Recap, Episode 10: Seoul, Korea
A MOMENT OF PEACE After the mandatory rest period, married couple Reichen & Chip departed the Sepilok Nature Resort first at 10:26 pm. Opening their clue, the pair learned they must travel to the Puu Jih Syh Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysian Borneo. Once there, they must search through thousands of tiny Buddha figurines for the one with their names on it. Behind the figurine would be a key to a rattan bag holding their next clue. On moving forward in the Race, Reichen commented, "Now the competition is on, and we have to watch our backs, and we have to watch every little thing we do, because if there's one mistake, it's all over." Arriving at the Buddhist temple, Reichen & Chip quickly searched for their lighted figurine amid the thousands that formed a beautiful pillar of light. Once Chip found it, they removed the key, which opened the rattan bag nearby. Inside, Reichen & Chip found a clue instructing them to travel nearly 4,000 miles to Seoul, South Korea. Once there, they must find Namsan Park and make their way to the base of the Seoul Tower to find their next clue. Vans for the airport in Malaysia arrived every thirty minutes starting at midnight, but each van could hold only one Team. Having 45 minutes before the first van arrived, Reichen & Chip quietly enjoyed the peace the temple offered them. Reichen even prayed, saying he felt a "protective, spiritual feeling" come over him. Almost an hour after Reichen & Chip boarded their van for the airport, circus clowns Jon & Al left the Pit Stop. Assessing his Team, Al remarked, "My friendship with Jon is better than ever. Just doing the Race with him brought us closer together. We are 100 percent. After everything we've overcome. We're ready to take this." Following almost fifteen minutes later, best friends David & Jeff headed to the Buddhist temple. David explained his theory on racing better, saying, "I look at it as we're always the underdog. We need to picture ourselves as being absolutely last, because if you put yourself in that pressure situation, you tend to be a little bit more keen to the opportunities that present themselves to you." After Jon & Al and David & Jeff each left in their respective vans for the airport, engaged couple Kelly & Jon left the Pit Stop once again in last place. Commenting on her game plan, Kelly said, "All these Teams are serious competition. Now that I am the only girl, I'm going to have to bust my butt. So we're going to fight. We're going to do whatever it takes. We're going to give those boys a run for their money." Arriving at the Kota Kinabalu Airport first the following morning, Reichen & Chip booked a flight to Seoul via Singapore on Malaysian Airlines. The pair saw their lead dissipate as Jon & Al entered the terminal. Trying to maintain an advantage, Reichen & Chip told the booking agent not to tell Jon & Al where they were headed. Realizing Reichen & Chip had done this, the clowns promptly got the information from the agent. In the end, Reichen & Chip's secrecy made no difference as all four Teams boarded the same Malaysian Air flight to Singapore. In Singapore, David & Jeff's diligence paid off when they booked an earlier flight on Singapore Airlines to Korea through Hong Kong instead. Following right behind them, Jon & Al did the same thing while an unsuspecting Reichen & Chip and Kelly & Jon ate and relaxed in the airport. After a brief ticketing snafu, David & Jeff and Jon & Al departed for Korea, expecting to land an hour before the other two Teams. TAKING THE PLUNGE Touching down at 5:00 am in Seoul, David & Jeff and Jon & Al each took cabs to Namsan Park. The two Teams quickly discovered the language barrier they would be facing while in Korea when trying to instruct their drivers where to go. The clowns made it first to the route marker at the Seoul Tower, where they learned they must travel over 50 miles to the rural Sundam Valley, only minutes away from the North Korean border to find their next clue, located on the banks of the Han-Tan River. Deciding to save money on the three-hour drive, Jon & Al and David & Jeff shared a van to the Sundam Valley. Arriving at 5:40 am, Kelly & Jon grabbed an early lead out of the airport over Reichen & Chip, who had some difficulty communicating with their driver. Reichen & Chip met Kelly & Jon at the Seoul Tower as the pair left for the Sundam Valley. Reichen & Chip encountered further problems when their driver didn't know how to get to the Sundam Valley. Chip ordered their driver back to the hotel, where they found an English-speaking driver to take them instead. Once in the Sundam Valley, first-place David & Jeff and Jon & Al soon lost their lead as their driver became so lost that they almost drove into the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea. Kelly & Jon's driver also became lost, but the engaged couple managed to pass the other two Teams on the snowy rural roads. Even though they entered South Korea in last place, Reichen & Chip arrived at the route marker first, in no small part because they took the time to select a driver who knew where to go. The excited couple opened their clue to discover a Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one Team member had to plunge into the icy water of the Han-Tan River, fight the current, and swim under the ice to the exit hole. Once their body temperature rose to a safe level, a doctor would clear them and they would receive their next clue. As two men cut a large hole in the ice, Chip gingerly stripped down to his skivvies as Al, David and Jon looked on, knowing they would be next. Walking to the hole in his bare feet, Chip descending the small ladder, took a deep breath, and dove under the frigid water. The other racers looked in shock, waiting for Chip to emerge on the other side. When he did, the racers cheered, while Chip made a beeline for a towel and began to warm up with the aid of a heater. After Chip returned to a normal body temperature, he and Reichen opened their clue to discover they had to return to Seoul and find subway station #228, one stop among hundreds in the city's maze of subway lines. Somewhere in the station they would find their next route marker. As Reichen & Chip sped off in their taxi to Seoul, Jon stripped down while his teammate Kelly supported him nearby. On the swim, Jon commented, "Your body is not made to have that kind of experience. The whole thing locks up like you're having a heart attack. You can see how thick the ice is." After watching two people take the plunge, Jeff got his turn, remarking that the anticipation was the worst part. While Jeff warmed up afterward, Al took off his clothes, preparing for the swim. As Al was dipping his feet into the freezing water, David & Jeff walked back to the van the two Teams had shared on the way there. Deciding that traveling together would be "cumbersome," David & Jeff contemplated leaving Jon & Al behind. They opted against this, but told Jon & Al that they needed to split up as quickly as possible for efficient travel for both Teams. David & Jeff quickly found another taxi, and all four Teams now headed separately back to Seoul. TESTS OF STRENGTH As the four Teams neared the city, they encountered gridlock traffic. Figuring that deciphering the complex subway system would be faster than sitting in traffic, Reichen & Chip, Jon & Al, and David & Jeff all got out of their taxis and went underground. Kelly tried to convince Jon to do the same thing, insisting it would be faster, but he refused, causing her to become irritated with him. Reichen & Chip arrived first at subway station #228, but could not find the clue box because they were in the lower level. Kelly & Jon, having taken the taxi, arrived second, but found the clue in the upper level first. Opening it, they encountered a Detour. In this Detour, Teams were offered the choice of either "Strong Hands" or "Strong Stomach." Teams choosing Strong Hands would follow a map to a martial arts center where, using tae kwon do, each Team member had to break three sets of wooden planks. Breaking the planks could be daunting, but by mastering the skills they were shown, they could finish quickly. Teams choosing Strong Stomach must follow a map to a restaurant, where each participant must eat a Korean delicacy. When they got there, they would discover that the delicacy was live octopus. No skill would be involved in this task, but Teams could finish only as fast as their stomachs allowed. At first, Kelly thought they should do Strong Stomachs, because it was close by. After Jon surmised that they would be eating "butt lickers," however, Kelly agreed they should head off to the martial arts center. Ripping open the clue second, Reichen & Chip opted for Strong Stomach, because their strategy was always to take the closer of the Detour options. Upon entering the restaurant, the mortified couple found themselves staring down at a plate of freshly chopped, still moving octopi. While Reichen & Chip grappled with the task of eating the octopi, David & Jeff still hadn't found station #228. The pair got on the wrong subway line, so they decided to go back to a taxi instead. The taxi driver didn't speak English, so David & Jeff couldn't communicate well about where they wanted to go. Meanwhile, Kelly & Jon entered the martial arts center, prepared for their task of breaking boards. Jon went first and smashed through each successive set of boards, remarking that hitting the second set hurt. Then Kelly stepped up and hit the first set, but didn't break any boards, hurting her hand instead. Fighting back the tears, she hit the boards again, breaking through. On the second set, she again hurt her hand while not breaking any boards. Struggling through the pain with a noticeable cut on her hand, Kelly broke the second set in two more tries. When Jon offered a suggestion of pretending his face was the boards, Kelly hit the third set clean through. Receiving their clue, Kelly & Jon learned they must drive across town to Gyeongbokgung Palace, the largest royal residence in Seoul and the Pit Stop for this leg of the Race. As Jon & Al arrived at station #228 and chose Strong Hands, Reichen & Chip continued choking down the octopus. While Chip cleaned his plate, Reichen slowed down, feeling nauseous. Chip suggested "octopus shooters," using water to swallow them