The Amazing Race Asia 3 - Episode 10

Bhaja Caves

First task is for teams to travel by taxi to Bhaja Caves 60 km. out of Pune.

Sam and Vince left at 12 midnight and the last team, AD and Fuzzie, left almost 3 hours later. What I found funny here is that there are already taxis waiting outside the Pit Stop even at those hours.

When Sam and Vince got to the caves, they encountered an Hours of Operation for 7 AM so they decided to find a nearby motel to get some more rest. All teams looked for a place to rest as well with AD and Fuzzie being the unfortunate ones to find a room with no electricity and looked like a cell. At least they were able to catch up with the others.

In the morning, teams had no problems getting their next clue.

Mahatma Gandhi Born on 1977??

Teams must then travel by train back to Pune and locate the Statue of Mahatma Gandhi. They must take down notes from the statue then make their way to a nearby Standard Chartered ATM where they need to enter a PIN code to get their next clue. If they entered the wrong code, they have to take a 10-minute penalty to get their clue. Cool task I must say.

Everybody traveled in the same cramped train but Ida and Tania found the statue first which is near the station. When they arrived at the ATM, they found out that the PIN code is asking for the birthyear of Gandhi. They weren’t paying attention at the details on the statue so they just asked the locals for the answer. Fortunately, almost everyone knew the answer and they got their next clue.

AD and Fuzzie took a rickshaw and accidentally skipped the statue and headed straight to the ATM. Must’ve read the clue wrong but since they don’t want to go back, they just asked the locals for the answer and got their clue as well.

Geoff and Tisha and Sam and Vince got lost searching and had to go back near the station. They got their notes and went to the ATM. Sam and Vince got the correct answer and their clue.

When it’s time for Geoff and Tish to punch in the code, they entered 1977 which is the year the statue was inaugurated (correct me if I’m wrong). C’mon guys 1977? Trish would be older than him then. Ida and Tania had a good laugh at this booboo during their confession.

Going to Muscat, Oman

After India, teams must travel by plane to Muscat, Oman for their next clue. TARA didn’t show any scenes in the airport so I guess another bunching happened there. Good for Team Philippines.

All 4 teams arrived in Muscat in the evening and found their vehicles and their clue.

Al Alam Palace

Teams must then drive themselves to Al Alam Palace for their next clue.

Sam and Vince got a local to guide them there. Ida and Tania found a guide as well while Team Singapore and Team Philippines just relied on their map.

Ida and Tania managed to get to the palace first for their clue which is more driving but this time to Nizwah Fort.

AD and Fuzzie got lost but Geoff and Tish happened to be just behind them who are equally lost.

Sam and Vince got to the palace next and their guide offered to lead them to their next task as well. Lucky guys.

Clue Hunting at Nizwah Fort

Ida and Tania arrived at the fort first (late at night) but encountered another Hours of Operation for 7 AM. All teams bunched up again here but TARA didn’t show where they slept.

In the morning, they got their task which is to search the huge place for their next clue.

Vince and Sam found the clue box first with Ida and Tania close behind. When they read their clue, they realized that the place is littered with lots of clue boxes with only one box having the correct clues.

Ida and Tania found the correct box first and quickly went to their next task which is to drive to Mutrah Souq.

Sam and Vince found the correct clue next followed shortly by Geoff and Tisha. Outside, they decided to team up and split the taxi that will lead them to their next destination. Tisha is anticipating an intersection so the team up might be beneficial if there’s really one.

DETOUR: Carpet or Count It

In Mutrah Souq, teams must choose between Carpet or Count It.

For the Carpet task, teams must make their way to a nearby carpet shop where they will get a camera with a photo of an intricate carpet design. They must search the whole place for the carpet with the matching design.

In Count It, teams must get to a nearby novelty shop and count a sack of dry limes and get the correct number for their next clue.

I really hate counting tasks especially if there are more than a thousand things to count but the carpet one is not easy either. This is one tough detour.

Ida and Tania arrived first and chose to count.

Sam and Vince and Geoff and Tish chose count as well and talked about teaming up so they can compare answers. Uhhh, usually tasks like this involve different answers so there’s no point. Just a side note, Team Philippines came prepared with a calculator.

AD and Fuzzie caught up with the other teams counting as Ida and Tania got the wrong answer on their first attempt. Sam and Vince got their first try wrong as well.

Make Up Your Mind

When Geoff and Tish got their answer wrong, Geoff made a decision to switch to the Carpet task with Tish not totally agreeing.

Geoff gave themselves 20 minutes to finish the Carpet task. But instead of focusing with the task at hand, the two kept on bickering among themselves saying that switching was a mistake. After a few half-hearted searches, they gave up and went back to the Count task.

Ida and Tania are clearly fatigued on their third try counting. AD and Fuzzie got it wrong as well on their 1st try.

Sam and Vince finally nailed the correct number on their third attempt and left for their next task.

Geoff grumbled when Sam and Vince left them thinking of their supposed-to-be team-up. Anyway, when they got the same number as their 1st attempt, they decided to switch to the Carpet task again. Groan.

Ida and Tania finally managed to get it right on their 3rd attempt.

