All language subtitles for Race.Across.The.World.S01E04.Tashkent.to.Huangyao.1080p.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-squalor

Narrator: Singapore.

The furthest point from
the UK by road and rail.

Normally, a 12-hour
plane journey.

But could you get there for
just the price of the airfare

without taking a single flight?

What am I doing?

Holy moly, that's
gonna be tough.

Josh: Every second counts!

Narrator: Four pairs
of ordinary brits...

Shameema: Beep beep!

Are attempting just that...

Darron: Most people would
go from a to b on a plane,

but then, they'd miss all this.

Man: Oh, man!

Narrator: In an
extraordinary race.

At ground level, they'll
cover over 12,000 miles.

- Look at that.
- It is amazing.

Everybody wants
to get to Azerbaijan.

Narrator: Who will finish first?

Alex: We do not have
time to mess about.

Narrator: As they leave behind
the trappings of modern day life...

34 hours on one bus?

Without their bank cards...

We're gonna run out
of money at some point.

And their smartphones.

Elaine: I don't want
to argue about it.

Time's ticking on.

You can't finish a
race if you're dead.

Shameema: It's almost like
I'm questioning my purpose.

What is it that I want?

It's just a bit much.

Narrator: The reward is great.

This is where you get
to find out about yourself.

Narrator: And the first team to
Singapore will claim the prize

of £20,000...

in a race across the world.

Tony: Shift your butt. Come on.

50 days... blood, sweat, tears.

Captions by vitac...
www.Vitac.Com

captions paid for by
discovery communications

narrator: Previously...

The teams raced
across Central Asia.

This may well be the
tough part of the journey.

Narrator: Five days
stuck on the caspian sea...

Man: Everybody is
getting cabin fever.

Narrator: Pushed
Alex to the edge.

The longer we're on here,
the more he'll struggle.

It's just a bit much.

Narrator: But on dry land,
he and his estranged dad,

darron, started to click,

and reached the third
checkpoint in first place.

Darron: Oh, wow.

Give me a touch.

Best friends Josh and Felix
headed into the unknown.

This is what we
were searching for.

We're making the
most of the experiences.

Narrator: While
Tony and Elaine...

Elaine: My rear end feels
like it's being pummeled.

Narrator: Developed
an expensive taxi habit.

Elaine: Taxi, Tony.

We've overspent.
That doesn't bode well.

Narrator: A 728-mile
lift from a good samaritan

saved Natalie and
shameema money,

but cost them time...

Leaving them in last place.

Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan,

and third checkpoint
in the race to Singapore.

7,000 miles still to go.

For some, budgets are
running perilously low,

and relationships are
being severely tested

after nearly a
month on the road.

Alex: We've got to get going.

First to find out where the
fourth checkpoint will be...

Darron and Alex.

Thank you.

Our next checkpoint is huangyao.

It sounds like China, but I
haven't got a clue where it is.

Almost 4,000 miles from Tashkent

lies the ancient town of
huangyao in southern China.

Its karstic peaks, meandering
rivers, and old stone Bridges

have earned it the nickname
"the garden of dreams."

In order to reach it, though,

the teams must navigate
vast distances, culture,

customs, and language barriers.

So, we'll be crossing
the border here?

Man: Yeah.

And then, we'll probably
catch a taxi to the train station?

From there, we will
catch a train to almaty.

Alex: That's fantastic.

Come on, dad!

Narrator: The teams
will leave the checkpoint

in the order they arrived,

and race through Kazakhstan
to the khorgas border,

to cross into the fourth
largest country in the world.

Alex: China.

I'm excited. We're going.

The great wall,
deserts, mountains,

jungles... They've
got everything.

So many unspoilt,
beautiful things to see.

I can't wait.

Darron: With travel
comes new experiences.

It broadens your horizons.

I think it makes
you a better person.

That's what I want for my son.

Hopefully, get to see
some amazing things.

My personal opinion
wouldn't be to go to a city.

Mine would.

What I want to do
is go to a big city,

hopefully live in
a bit more luxury.

You can get luxury, or comfort,
and good food in Bradford.

