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 wonder if they have a doctor or medic following them around? I can’t remember from previous series. Felt for Sioned loads. But god only knows next series not so much about the relationships and more about the race, countries and any obstacles race (not relationship) related.

There's a medic in the back up vehicle which follows them around. They've been deployed a couple of times I think. One in Sth America with the brother and sister team. He had epilepsy.

Where did it say Caroline is an eventer? I follow Eventing and have never seen/heard of her.

https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/61-year-old-rider-takes-on-bbcs-race-across-the-world-891524

Here. Small scale eventing, but not a word about it in the programme.

I was suspicious when the sisters got train they were saying we back in the race. For all they knew the two other groups who left 24 hours earlier went same route and got that train too. Makes me think some production interference to get them different routes and ensure some drama.
Really fed up with the repetitive back stories someone must think people staying tuned to hear the stories
I do not think the accommodation is deducted from the money shown on screen. Would be much better if they gave insight into how they source accommodations as expect that as hard as catching a bus on time

In the earlier series they used to show all the accommodation costs.

They've cut quite a bit of the interesting stuff to shoehorn in excessive backstory ramblings.

I've warmed more to Tom and Caroline in the last two episodes as they've relaxed into the flow.

The brothers are still my favourites. There's warmth and humour to them.

I can understand Sionned's overwhelm, and Fin did well getting her through the urban areas when she went into shut down.

I like Elizabeth, but Letitia's reserve is frustrating. I want to see them relax with each other. I love the travel which is the main part of the show, but there is the personal development side to it, and on epic journeys like that, you do test/ develop the relationship and learn a lot along the way.

Budget is probably less of a focus this time because the costs are relatively low and there's no significantly more expensive countries to mess up their budgets.

Train travel is hard to do at short notice in India. I used trains more in the north with a few days notice to get a sleeper. In the south (recovering from food poisoning) we hired a driver for the simplicity and comfort which was relatively cost effective.

Nepal is very much bus country. You get used to the perilous edges... and burned out wrecks across the hill sides. Although the crashed bus with people still getting out was somewhat alarming... it must only have been a few minutes ahead of us!

The scariest road was in Tibet coming away from base camp and there was an oncoming vehicle on the narrow road. No passing points for ages. We were told to get out of the 4x4 and wait while the two drivers passed each other with barely an inch to spare between the side of the mountain, the other vehicle and the side of the cliff with total precision. It was nerve wracking to watch!

They got lucky on the clear weather at the Taj Mahal; it's normally rather smoggy.

I think Fin and Sioned are at risk of becoming the pair that are essentially written off in the final as being too far behind to be real contenders. Hopefully they get some luck in the next leg, but I was wondering if their choice to keep going to rural countryside places recently is slowing them down. They did well the first couple of legs in China when focused on city routes. As one of the brothers said, it's at the stage where they have to be mindful of how off the beaten track experiences and homestays are going to take them now.

Oh my days, I’m so bored of Letitia and Elizabeth’s ‘loss of family home’ - were they homeless on the street or did they just move somewhere smaller?? They’re so awkward with each other, and Letitia always seems defensive and snipey with her sister. So weird she was competitive about who’s the middle child and had it worse. She just seems a naturally melancholic person but that doesn’t make her as sympathetic as having a vague back story.

Fin impressed me with how confident he was standing his ground with the riksha drivers, and looking after Sioned. Wonder how they’ll claw back all that time though!

I was touched by Brian crying because he missed his wife, awww and Melvin’s obv sadness he didn’t have children. Still my favourites but want to see more of their funny side.

Tom and Caroline have done well, and I’ve warmed to them more. She’s had 4 kids hasn’t she and he’s the youngest? I’m glad she was honest with him about she felt as men need to see full time motherhood as the sacrifice and hard work it is and not think their ‘mums’ don’t have aspirations beyond motherhood.

As someone who grew up in India i don’t know why so much focus on these awful bits when there’s so much beauty and calm elsewhere. But not as good tv. These northern states (not the mountainous areas and hill stations of course) are the poorest, most crowded, conservative and chaotic and lawless. I never understand why so many foreigners think they’re going to find enlightenment here! But it does explain why Indians do so well globally even in the far corners of the world because of the resilience it takes to live here.

I felt for Sioned crying at seeing the child poverty (that must be a shock) but told DH the poor in India are still happier than a lot of the rich here. There’s such an aspirational, community minded and hustling ethic, people normally feel things can only get better if they try. Maybe that’s the real enlightenment.

@BreezySwan I thought the same as you actually, that they all look so much better rested this series, seem to be doing less overnight travel and less work, and also seem way less stressed about the budget than usual (and maybe seem to be working less too?) I’ve been wondering if they’ve changed the rules or been more generous with budget etc this year.

@luluzu thats an interesting perspective about the resilience of Indian immigrants in other countries. I’m a doctor and have worked with lots of Indian doctors and have definitely noticed this tendency.

i always say i dont like the relationship angle but someone said to me that is what it is about
no it isnt, it is unnecessary.
i do like caroline, she is leading the way! full of get up and go

I haven't watched the last episode yet. Letitia is very well spoken so wondering if when they lost their home she went to an unhappy boarding school?

Thank you @TwentyKittens makes sense.

de a lot of back stories as even dh has noticed and said they have overdone it! I like the drama of the race rather than the stories.

The brothers seem to be the only ones having any fun!

I think we just haven't seen their respective conversations about their budgets, and that the producer has decided that showing the percentages as they go along is enough.

Which is a shame as the budget worries and discussions were an integral part of the show.

Another of the numerous aspects sacrificed for the backstories.

I think they are all spending sensibly and similarly this time. Not lots of taxi journeys. They don't seem to be working as much?

The sisters would need to have some massive back story reveal coming for all this “we can’t be ourselves” angst.

The brothers childhood sounds terrible. 😞

I think Fin and Suined are low 30s percent wise with their money, which is pretty low. They've spent on hotels whereas the others did more homestays.

Am going to rewatch and see what everyone's on.

No great revelations here but I had wondered if Caroline was widowed. She's not.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/race-across-the-world-caroline-tom-bbc-interview-134229502.html

There is a vast amount of wealth in India but I guess we saw the budget transport hubs. I’d love to go now.

the sisters. I reckon in 10 years time they will grow into themselves and get on better.

I think I got the final percentages left shown on screen. Although Im not sure they showed the end percentages of all of them.

Fin & Sioned 35%
Brian & Melvyn 41%
Elizabeth & Letitia 43%
Caroline & Tom 48%

I went back to the first programme and got this graphic. I think, like others have said, even with 35% left the money may not be too much of an issue since they're at Checkpoint 5.

However, when they reach the last leg, a team with a lot left could splurge on something super fast.

I am watching an old bbc 3 programme with a very young Stacey Dooley and a few other teenagers about the Indian sweat shops making fashion clothes ! I don’t remember it being on in 08, but I can imagine that not much has changed there :(
appalling conditions to work in and paid an absolute pittance to work long hours and sleep where they work too.
I can imagine that these people won’t see any of this on this trip!