Back at the Carpet task, Geoff and Tish are still having trouble with the task after searching through dozens of carpets and it’s really affecting their temper. They gave up and went back to the Count task yet again! You guys are really killing yourselves.

AD and Fuzzie finally got the correct answer as Geoff and Tish just got started with their counting, feeling the pressure.

Team Philippines Doomed?

Next task is for teams to travel to Wadi Tanuf which is 2.5 hours south of Muscat.

Sam and Vince who were the first to leave the Detour kinda got lost. The locals weren’t much of a help either as they don’t know where exactly the place is. AD and Fuzzie are having trouble as well with their map is not being too detailed.

When Sam and Vince reached a rocky area, they really thought that they are lost but look who came up behind them, Ida and Tania! Sam was really happy to see another team and both decided to work together to find the place.

However, they still can’t figure out where the place is and look who managed to catch up with them? Geoff and Tish followed by AD and Fuzzie! The 4 teams are together again and Team Philippines are back in the race.

ROADBLOCK: Traverse Canyon

When the teams arrived at Wadi Tanuf, they encountered a Roadblock which requires a team member to traverse a canyon. Now exactly knowing how to do the task, Sam, Ida, Geoff and Fuzzie did the roadblock for their respective teams.

When they got to the canyon, they found out that they have to rappel horizontally on a zip line and get the clue on the other end then pull themselves back again.

Two teams can do the task at the same time so Sam and Ida went first. Both managed to get to the end without any problem, however pulling themselves back proved to be difficult for Sam who was stuck halfway.

Ida finished the roadblock ahead of Sam and got the next clue.

Pit Stop

The Pit Stop for this leg is just near the roadblock and when Ida and Tania checked in first, they were informed by Allan that they were the first of the final three teams. Good job girls! They also won $2500 each courtesy of Standard Chartered. Sweet!

Who Would Give Up First?

Geoff is up next and was clearly psyched to do the task. He quickly got the clue on the other end and made his way back lightning fast like a wild animal. They got their clue and checked in at the Pit Stop for 2nd place. Great job Geoff! You redeemed yourself.

Sam was really exhausted and helpless as he saw Geoff zipped pass by him. Vince kept on pushing him telling him not to give up. He must be thinking to himself that he should be the one doing the roadblock.

It’s time for Fuzzie to traverse the canyon. Uh oh, I wonder why AD didn’t insist on doing the roadblock.

Still stuck halfway, Sam chose to give up and take a 4-hour penalty to put themselves in a perfect spot where they could be eliminated.

When Fuzzie saw Sam gave up, she thought they were home free even if she finish the task in half an hour. However, on her way back, she can’t muster any strength to pull herself any more so she gave up as well effectively eliminating themselves and saving Sam and Vince.

Placement after the 10th leg:

1st - Ida and Tania ($2500 each)
2nd - Geoff and Tish
3rd - Sam and Vince
4th - AD and Fuzzie (eliminated)

RP couple is in the final leg of Amazing Race Asia 3

Dating couple Geoff Rodriguez and Tisha Silang of the Philippines made it to the final leg of Amazing Race Asia 3 after finishing second in tonight's episode. Tisha and Geoff will join Malaysia's Ida and Tania, who stepped on the mat first, and Hong Kong boys Vince and Sam, who came in third place, in the 11th and final leg.

The finale episode of Amazing Race Asia 3 will be aired next Thursday, November 20, in AXN.

Amazing Race Asia 3 is the third installment of the popular reality game show, which is actually a spin-off of the Emmy award-winning reality show Amazing Race. It is hosted by Singapore-based Chinese-American actor Allan Wu.

Geoff and Tisha now have the chance to become the first team from the Philippines to win Amazing Race Asia and the $100,000 cash prize. They will also have the chance to erase or at least duplicate the third-place finish of Marc Nelson and Rovilson Fernandez last season.

Geoff and Tisha are actually good friends with Marc and Rovilson.

At the start of the 10th leg, Geoff and Tisha were in third place; behind the teams from Hong Kong and Malaysia. In fourth place was A.D. and Fuzzie of Singapore.

Geoff and Tisha were actually behind most of the 10th leg when they made some crucial errors. First was when they failed to answer correctly the year Mahatma Gandhi, India's major spiritual and political leader, was born (1869). Then, in Detour (a task that all teams must perform), both Geoff and Tisha had a hard time counting the exact number of nuts inside a sack.

Luckily, all teams got lost going to the Roadblock (a task that only one member of the team can pefrorm) in Muscat, Oman, so Geoff and Tisha arrived there the same time as the other teams. Geoff also finished the Roadblock easily that enabled them to came in second, behind the team from Malaysia.

The team from Singapore, which finished last, got eliminated.

Amazing Race Asia 3 started with ten teams from different Asian countries, including India, South Korea, and Thailand. After each leg, one team gets eliminated except for the pre-determined non-eimination legs.

Tisha was crowned Bb. Pilipinas-Universe in 1998 but resigned due to her Canadian citizenship. She also tried hosting before in some shows of GMA-7, including Mornings@GMA. Tisha also had a relationship with TV host Paolo Bediones.

Geoff, on the other hand, was a member of the all-male group Powerboys, which also included Jordan Herrera, Frank Garcia, Greg martin, and Jay Salas.