I want to go down the
yangtze river on a bamboo raft.

Exactly. But sometimes, you
need to think that we are in a race.

China has got a lot
more to offer than cities.

Well, if your attitude's
gonna be like this

throughout the whole leg,
we're going to have a tough leg.

Well...

Tony and Elaine: Huangyao.

It's got to be China.

Leaving the checkpoint three
hours behind the race leaders

are husband and
wife Tony and Elaine.

And just behind them...

Josh: Hello, friends!

Josh and Felix.

Where are we going, eh?

Tony: China!

Make sure you just
keep behind us, alright?

Josh: We've all got to get
through Kazakhstan first.

Two more countries in the way.

Two days to get through there.

- Yeah.
- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I mean, if you're
going the slow way.

[ Laughs ]

I'm gonna tie your
shoelaces together, Tony!

Tony: There's going to
be next to no Europeans.

We're going to have
problems getting around.

It's going to be a cracking
challenge, this one.

Elaine: Uzbekistan,
Kazakhstan border?

Okay.

Narrator: With less money
remaining than any other team,

Tony and Elaine talk tactics.

Tony: These trains...

Elaine: I bet they'll
be expensive.

We'll maybe have to not
take them... the fast ones.

Maybe take a slower
version, which takes longer.

Cost versus speed.
A horse and cart.

Well, that'd be nice.

Yorkshire people are
really, really frugal, and tight.

They don't overspend.

They don't waste.

They'll travel the
cheapest way possible,

sleep the cheapest way possible,
and be really happy about that,

because they've saved money.

I know.

And that's every
Yorkshire person's dream.

So, this journey, in a way, is
perfect for Yorkshire people.

Hot on their heels,

best mates and business
partners Josh and Felix.

Felix: I'm very, very
excited to go to China.

Terracotta armies, and
bullet trains, and spicy ho fun.

We've got our
yuan in our pocket,

and we're ready to go.

First, we have to
negotiate getting to almaty.

Yeah, that's the hard bit.

Narrator: 80 miles in front,
having crossed the border

into Kazakhstan,

darron and Alex
arrive in shymkent.

They're aiming to
catch a train to almaty,

just four hours from
the Chinese border.

Alex: Which one is
the next train to almaty?

No, no, no, no, no.
Not good. Not good.

Darron: Okay. Thank you.

With no trains leaving
until the evening,

father and son
consider their options.

Train leaving late, or
taxi as soon as possible.

Which one do you want to do?

Train.

Hello?

Eh, train to almaty?

Is there a sleeper?

It's not gonna be
very comfortable.

Is there any faster train?

Alex, your decision.

Let's do it. Are you sure?

Let's do it.

We'll get to China sooner.

Thank you. Thank you.

We weighed up our
options, and thought,

if we get a taxi there, tonight,

we're gonna have to
pay for accommodation

when we get to almaty.

We've got four hours to waste,

so we're gonna go for some food.

We're going to enjoy the
place, and see what there is.

Narrator: With Alex
calling all the shots,

he takes his dad for some
authentic Kazakh fried chicken.

Alex: So good.

Alex's decision to wait four
hours for the express train

has allowed their rivals
to eat into their lead.

Felix: Thank you.

Elaine: Ah, look
who's there, Tony.

Josh: There's Tony and Elaine.

Whatever the
cheapest, we will take.

Yes, 'cause we
have very little tenge.

Narrator: Saving on accommodation
costs, the two teams have booked

tickets for a sleeper
train to almaty,

which leaves 45 minutes
before darron and Alex's.

We could have had
a sleeping cabin,

but we decided,
the price difference,

we should try and
skimp and save.

So, we're sitting
up in a corridor.

So, are you on the
same train as us?

- 6:47?
- Yeah.

Josh: We're in second class.

It's only a pound more.

Than sitting in the corridor?

Yeah.

Are you sitting in the corridor?

Yeah.

No! Guys! Why?

Times are hard.

I mean, I know you've
taken a lot of taxis,

but you can't go from
taxis to sitting in the corridor!

