the same.
Parents make choices not realizing how it may affect siblings sometimes.

Yes. Especially the loo bit. It affects your whole being when you are desperate for the loo.

I know my mum loves me but she isn't tactile at all and I actually can't remember the last time we said we loved each other..,or hugged..whi h is probably why I find it awkward to say to my partner and children..though I do.
I hug my youngest but probably need to do so with my eldest more(hes 18 so probably wouldn't thank me.
The brothers are the most entertaining but I like all couples except the sisters,
Well that's not true I don't dislike them just indifferent to them,they are so serious and distant with each other.
The brothers obviously spent a lot of time apart as youngest and into adulthood but they aren't like that.
Warming to tom and caroline.
Young couple sweet.

Did you mean to sound so rude @Umbilicat?

Whilst I also suspect this was put on with the help of the camera crew "for laughs" - you're not going to pick up any major nasties from buffalo poo IIRC, whereas there CAN be some nasty bacteria/ parasites in pig sh*t, hence the shovel.

I could be taking out of my backside myself of course, either way his face was a picture, especially after he looked so relieved about not having to deal with the pigs 😂

No, I think you're right. Horse or cow poo are less toxic than pig, dog or cat poo.

Yes I did because I thought the pp was being ridiculous and this is Mumsnet, but it's been deleted if any hurt feelings.

I only came across Race Across the World when this series started so have been watching Series 1 inbetween episodes. Which is much more pacey - what’s with all these long- drawn out back stories? I want to see the places they go to and how they get there, not more poor-me stories. I don’t blame the participants, I know it’s all in the edit but it slows everything down

I hated what I saw of India! How can anyone function in such a chaotic and overcrowded country?

Going from China to Nepal is such a culture shock. China is a very curated state, even if you're making your way around with Lonely Planet.

Nepal is such a vibrant explosion of life.

We bussed in from the Tibetan Plateau and followed a valley down into Kathmandu over two days. It was mindblowing coming down as the desert gradually greened up and suddenly became lush and verdent. The first half was on our highly organised official tour (we were very lucky to get permits to enter Tibet and the Everest National Park for base camp, and a week or two either side and it wouldn't have happened for political and seasonal reasons). We were dropped off at the border town, crossed the bridge into Nepal then public bus to Kathmandu. The mountain roads are perilous too.

Marigolds always remind me of Pokhara. I've got photos of the Annapurnas rising through the clouds behind the foothills looking totally surreal with the marigolds in the foreground. It's like one of those dreamy, OTT paintings with too much going on... but for real!

We travelled from the Nepalese border into India and Varanasi in one day and it was our most intense travel of the whole trip. Packed jeeps, multiple buses, walking through the border, hours of indeterminate waiting at Gorakpur station, then cramped on the train with people hanging around above in the luggage racks, then tuk tuks then walking the last bit into the old town where the streets were too narrow for the tuk tuks.
And after all the the hostel was not salubrious. We didn't trust the matresses for bedbugs, so slept on our mats on the floor, and next morning, hunted for somewhere better.

It was our third destination, somwhere more rural that we relaxed into India and enjoyed it. Everything is happening full throttle all around you. You can barely move without people wanting your attention. The second place we went to, I ended recieving delightful comments like "nice wife". Sigh. I did end up buying some baggier tops despite having been careful about coverage when packing.

The rest of India was fine. The open culture of harrassment seemed localised, and we kind of caught up with the pace. We didn't go into big cities like Delhi though.

Rajasthan, further west was a lot more relaxed as was the south.

This episode made me rather emotional seeing so many places I've been to! It's been good having a more varied "travelling" episode too.

I can't blame Sioned for getting overwhelmed, it's such a culture shock, especially when you're already exhausted.

Hmm, do think it is a bit cynical of the BBC to leave it to episode 4 to tell us about Tom’s health issues. Feels like they were more interested in chasing good tv than being honest from the start. Obviously it completely changes everything about the pair.

Yes I think that’s fairly major. Compared to diabetes of Welsh lad revealed very early on. Must have similar impact in some ways.

I agree. It feels like the first time we've been manipulated to that extent.

@RacedAcrossTheWorld that sounds awesome and overwhelming. Have backpacked around central and South America and each country you get in the culture and you cross the borders and completely different again!

@WhoStoleYourHighHorse cynical? The bbc? Surely not! 🤣

I enjoy hearing about others' lives.

Uncomfortable watching Letitia's vulnerability though, as I thought she presented as confident before opening up. Didn't like the way her sister spoke about Letitia being a different personality type.

They are not portraying introverted qualities in a good light - Sioned being overwhelmed is just how some people react.

Tall Brian looked unwell at checkin. Warming to the brothers after hearing about their mother.

Interesting that they shared about Tom leaving school without any GCSEs before showing the problems with his hand and health.

Oh and handling animal faeces totally unnecessary and i would have refused.