Team Philippines, take three

We haven’t had much luck in The Amazing Race Asia. In Season 1, Jeena & Ernie were the first team to be eliminated ever, with Aubrey & Jacqueline following closely at their heels as the second. In Season 2, Henry & Terri entertained us immensely with their real-life drama, but, after several strokes of extraordinary luck, they were booted out on the eight leg, with Marc & Rovilson almost making it at third place. But good news! Team Philippines is still in the running in Season 3 of The Amazing Race Asia—at least until tonight, when the final leg will air at 9pm on AXN.

The ninth out of 10 legs brought the remaining four teams—Geoff & Tisha (Team Philippines), Sam & Vince (Team Hong Kong), Ida & Tania (Team Malaysia) and A.D. & Fuzzie (Team Singapore)—to Pune, in West India. Geoff & Tisha had been leading the pack, despite not having any alliances with any of the other teams, but constant spats seem to have weighed them down a little, not to mention cost them a lot of fans. The rest of the teams don’t like them. As a matter of fact, in the TARA interviews of eliminated teams, nobody seems to be rooting for Team Philippines at all. It’s safe to say they’re no Marc & Rovilson in terms of likeability, and yet they’re not as fascinating as constantly-on-the-warpath-with-each-other Henry & Terri either.

Former Powerboy Geoff Rodriguez can be a pain—a trait he readily admits to—so it’s a good thing Tisha’s a couple of years older and knows how to handle his tantrums. Still, there’s no denying they still come on strong. And it’s still great to see them holding on to the Philippine flag—even if neither of them are Filipinos, strictly speaking.

The ninth leg was made interesting by a new marker: the U-Turn. Getting the U-Turn markers means the team would have to go back to the Detour task they chose not to do and complete it. In this leg, Geoff & Tisha chose to U-Turn A.D. & Fuzzie.

Geoff & Tisha themselves were close to getting the U-Turn from Ida & Tania, who, unfortunately for them, didn’t have their picture to post, thereby keeping them from doing so. It could be a good sign for Team Philippines—or it could be a trigger of the notorious Amazing Race karma that could hit them in tonight’s tenth and final leg.

I came across some interesting theories as to who will win in TARA 3. Based on the trends from previous seasons, it could be Sam & Vince or Geoff & Tisha. During TARA 2, Colin & Adrian appeared in a major Sony commercial before they came out as the official winners. Sam & Vince already have a full-length Sony TV ad out. However, Henry & Bernie (Team Malaysia 2), who were eliminated in the 8th leg, also came out with a Sony ad shortly afterwards.

There are several spoiler theories that point to Geoff & Tisha. First of all, the TARA 1 launch party was held in Malaysia, and Team Malaysia won. On the other hand, the TARA 2 launch party was held in Singapore, and Team Singapore won. The TARA 3 launch party was held in Makati, Philippines. Apart from that, rumors circulating in forums—you just have to love online forums—say that Geoff & Tisha appeared in a taped episode of local sports talk show Hard Ball with hosts Bill Velasco, Jinno Rufino and Boyet Sison. Jinno supposedly started congratulating Tisha before saying, “Ooops!” and the other hosts reprimanded him, with Bill reminding him of the non-disclosure clause.

I didn’t see that episode myself—as if there’d ever be a chance of me watching a sports show—so I don’t know how true that is. What I do know is that the non-disclosure agreement, when broken, comes with a $5 million penalty.

Whether or not the theories carry any weight, we really don’t have long to wait. Let’s see if the Philippine flag will be unfurled yet again on the way to the TARA finish line tonight. And let’s see if Team Philippines will finally finish first.

 

- Althea Lauren Ricardo, Philstar

Tisha Silang and Geoff Rodriguez: Race of their life

If you’ve been following the exciting last few episodes of “The Amazing Race Asia 3,” you know that real-life couple Tisha Silang and Geoff Rodriguez have had their share of arriving first in the pit stops.

In this exclusive chitchat with Super, the couple dishes out status quotes on the race that “has changed everything.”

On their relationship

Tisha: I think during the first couple of episodes, we were still trying to get used to racing together.

Geoff: I agree. As the race has gone on, we’ve learned so much more about each other.

T: Now that we’re near the end, we’ve put all the fighting out of the way.

G: Besides, it’s normal for relationships.

T: With dating, sometimes you don’t really get to know anything about the other person. This race has changed everything.

On the competition

T: All the teams are pretty much neck and neck at this point. And we don’t have an alliance with anybody.

G: You know, looking back, we knew we weren’t the most liked—we were likely to be yielded anytime.

On arriving first at the pit stop for the very first time

G: The word to describe that would be refreshing. See, we had a chance to place first in the first episode of the race and we gave it away. Placing first now was more rewarding. We were on a total high.

T: I was just relieved. It was kinda like a validation of—

G: —of our relationship.

T: That if we could just keep the bickering aside, we could do anything.

G: This whole thing was just great for us.

Be there on the finish line. Catch “TAR 3” on AXN every Thursday at 9 p.m.