It's laughable,
really, but, you know,

we're worried about
money, and this will help.

Every little helps, as they say.

Yeah.

Narrator: With more
money than any other team...

So, we thought going through
Kazakhstan was going to be long.

Look. i know!

Look at that distance.

Narrator: But last to
leave the checkpoint,

lifelong friends
Natalie and shameema

have a different strategy.

Natalie: Okay.

So, we have to go to almaty to
cross over the border anyway.

And it would be rude to
not go and visit almaty.

And they've got an ice rink.

Oh, my god.

Shameema: Natalie and I have
been friends since we were nine...

A 30-year friendship.

And when we're together,
we're almost 9 years old again.

It's the highest ice
rink in the world.

I wasn't raised in a
loving environment.

From a young age, I'd
always wanted to go travelling,

but I didn't have the
means, and I felt like

I didn't have the
ability to do it.

Natalie: This is
our money situation.

The benefit in China

is that they've got really
high speed railways.

So, we've saved all this money,
we're gonna be able to use it

on high speed, and catch up.

There's many incidents in
my life that have taught me

that life is too short.

I know I've always
had to rely on myself.

Travelling has meant I have
been able to appreciate the world,

and appreciate people.

Shameema: We've
grown up with each other.

We know everything
about each other.

I see her as my sister.

She's my family.

Natalie: I need to pee.
Why am I always peeing?

It's like nervous pee.

Narrator: 6:30 P.M.

Josh: Excuse me.

Ah, home sweet home.

Narrator: As Josh and Felix
settle down in their luxury cabin...

Josh: This is like a
home away from home.

Compared to when
we were in coaches,

and we were, like, bent double,

and spent all night being
woken up with arguments,

this is absolutely the ritz.

Felix: At least we're
travelling through the night.

And then, hit the
border tomorrow.

We've got it.

At the less salubrious
end of the train,

Tony and Elaine are getting
to grips with third class.

Elaine: Oh, no.

Tony: Don't take your shoes
off. You're squashing the fleas.

Narrator: Back in shymkent...

Man: All aboard, almaty!

Narrator: Darron and Alex
board the express train.

Despite leaving
45 minutes later,

they will arrive in almaty

over three hours before
their nearest rivals.

Alex: I personally think
we picked the right decision.

I feel quite a bit of pressure,

the fact we had three hours'
difference on two groups

and six hours on the other.

I don't want to lose that gap.

♪♪

Narrator: Nestled in the foothills
of the tien shan mountain range,

almaty, Kazakhstan's former
capital from the Soviet era.

Its name derives from
the Kazakh for "apple,"

and the area is thought to be
the ancestral home of the fruit.

9:00 A.M.

First to arrive,
darron and Alex.

Alex: First things first,
we get to the border.

Narrator: The Chinese
border is over 200 miles away,

and it closes at 6:00 P.M...

A fact the local cab
drivers are all too aware of.

How much?

35,000?

Too much.

He's trying to rip us off.

Darron: Ask at the ticket
office where it is, how far?

We need to go to...

Too much.

Well, we've had two different
people give us that price,

so maybe it's a lot
further than we think.

That's dollars. $81?

Hell.

Darron: Travelling, Alex
will not be able to cope.

He's gonna struggle.

And I'm going to try to let Alex

do as much as he can,
because he will benefit.

I need Alex to make mistakes,

so he can grow as a person,
and learn from those mistakes.

[ Alex speaks indistinctly ]

Have we got a deal?

Let's do it. Dad?

We're doing it.

Darron: That's a
massive hit in our budget.

Less than $1,000 left.

But maybe even today
we should be in China.

Which is very exciting news.

12:15 P.M.

Tony and Elaine are
closing in on almaty.

Tony: Feeling a bit
bushwhacked this morning.

Had two or three hours' sleep.

It would have been
nice to have four.

Narrator: Alighting
from the same train,

best friends and business
partners Josh and Felix.

- Khorgas border?
- China?

Josh: This experiences
comes at a junction.

Our business has been
going for about five years,

but now, it's coming to an end.

So, we're looking
for something new.