down. Eventually, Reichen finished his plate and the couple gladly left the restaurant, heading for the Pit Stop. As Jon & Al began breaking boards at the martial arts center, last-place David & Jeff opted for the closer restaurant instead. Once inside, the pair heard the chopping and glumly looked at their moving plate. After taking a few bites and realizing that the octopus suctions onto their teeth, David & Jeff walked out of the restaurant and headed for the martial arts center, where Jon & Al had just completed the Detour. RACE TO THE PALACE After David & Jeff finished smashing the boards, all four Teams were en route to the palace. Kelly & Jon had a lead as they arrived on the palace grounds, but Kelly was convinced they weren't in the right area, because she didn't see any race flags. Inside the grounds, the couple soon found themselves in a maze of buildings. They ran back out front into another entrance, as Reichen & Chip emerged from their taxi. Kelly & Jon ran through an open square, where they saw Phil standing. As they jumped onto the mat, Phil informed the couple they were the first Team to arrive. For their effort, Kelly & Jon won a Caribbean vacation, courtesy of American Airlines website. On Kelly's performance, Jon said, "She's the only girl, and she just kicked all their butts." As Reichen & Chip checked in second, Jon & Al were stuck in gridlock traffic, allowing David & Jeff to gain some time. Ultimately, the clowns held on and arrived at Gyeongbokgung Palace in third place. Fearing the worst, David & Jeff stepped onto the mat in last place, but Phil informed them this was the second non-elimination leg. A relieved David smiled, saying, "Phil, you're the man!" Later David added, "I really haven't considered anything but winning since we started. There's no option for second place. I want to win real bad. We're going to kick their ass." KELLY & JON BREAK INTO FIRST PLACE After a last-place finish and near elimination in the previous two legs, engaged couple Kelly & Jon came roaring back as Teams traveled to South Korea. All four Teams met just miles from the North Korean border, where some racers took an icy plunge in a frozen river. In Seoul, an intricate subway system slowed down best friends David & Jeff, while married couple Reichen & Chip struggled to eat live baby octopi. In the end, Kelly shone as she punched through wood boards, helping her and Jon earn a first place finish. David & Jeff stepped on the Pit Stop mat in last place, but caught a break, as this was the second of three pre-determined non-elimination rounds.http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race4/show/episode10/ar4story01.shtml
A MOMENT OF PEACE After the mandatory rest period, married couple Reichen & Chip departed the Sepilok Nature Resort first at 10:26 pm. Opening their clue, the pair learned they must travel to the Puu Jih Syh Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysian Borneo. Once there, they must search through thousands of tiny Buddha figurines for the one with their names on it. Behind the figurine would be a key to a rattan bag holding their next clue. On moving forward in the Race, Reichen commented, "Now the competition is on, and we have to watch our backs, and we have to watch every little thing we do, because if there's one mistake, it's all over." Arriving at the Buddhist temple, Reichen & Chip quickly searched for their lighted figurine amid the thousands that formed a beautiful pillar of light. Once Chip found it, they removed the key, which opened the rattan bag nearby. Inside, Reichen & Chip found a clue instructing them to travel nearly 4,000 miles to Seoul, South Korea. Once there, they must find Namsan Park and make their way to the base of the Seoul Tower to find their next clue. Vans for the airport in Malaysia arrived every thirty minutes starting at midnight, but each van could hold only one Team. Having 45 minutes before the first van arrived, Reichen & Chip quietly enjoyed the peace the temple offered them. Reichen even prayed, saying he felt a "protective, spiritual feeling" come over him. Almost an hour after Reichen & Chip boarded their van for the airport, circus clowns Jon & Al left the Pit Stop. Assessing his Team, Al remarked, "My friendship with Jon is better than ever. Just doing the Race with him brought us closer together. We are 100 percent. After everything we've overcome. We're ready to take this." Following almost fifteen minutes later, best friends David & Jeff headed to the Buddhist temple. David explained his theory on racing better, saying, "I look at it as we're always the underdog. We need to picture ourselves as being absolutely last, because if you put yourself in that pressure situation, you tend to be a little bit more keen to the opportunities that present themselves to you." After Jon & Al and David & Jeff each left in their respective vans for the airport, engaged couple Kelly & Jon left the Pit Stop once again in last place. Commenting on her game plan, Kelly said, "All these Teams are serious competition. Now that I am the only girl, I'm going to have to bust my butt. So we're going to fight. We're going to do whatever it takes. We're going to give those