 

- James Gabrillo, Philippine Daily Inquirer

The Amazing Race Asia 3 - Episode 9

Still in India

Teams started in Cochin and their first task is to go to Pune so they have to travel by plane back to Mumbai to get there. Then in Pune, they have to find the Jawaharlal Nehru Cricket Stadium for their next task.

The last team, Sam and Vince, left around 30 minutes after the first team and all of them met at the airport and got in the same flight to Mumbai.

From Mumbai to Pune

When they landed in Mumbai, all teams except for Ida and Tania went to the pre-paid taxi counter to get a taxi that will take them to Pune.

Not wanting to waste any time, Ida and Tania went outside to get a taxi of their own. Fortunately, they found a willing driver who knows where the stadium is and they were on their way ahead of the other teams.

Sam and Vince’s driver doesn’t know where the stadium is and was just following Geoff and Tisha’s taxi, who unfortunately doesn’t know the way either. Some blind leading the blind going on here. AD and Fuzzie’s cabbie also doesn’t know the way but they’re on their own.

Ida and Tania were the first to arrive at the cricket stadium.

Let’s Play Some Cricket

Next task is to play some cricket. They have to hit the ball with the cricket paddle onto some boards on the other end of the field. If they fail to hit the boards in 36 tries, they will have to wait for 10 minutes before they receive their next clue.

Ida and Tania suited up and started to play.

Let’s Not Get Ahead of Ourselves

Sam and Vince and Geoff and Tish are duking it out but unfortunately, their drivers still don’t know how to get to the stadium. While cruising around, they saw a TARA clue box so both teams hopped off their taxis and raced to get the clue.

I guess they got a hint from their cameraman that they’re at the wrong place because it turned out that the clue box that they saw is for a future task.

Anyway, they boarded a couple of auto-rickshaw to take them to the stadium.

Back at the Cricket Stadium

Ida and Tania had difficulties hitting the ball hard enough to reach the other end and eventually used up all their tries. They took the 10-minute penalty and while waiting, they saw Sam and Vince and Geoff and Tish arrive at the stadium. No sign of AD and Fuzzie yet.

Geoff’s problem is that he never play any sport (kinda hard to believe for an athletic looking guy) while Vince played a bit of softball.

Finally, Ida and Tania’s 10-minutes are up and they received their next clue. A few minutes later, Vince hit the ball hard enough and finished the task for their next clue.

Geoff and Tish are hopeless in any sport involving balls and they’re clearly having a hard time even just hitting them.

Meanwhile, AD and Fuzzie finally arrived as Geoff and Tish began their 10-minute wait.

Navigate with GPS

Teams’ next task is to use a Nokia 6210 Navigator to guide a rickshaw driver to their next destination which is at Shaniwar Wada (where S&V and G&T ended up before). Ida and Tania had no problem getting there well ahead of the other teams for their next task.

Meanwhile, AD was able to hit the ball towards the other end to finish the task while Geoff and Tish were still waiting. But they didn’t have to wait long enough to get their clue and managed to catch up with AD and Fuzzie outside the stadium.

ROADBLOCK: Pheta Finding

Next task is a roadblock where a team member must search the correct pheta (traditional headwear for Indian men) among 50 men walking around the Shaniwar Wada. Once they found a pheta with the word “correct” printed on it, the man will hand them the clue.

It’s kinda confusing since the men are walking around so you might end up looking at the same pheta again. There are only four correct phetas and the last team to get there would be at a slight disadvantage (1 out of 47 chance to get it right).

Anyway, Ida found a correct pheta and got their next clue before the other teams arrived.

Travelling in a Circle

Geoff and Tish admitted that they left their brain at the stadium when they did the navigation task. They didn’t know how to work the navigator and ended up following the direction towards their starting point, which is back to the stadium. Huge mistake and waste of time.

Sam and Vince arrived at Shaniwar Wada and Vince found a correct pheta in time. AD and Fuzzie arrived shortly after and Fuzzie finished the task before Geoff and Tish arrived.

Joke Time

The next task is for teams to travel by rickshaw to the Sony World showroom in Auda. They will each get a Sony HD cam and must go outside and record a person telling a joke. They must then return to the showroom and show the joke to a panel of judges who will decide if it’s funny enough for them to give the next clue. Not a good idea for task in my opinion.

Anyway, Ida and Tania got a joke quickly but it was soooo lame (”Two Sardarjis are playing chess.” That’s it.) that the judges did not approve of the joke. However, second try was funnier and the judges agreed and gave them their next clue.

Shortly after, Sam and Vince arrived and got a good joke on the first try that was promptly approved by the judges.

Meanwhile, Geoff and Tish finally arrived at the pheta place and Tish took some time before she got the correct one with a bit of help. The guy with the correct pheta was smiling at her.

DETOUR: Push or Crush

In Push, teams must go to a pottery shop and deliver 70 unbroken pots to a store in Mahatma Phule Mandai Market which is 1 km away using a cart.

In Crush, teams must go to the same market and must crush some sugarcanes and make them into juice to sell to bystanders. They must earn 200 rupees with a glass of juice costing 5 rupees each.

Ida and Tania chose Push while Sam and Vince chose Crush.