Being able to gain perspective

on what the next 10
years might be like

is gonna be really invaluable.

One of the reasons we travel
really well together is that,

in the darkest moments,

we pick each other up,
and we get on with it.

We know that we have
always got each other's backs.

[ Indistinct talking ]

This is the worst
person to go to.

No, no. I was just asking.

I was going to
ask several people.

We're always gonna be
involved in each other's business,

or each other's lives,

because we know that we
complement each other so well.

You're much stronger as a
team than you are as individuals,

and we know that.

- Khorgas?
- Khorgas.

5,000 total?

No, no, no. It's too much.

Let's just go,
and get a minibus.

Will be have time to
get to the border tonight?

Well, if we pay $60,
we'll just get there.

Let's have a look around,
see what's in the area.

Sorry.

Is there a minibus service?

Where is it?

They don't know.
They're not gonna tell us.

Narrator: While Josh and
Felix weigh up their options...

Tony: Border, crossing.

Continuing their economy drive,

Tony and Elaine
decide to play hardball.

Too many tenge. We'll leave it.

We only have little tenge.

So, at this moment in
time I'm done with taxis,

plotting high prices.

I'm done with it.

I just need to find
a cheaper way.

So, we're not gonna
make the border tonight.

Fine.

I am not paying that price,

so we go on the
bus tomorrow, then.

Yeah.

Felix: It's quarter
past one now.

Josh: I think we've missed the
boat on getting to the border on time...

Unless we get a cab right now.

Yeah.

I want to get in a cab because
I want to be in China today.

Narrator: After almost
two hours of haggling,

Josh and Felix manage a
£15 reduction in their fair.

Before the border closes.

- $4,000?
- Alright. That's good.

It's gonna be incredibly tight

to get to the border in
time, 'cause it closes at six,

and it's four hours away,
and it's currently 2:08.

So, we're on track to
get there just as it closes.

So, we're freaking out.

Darron and Alex
and Josh and Felix

are en route to the
Chinese border in taxis.

Tony and Elaine are
hunting cheaper options

by road and rail.

And Natalie and shameema,
after taking a later train,

are the fourth team
to arrive in almaty.

With more money
than any other team,

they're planning to
splash out on bullet trains.

Shameema: I think it's snowing.

We're gonna be
ice-skating in the snow.

Narrator: But before they rocket
across China at 200 kilometers an hour,

a special detour for Natalie.

Natalie: My god, it's so pretty.

Over 2,000 meters
above sea level,

the ski resort of shymbulak, a
magnet for wealthy Kazakhs,

and after major investment,

is attracting visitors
from further afield...

Including prince Harry.

Natalie: I never liked the idea of
going skiing, or anything like that,

because I had that
fear of being cold.

Look how high it goes.

Oh, my god!

Good god, what
about those cable cars?

Oh, my gosh. Amazing.

I was diagnosed
with sickle cell anemia

when I was 2 years old.

Mine affected my lungs a lot,
which is why I had pneumonia.

When you are a sickler,
you're always being told

that you have to keep warm.

When other children,
and my brothers,

could go out and play in
the snow, and stuff like that,

I was never allowed to do it.

As I said, I remembered when
I was 5 years old in nursery,

and it was like...
It started snowing,

and everybody went
out to build a snowman.

And I wanted to just
go and do it, as well.

And I got so cold
that I had a crisis,

and actually had
to go to hospital.

So, it's definitely a
protective measure.

We're higher than the
world's highest ice rink.

Magical.

Narrator: Natalie was one
of the first people in the UK

to receive a bone marrow
transplant for the disease.

It's an eye-opener
to holiday destinations

that I wouldn't have
thought I would enjoy,

purely just because of cold.

So, I can do this.

Narrator: At her side
throughout, her best friend.

Shameema: No. Put it down.

It's hard.

[ Natalie laughs ]

Oh...

Natalie: When you've
known each other

for as long as me and
shameema have known each other,

you're gonna share
a lot of life events.

Shameema was at the hospital

when I had a bone marrow
transplant at the age of 14.