boys a run for their money." Arriving at the Kota Kinabalu Airport first the following morning, Reichen & Chip booked a flight to Seoul via Singapore on Malaysian Airlines. The pair saw their lead dissipate as Jon & Al entered the terminal. Trying to maintain an advantage, Reichen & Chip told the booking agent not to tell Jon & Al where they were headed. Realizing Reichen & Chip had done this, the clowns promptly got the information from the agent. In the end, Reichen & Chip's secrecy made no difference as all four Teams boarded the same Malaysian Air flight to Singapore. In Singapore, David & Jeff's diligence paid off when they booked an earlier flight on Singapore Airlines to Korea through Hong Kong instead. Following right behind them, Jon & Al did the same thing while an unsuspecting Reichen & Chip and Kelly & Jon ate and relaxed in the airport. After a brief ticketing snafu, David & Jeff and Jon & Al departed for Korea, expecting to land an hour before the other two Teams. TAKING THE PLUNGE Touching down at 5:00 am in Seoul, David & Jeff and Jon & Al each took cabs to Namsan Park. The two Teams quickly discovered the language barrier they would be facing while in Korea when trying to instruct their drivers where to go. The clowns made it first to the route marker at the Seoul Tower, where they learned they must travel over 50 miles to the rural Sundam Valley, only minutes away from the North Korean border to find their next clue, located on the banks of the Han-Tan River. Deciding to save money on the three-hour drive, Jon & Al and David & Jeff shared a van to the Sundam Valley. Arriving at 5:40 am, Kelly & Jon grabbed an early lead out of the airport over Reichen & Chip, who had some difficulty communicating with their driver. Reichen & Chip met Kelly & Jon at the Seoul Tower as the pair left for the Sundam Valley. Reichen & Chip encountered further problems when their driver didn't know how to get to the Sundam Valley. Chip ordered their driver back to the hotel, where they found an English-speaking driver to take them instead. Once in the Sundam Valley, first-place David & Jeff and Jon & Al soon lost their lead as their driver became so lost that they almost drove into the Demilitarized Zone that separates North and South Korea. Kelly & Jon's driver also became lost, but the engaged couple managed to pass the other two Teams on the snowy rural roads. Even though they entered South Korea in last place, Reichen & Chip arrived at the route marker first, in no small part because they took the time to select a driver who knew where to go. The excited couple opened their clue to discover a Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one Team member had to plunge into the icy water of the Han-Tan River, fight the current, and swim under the ice to the exit hole. Once their body temperature rose to a safe level, a doctor would clear them and they would receive their next clue. As two men cut a large hole in the ice, Chip gingerly stripped down to his skivvies as Al, David and Jon looked on, knowing they would be next. Walking to the hole in his bare feet, Chip descending the small ladder, took a deep breath, and dove under the frigid water. The other racers looked in shock, waiting for Chip to emerge on the other side. When he did, the racers cheered, while Chip made a beeline for a towel and began to warm up with the aid of a heater. After Chip returned to a normal body temperature, he and Reichen opened their clue to discover they had to return to Seoul and find subway station #228, one stop among hundreds in the city's maze of subway lines. Somewhere in the station they would find their next route marker. As Reichen & Chip sped off in their taxi to Seoul, Jon stripped down while his teammate Kelly supported him nearby. On the swim, Jon commented, "Your body is not made to have that kind of experience. The whole thing locks up like you're having a heart attack. You can see how thick the ice is." After watching two people take the plunge, Jeff got his turn, remarking that the anticipation was the worst part. While Jeff warmed up afterward, Al took off his clothes, preparing for the swim. As Al was dipping his feet into the freezing water, David & Jeff walked back to the van the two Teams had shared on the way there. Deciding that traveling together would be "cumbersome," David & Jeff contemplated leaving Jon & Al behind. They opted against this, but told Jon & Al that they needed to split up as quickly as possible for efficient travel for both Teams. David & Jeff quickly found another taxi, and all four Teams now headed separately back to Seoul. TESTS OF STRENGTH As the four Teams neared the city, they encountered gridlock traffic. Figuring that deciphering the complex subway system would be faster than sitting in traffic, Reichen & Chip, Jon & Al, and David & Jeff all got out of their taxis and went underground. Kelly tried to convince Jon to do the same thing, insisting it would be faster, but he refused, causing her to become irritated with him. Reichen & Chip arrived first at subway station #228, but could not find the clue box because they were in the lower level. Kelly & Jon, having taken the taxi, arrived