At this point, AD and Fuzzie had their first joke denied. 2nd one was bad as well and this allowed Geoff and Tish to catch up but got a poor joke on their first try. 3rd try was good for AD and Fuzzie but Geoff and Tish who were standing just behind them got their 2nd joke approved as well. Neck and neck for the 3rd and 4th team and both chose to do Crush.

Ida and Tania had a hard time maneuvering the cart while avoiding cars and potholes.

However, Sam and Vince had no problems crushing and selling sugarcane juice. They saw Ida and Tania pass by them going to their destination with 2 of their pots falling off their cart. Good thing they brought extra pots.

Sam and Vince were able to earn 200 rupees before the girls finished delivering their goods. When they got their clue, they saw that it featured a U-Turn.

The Dreaded U-Turn

For those of you who do not know, U-Turn’s only appear after a detour task. Any team can force another team behind them to take a U-Turn in which they have to do the other detour task before they can proceed.

Sam and Vince got to the U-Turn first but chose not to use it and went on to their next task. Actually, Sam thought of using it on Ida and Tania but Vince convinced him otherwise thinking that they might already be ahead of them. Uh oh, this doesn’t bode well for Geoff and Tish.

Twist of Fate

When Ida and Tania got to the U-Turn, they quickly thought of using it on Geoff and Tish who are battling it out with AD and Fuzzie. Then TARA paused for a commercial. Say goodbye to Team Philippines.

When TARA continued, Ida found out that they didn’t have their photo with them so they can’t use the U-Turn on anybody. Whew, close call for Geoff and Tish and nice use of a commercial.

Now whoever reaches the U-Turn next should automatically U-Turn the last team to gain some lead.

Pit Stop

Next task is for teams to make their way to the Pit Stop at Gokhale Institute.

Sam and Vince got there first and won a Nokia N96 each. Ida and Tania followed suit after a short while.

Who Will Get U-Turned?

AD and Fuzzie arrived at the sugarcane task before Geoff and Tish and they had the lead in terms of money earned. However, Fuzzie grew really tired and had to rest for a bit while Geoff and Tish are quickly gaining on them.

Eventually, Geoff and Tish managed to finish and get their clue first but AD and Fuzzie also finished shortly after. It’s a battle on who can get to the U-Turn box first.

AD and Fuzzie were hanging on to the thought of Ida and Tania U-Turning Geoff and Tish or else it’ll be over for them.

When Geoff and Tish arrived at the U-Turn box, they were really surprised that their photo was not posted. They quickly did what they had to do and U-Turned AD and Fuzzie.

When AD and Fuzzie arrived at the U-Turn, they got confused and thought that Geoff and Tish managed to get there before Ida and Tania. Already tired, they still went to the Push task and finished it.

When they got to the Pit Stop, they thought that it would be the end of the line for them but Allan announce that it was another non-elimination leg. However, they have to come in first on the next leg or suffer a time penalty.

Team placement after the 9th leg:

1st - Sam and Vince (Nokia N96 each)
2nd - Ida and Tania
3rd - Geoff and Tish
4th - AD and Fuzzie (not eliminated but have to check in 1st or get 30-minute penalty)

The Amazing Race Asia 3 - Episode 8

Back to Macau Tower

Still in Macau, first task is for teams to head out and make their way to St. Paul Ruins.

Geoff and Tish left at around 4 AM followed by Sam and Vince a few minutes later.

At St. Paul Ruins, they got their next clue which is to go back to Macau Tower. Yup, whatever task you’re thinking that they’re gonna do there, you’re probably right.

When Geoff and Tisha arrived at the Macau Tower, they were greeted by an Hours of Operation for 8 AM. There goes the lead. The two teams had 3 hours to kill so they decided to get some rest by the entrance.

AD and Fuzzie and Henry and Bernie left the pit stop about an hour after the first two teams and they were able to catch up with them before the tower opened.

Henry commented on Sam’s new haircut given to him by Tania. Sam replied, “I look like you now.” Hehehe.

Ida and Tania left at around 8 AM so the other teams proceed to get their next clue when the tower opened. Ida and Tania just hoped that the tower will open at 10 AM (regular operating hours) but clearly that’s not the case.

ROADBLOCK: Bungy Jumping

Team’s next task is for one member to bungy jump off bungy jump off Macau Tower, which is the highest commercial bungy jump. Yep, TARA won’t let them leave Macau without doing the jump.

Geoff quickly chose Tish to do this task and Sam did it for their team. AD volunteered to do the roadblock while Henry had a hard time talking Bernie into doing the jump in which she eventually agreed.

The task is pretty straightforward and Tish finished it without any problems.

A Chopper Ride

Being first to finish the roadblock, Geoff and Tish found out that a helicopter will take them back to Hong Kong for their next task. The next task by the way is to head to MASKargo Cargo Terminal and search for a package with their name on it.

While they ride a chopper, other teams have to take the ferry back. Both Geoff and Tish were elated with their fortune and the lead that they’ll get from their chopper ride which only takes about 15 minutes.

“This is how you get to Hong Kong in style”, quipped Geoff when they landed.

A Ferry Ride

Sam finished the jump and they quickly made their way to the ferry. They missed the ferry by 3 minutes and not seeing Geoff and Tish around, they thought the Filipinos were able to board it. Still, they got into the 9 AM ferry before other teams showed up.

AD finished her jump without making any noise and so does Bernie. Henry felt bad talking Bernie into doing the roadblock and just told her that she did it with more style and finesse than Tisha. Hmmm.

Both teams were able to board the 9:30 AM ferry.

Ida and Tania got into a ferry about an hour later.

Enjoying First Place

Well ahead of the other teams, Geoff and Tisha quickly got to the cargo terminal and found their package with a letter each from their family. After shedding a little bit of tears, they went on to their next task even before other teams arrived.

Going to India

Next task is for teams to make their way to a temple that I failed to jot down in Cochin, India. They have to enter the temple grounds for a good luck blessing and their next clue. When Geoff and Tish got to the airport, they were fortunate enough to get a cancellation seat on a flight that’s just about to leave. Wow, lady luck must be smiling on them that day.

Teary Moments

When Sam and Vince got their letter, Sam got a bit emotional reading his letter from his parents. They left before teams 3 and 4 even arrived. When they reached the cargo terminal, Henry and Bernie felt the pressure being in 4th place and they were arguing on how to go about searching the terminal for their package. AD and Fuzzie were also searching for their package at that time and they found theirs first before Henry and Bernie. During their confessional, AD kept teasing Fuzzie that she cried but Fuzzie insisted that her voice just broke. Hehehe. After a few minutes, Henry and Bernie found their letters and got teary-eyed as well reading them. They left the place before Ida and Tania arrived.

Bunching at The Airport

Sam and Vince had a few hours to kill before their Cathay Pacific flight will leave for Singapore then to Mumbai. From Mumbai, they’ll have to make a connecting flight to Cochin. They saw Henry and Bernie and asked them to team up and take the same flight as theirs. Meanwhile, AD and Fuzzie found a flight straight to Mumbai then Cochin via Air India. They were joined by Ida and Tania who managed to catch up. Let’s see whose flight can take the remaining teams to Cochin first.

At Cochin, India

Geoff and Tish arrived at the temple in the evening at around 10:30 PM. However, they were greeted by another Hours of Operation for 6 AM so they decided to check into a nearby hotel to get some sleep. When Sam and Vince and Henry and Bernie arrived at Mumbai, they failed to make the connecting flight to Cochin. It was already late in the evening so they had to rush to a domestic airport to look for another flight. Ida and Tania and AD and Fuzzie managed to get to Cochin at around 4 AM. With two hours to spare, they just decided to camp outside the temple. This bodes well for Ida and Tania who caught up with 1st place. Ida was jealous at Tisha though when they showed up before 6 well-rested and clean. The three teams got their good luck blessing and proceeded onto their next task.

Elephant Bath Time

Teams must make their way to the elephant washing ground in Kumablam where they have to wash an elephant using dried coconut shells. Geoff and Tisha’s taxi (they asked to be fetched at 6 am in the morning) was waiting for them outside the temple grounds while Ida and Tania’s taxi was late. When their taxi arrived, they asked the driver to call for another one for AD and Fuzzie. How kind of them. However, Geoff and Tish went back to the hotel to ask for directions but they are still confident that they’re ahead. Ida and Tania’s driver however knows the way to the elephant and he got them there first. They quickly finished cleaning the elephant and got their next clue. Geoff and Tisha arrived at the washing ground and were clearly surprised to see Ida and Tania heading off to the opposite direction. They can’t believe that they got there first and finished so fast.

DETOUR: Fish or Fill

In Fish, teams must make their way to a nearby pier and deliver 6 fishes to a seafood restaurant by foot. In Fill, teams must complete an intricate geometric design by filling it with colored rice. Ida and Tania chose to do “Fill”. When Geoff and Tish finished washing the elephant, they chose “Fish”. Seems like they have no patience for little things and chose to rely on their physical strength and stamina. AD and Fuzzie expectedly, chose “Fill” as well. They said that they want to avoid physical and smelly tasks if possible. Meanwhile, Sam and Vince and Henry and Bernie just arrived at the temple and quickly finished their task. They were still toe to toe finishing the elephant task but had to part ways afterwards when Sam and Vince chose to do “Fish” and Henry and Bernie went with the more cultural task.
Race for First

Ida and Tania’s motorcab had to stop for petrol going to the “Fill” task while Geoff and Tisha arrived at their “Fish” task first. The Pinoys were surprised to find out how big the fishes were (looks like swordfish). They can only carry one each so they have to make three trips. Anyway, they still finished the task before Ida and Tania were done with their rice fill task which they did without any problems. On to the next task.

Pit Stop

Next task is for teams to get to Bolgatty Palace which is the pit stop for this race.

Geoff and Tisha’s taxi had the advantage over Ida and Tania who were only riding a motorcab. Even after all those Hours of Operation encounters, Team Philippines prevailed again and won themselves a trip for 2 to Hong Kong with $1000 to spend. Way to go guys! You did it again!

Ida and Tania being second on this leg had to wait for 30 minutes before they can check in.

AD and Fuzzie who were not far behind were able to check in before Ida and Tania’s 30 minutes were up for 2nd place.