second, but found the clue in the upper level first. Opening it, they encountered a Detour. In this Detour, Teams were offered the choice of either "Strong Hands" or "Strong Stomach." Teams choosing Strong Hands would follow a map to a martial arts center where, using tae kwon do, each Team member had to break three sets of wooden planks. Breaking the planks could be daunting, but by mastering the skills they were shown, they could finish quickly. Teams choosing Strong Stomach must follow a map to a restaurant, where each participant must eat a Korean delicacy. When they got there, they would discover that the delicacy was live octopus. No skill would be involved in this task, but Teams could finish only as fast as their stomachs allowed. At first, Kelly thought they should do Strong Stomachs, because it was close by. After Jon surmised that they would be eating "butt lickers," however, Kelly agreed they should head off to the martial arts center. Ripping open the clue second, Reichen & Chip opted for Strong Stomach, because their strategy was always to take the closer of the Detour options. Upon entering the restaurant, the mortified couple found themselves staring down at a plate of freshly chopped, still moving octopi. While Reichen & Chip grappled with the task of eating the octopi, David & Jeff still hadn't found station #228. The pair got on the wrong subway line, so they decided to go back to a taxi instead. The taxi driver didn't speak English, so David & Jeff couldn't communicate well about where they wanted to go. Meanwhile, Kelly & Jon entered the martial arts center, prepared for their task of breaking boards. Jon went first and smashed through each successive set of boards, remarking that hitting the second set hurt. Then Kelly stepped up and hit the first set, but didn't break any boards, hurting her hand instead. Fighting back the tears, she hit the boards again, breaking through. On the second set, she again hurt her hand while not breaking any boards. Struggling through the pain with a noticeable cut on her hand, Kelly broke the second set in two more tries. When Jon offered a suggestion of pretending his face was the boards, Kelly hit the third set clean through. Receiving their clue, Kelly & Jon learned they must drive across town to Gyeongbokgung Palace, the largest royal residence in Seoul and the Pit Stop for this leg of the Race. As Jon & Al arrived at station #228 and chose Strong Hands, Reichen & Chip continued choking down the octopus. While Chip cleaned his plate, Reichen slowed down, feeling nauseous. Chip suggested "octopus shooters," using water to swallow them down. Eventually, Reichen finished his plate and the couple gladly left the restaurant, heading for the Pit Stop. As Jon & Al began breaking boards at the martial arts center, last-place David & Jeff opted for the closer restaurant instead. Once inside, the pair heard the chopping and glumly looked at their moving plate. After taking a few bites and realizing that the octopus suctions onto their teeth, David & Jeff walked out of the restaurant and headed for the martial arts center, where Jon & Al had just completed the Detour. RACE TO THE PALACE After David & Jeff finished smashing the boards, all four Teams were en route to the palace. Kelly & Jon had a lead as they arrived on the palace grounds, but Kelly was convinced they weren't in the right area, because she didn't see any race flags. Inside the grounds, the couple soon found themselves in a maze of buildings. They ran back out front into another entrance, as Reichen & Chip emerged from their taxi. Kelly & Jon ran through an open square, where they saw Phil standing. As they jumped onto the mat, Phil informed the couple they were the first Team to arrive. For their effort, Kelly & Jon won a Caribbean vacation, courtesy of American Airlines website. On Kelly's performance, Jon said, "She's the only girl, and she just kicked all their butts." As Reichen & Chip checked in second, Jon & Al were stuck in gridlock traffic, allowing David & Jeff to gain some time. Ultimately, the clowns held on and arrived at Gyeongbokgung Palace in third place. Fearing the worst, David & Jeff stepped onto the mat in last place, but Phil informed them this was the second non-elimination leg. A relieved David smiled, saying, "Phil, you're the man!" Later David added, "I really haven't considered anything but winning since we started. There's no option for second place. I want to win real bad. We're going to kick their ass." KELLY & JON BREAK INTO FIRST PLACE After a last-place finish and near elimination in the previous two legs, engaged couple Kelly & Jon came roaring back as Teams traveled to South Korea. All four Teams met just miles from the North Korean border, where some racers took an icy plunge in a frozen river. In Seoul, an intricate subway system slowed down best friends David & Jeff, while married couple Reichen & Chip struggled to eat live baby octopi. In the end, Kelly shone as she punched through wood boards, helping her and Jon earn a first place finish. David & Jeff stepped on the Pit Stop mat in last place, but caught a break, as this was the second of three pre-determined non-elimination rounds.