But after a short while, Allan motioned Ida and Tania to come to the mat and announced that they are back in the race in 3rd place. Yay for Ida and Tania!
The Latecomers

Meanwhile at the “Fish” task, Vince sense the urgency of their position and manned up carrying two fishes at once while Sam carries one. This allowed them to finish the task in just two trips.

Henry and Bernie can’t do anything to make their task faster so they just did the best that they can. Unfortunately, it’s not enough as Sam and Vince managed to get the 4th place and they got the boot instead.

Here’s the placement of each team after the 8th leg:

1st Geoff and Tisha (Trip for 2 to Hong Kong with $1000)
2nd AD and Fuzzie
3rd Ida and Tania
4th Sam and Vince
5th Henry and Bernie (eliminated)

The Amazing Race Asia 3 - Episode 7

Goldfish to Go

First task is for teams to travel by taxi to Goldfish Market in Mongkok. From there, they have to collect two goldfishes each and deliver it to a fish store in Bonham Strand.

Sam and Vince left very early in the morning and encountered an Hours of Operation at the fish store. They had a few hours to kill so they checked into a room to get some more rest. Actually, they told the camera that they had 8 hours to spare which didn’t quite add up since the store opens at 11 AM.

Playing Catch Up

Because of the hours of operation, other teams had a chance to catch up which I think is really good for the race.

While on their way to Mongkok, you can see that Tish is not in a good mood early in the morning. Geoff is being annoying and just brushed her off saying that he was born that way.

Ida and Tania who were the last to head out showed that they got 100HKD each from three teams. Guess who the three teams are? Yup, all teams except Geoff and Tish. Anyway, they had to spend time to beg some more from locals and tourists and eventually got more money than other teams.

Ferry to Macau

When the fish store opened, the first four teams got their clue which is to travel by ferry to Macau. Then in Macau, they have to ride a pedicab to the fountain in Senado Square.

Sam and Vince knew that it’s much easier to get to the ferry by foot than by taxi so they got there in 15 minutes well ahead of the others. They were able to board a ferry before the other teams arrived. Homecourt advantage at its best!
Best Move of the Game

Henry and Bernie, AD and Fuzzie and Geoff and Tish got to the ticket office almost at the same time and they were able to purchase a ticket for the 11:35AM ferry.

Geoff noticed that there’s an 11:30AM ferry that’s already boarding so he walked into a couple of passengers and asked if they could switch boarding pass plus cash to get the 5-minute advantage. They got it and I think this was a really, really good move in Geoff’s part. We’ll get to that later.

So anyway, Team Philippines boarded the ferry 5 minutes earlier while the other 2 teams are stuck waiting for their boarding call.

Ida and Tania just arrived at the Goldfish Market by this time so they still had a lot of catching up to do.

We’re in Macau and a Yield

As expected, Sam and Vince arrived in Macau first. They had a 15-minute advantage from 2nd place which were Geoff and Tish.

In Senado Square, they got their next clue which is to head to Macau Tower with a chance to yield other teams. For those who do not know, when a team is yielded they had to turn a big hourglass over and wait for it to finish before they can continue with the race.

Sam and Vince got to Macau Tower first but chose not to yield anybody and just proceeded with their next task which is a roadblock.

ROADBLOCK: Climb the Ladder of Success

In this roadblock, teams must go to the 61st floor and a team member must climb the ladder of the mast on top of Macau Tower. It is a long and physically demanding task and it was starting to rain a bit and it can get windy at the top.

Vince chose to do the roadblock.

Yield or Be Yielded

When Geoff and Tish arrived at Senado Square, they saw some Filipinos lounging around cheering for them. They also left some money for Ida and Tania at the clue box. How nice of them. They were just waiting for a clue box where they could leave the money and this was the first one.

Anyway when they got to Macau Tower, they chose to use the Yield on Henry and Bernie. Now if Geoff didn’t trade for the earlier ticket, it could be the other way around at the Yield point.

Smart move Geoff. But you don’t have to be cocky about it when you arrived at the tower while Sam was waiting for Vince. Tish felt uneasy if she’s to face Henry and Bernie when they get to the tower.

More Scenes From Macau Tower

It was really windy at the top and Vince had no gloves. Geoff came prepared with gloves and was able to reach the final ladder while Vince was just getting down.

AD and Fuzzie arrived at the Tower ahead of Henry and Bernie and Fuzzie chose to do the roadblock. I wonder why AD didn’t contest the decision.

When Henry and Bernie arrived, they expected to be yielded but not by Geoff and Tish. Henry admitted that he was a bit hurt with the yield and said something about Geoff being a “fake”. He even drew on Geoff and Tisha’s photo while waiting.

At last the Yield has ended and Bernie chose to do the task. Ida and Tania just arrived at Macau at this point.

Vince got back to Sam and they head off to the next task before Henry and Bernie arrived leaving Tish and AD at the waiting area. When Henry and Bernie arrived, they didn’t bother acknowledging Tish who was feeling awkward sitting all by herself (AD was walking around). Luckily, Geoff finished shortly and they left for the next task leaving AD and Henry who referred to Geoff as a “Scum” under his breath.

Dragon Boat Time

After the climb, teams must head to the Dragon Boat Pier and row a dragon boat to complete a course. It’s another physical task and I feel sorry for the girls who did the climb task.

Vince who was tired from climbing got hot-tempered and snapped at Sam who was just egging him to “pump it up”.

Geoff and Tish were just minutes behind them. Good thing Geoff’s very fit and he was a bit pumped even after climbing.

Back at the Tower, Fuzzie was feeling the effect of the climb and had to rest in between ladders. This allowed Bernie to catch up and overtook Fuzzie.

At this point, Ida and Tania just arrived at Senado Square and were touched by Geoff’s and Tish’s gesture with leaving them some cash.

Sam and Vince still finished the dragon boat task first but Team Philippines are clearly gaining on them. They even managed to catch up with Sam and Vince getting into a taxi for their next task.

DETOUR: Dance or Chance

In the next task, teams must choose between Dance and Chance. In Dance, they had to learn the moves of a lion dance and must perform them correctly. In Chance, teams must wear a formal evening attire and play blackjack. They must win against the dealer 9 times in order to spell out C-O-M-P-L-E-T-E-D.

Sam and Vince chose to do Chance while Geoff and Tish went with Dance. Tisha would look gorgeous in a slinky dress.

At the casino, Sam switched the name tags attached to the eveningwear of the Henry and Bernie saying that Henry would look good in a dress. Meanwhile, Ida and Tania just arrived at the Tower and were very excited to see the other teams. Tania did the climb just as Bernie finished hers leaving Fuzzie still trying to climb the last few ladders.

It’s Really Pouring

The weather in Macau was pretty bad. It was raining hard and there’s lightning all around. Geoff even slipped on his butt from the slippery floor prompting them to remove their shoes and go barefoot while practicing the dance moves.

At the Tower, they had to cancel the last part of the climb for safety reasons so they just gave the clue once a racer reach the last deck. Fuzzie was not happy with herself saying that she didn’t earn the clue the right way.

With the heavy rain, it was also hard to do the dragon boat task and Bernie was clearly tired from the climb. When AD and Fuzzie got to their dragon boat, AD confronted Fuzzie why she volunteered to do the roadblock. Fuzzie was too tired to row and didn’t bother to argue.

Race for First

TARA did some nice editing at this point switching between Team Philippines and Team HK who were racing for first place. They made it look like the two teams were really head to head to make it more exciting. I don’t think they are.

Geoff and Tisha completed their task first and Geoff even asked if he could keep the pants. Sam and Vince finished shortly afterwards. Next task is to head to the A-MA Cultural Village for their next clue.

One More Challenge at the Pit Stop

Geoff and Tisha got to A-MA first which they found out was the next Pit Stop. But before they could enter the place, they must arrange the lanterns with Chinese zodiac signs printed on them in the correct order. This is a bit hard for non-Chinese people but there is a cheat sheet provided though.

While on their way to A-MA, Vince was thinking that they may be first since it’s harder to get a taxi at the place where the Dance task was located. They were clearly wrong though.

Back at the lake, Henry and Bernie just finished rowing while Ida and Tania were dropped off at the wrong side of the lake and lost some time. By the time they got to the lake, AD and Fuzzie were just finishing with their boat task.

The remaining teams decided to do the Chance task by the way.

So Who’s First?

Geoff and Tisha were having problems with their Chinese zodiac after a number of attempts that Sam and Vince managed to catch up with them. Eventually, Team Philippines managed to get it right before Sam and Vince and were rewarded with the 1st place and a 40″ Sony Bravia LCD TV and PS3 each. 

Blackjack Fun

Henry got a good laugh when they arrived at the casino and saw his outfit but they quickly went on with their task.

When AD and Fuzzie arrived, they clearly showed their distaste for wearing a formal dress. If Henry and Bernie were having a hard time winning, AD and Fuzzie were taking a long time getting into their dresses.

AD and Fuzzie caught up with Henry and Bernie who were just about to finish.

After a short while, Ida and Tania managed to catch up with AD and Fuzzie who still finished ahead of them. Tania looked gorgeous in her dress by the way.

Taxi Problem

Meanwhile, Henry and Bernie were still outside the casino waiting for a cab to take them to A-MA. They’re clearly unlucky at this point.

AD and Fuzzie managed to get a taxi EVEN before Henry and Bernie did and got to A-MA first. They quickly solved the Chinese zodiac in just one try and cannot believe it when Allan mentioned that they were team number 3!

Henry and Bernie arrived after awhile and they were also surprised to hear that they are team number 4. Henry was really disappointed and could not believe that AD and Fuzzie got ahead of them. He had a warning for Geoff and Tish as well for crossing them.

Finally, when Ida and Tania arrive at the Pit Stop, Allan gave them the good news. It’s another non-elimination leg folks and the girls were really happy! Instead of surrendering their money, they have to come in first on the next leg or they would take a 30-minute penalty. You can do it girls!

Placement of each team after the 7th leg:

1st Geoff and Tisha (40″ Sony Bravia and PS3 each)
2nd Sam and Vince
3rd AD and Fuzzie
4th Henry and Bernie
5th Ida and Tania (1st place or 30-minute penalty on the next leg)