Oh, my god, I feel
like I've got heels on!

Here goes.

Shameema was one of
the first people in the class

to see me after I had
had chemotherapy,

and I didn't have
any hair anymore.

We've been through so
much together in our life.

This is only part
of our adventure.

And it will just continue.
And she's forever with me.

Soz!

[ Laughs ]

So, this is my
perfect first date.

For anyone who wants to know.

Take me ice-skating
on the first date.

It's a winner.

Narrator: While Natalie and
shameema make the most of almaty,

Josh and Felix race
towards the Chinese border

in a bid to catch up
with darron and Alex.

Felix: It's going to be tight.

5:20 and we need
to get there by six,

and we've still got
quite a long time to go.

Hopefully, across tonight.

Next stop is China.

Darron: Thank you.

The first team make
it through to China.

Now, I am absolutely buzzing.

Thank you.

Felix: Well, we're here.
We're at the Chinese border.

With just a few minutes
until the border closes...

It might be about to shut...

Josh: That's it! Let's go!

Josh and Felix
make a run for it.

Please! Please!

It's closed.

Well, we're... Mate.

Josh: Looks like
we're staying here.

Josh: We don't know
where we are going.

We don't know anything.

We also don't have enough money.

Like, we've got 2,000 tenge.

So, like...

We're not able to
cross the border,

so we have to look for a hotel.

Very frustrating.

Narrator: Darron and Alex have
crossed over to the western region

of xinjiang, in China,
where filming is prohibited

due to major restrictions
by the central government.

All teams must travel
nonstop for 24 hours

through this autonomous zone
before reaching gansu province,

where filming can resume.

Josh: Thank you.

Narrator: Josh and Felix
will have to cross tomorrow.

Felix: Uh, niet.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay.

Turn it off, otherwise,
you're gonna die.

Really, really frustrating.

It's those moments
when you just think, like,

"I'm in a bleak Kazakh car
park in the middle of nowhere.

What am I doing here?"

I feel like I'm just battering
my head against a wall.

Josh: We've lost 18
hours on darron and Alex.

We will try and cross the border
as early as possible tomorrow.

7:00 A.M.

Tony: Did you sleep well?

Narrator: Having travelled
overnight from almaty,

Tony and Elaine
reach the border.

I'm looking forward to
leave Kazakhstan behind,

quite honestly.

The toilet's gross.

Young lads swaying it
around, Willy-nilly, so to speak.

Narrator: Finally,
Josh and Felix...

Felix: Pretty frustrated at not
getting across the border last night,

but determined to give
ourselves the best shot possible,

hence the early
start today into China.

And then, find a way of cutting
darron and Alex's hamstrings.

Elaine: Oh, I bet those
toilets are amazing.

Tony: The excitement is starting
to grow as we get close to China.

But I just don't really
know what to expect.

Narrator: Three of the
teams have made it into China.

Josh and Felix and Tony
and Elaine are neck and neck,

making their way through
the autonomous zone.

But there's still one team
yet to leave Kazakhstan.

We are finally in a
Bentley, going in style.

All black windows.

Red leather interior.

Thank you very much.

Hopefully, see you
on the other side.

Yeah.

With the autonomous
zone behind them,

Alex's train strategy
has extended his

and his dad's lead
by over 2,000 miles.

But it has come at a personal
cost for father and son.

Darron: Alex chose a city.

He could have gone
out of his comfort zone,

which he's been
slowly easing out of.

But it's almost like, "oh,
I've gone too far now,

I'm running back in."

I've always wanted
to come to China.

It's one of the places
on my bucket list...

The history, the culture,

everything, I'm
just fascinated by.

And to go to a city,
if I'm being honest,

yeah, I'm disappointed.

I wanted to go off
the beaten track.

I wanted to explore...

China what's outside.

But you picked chengdu.

But personally,
chengdu stood out for me.

Yeah, it might be a bit
of a home comfort level,

picking a city this time,
but I wanted that this leg.

The last leg, our
bond got a lot stronger

compared to when
we started this journey.

But the fact that I've picked
something he's not happy with,

I feel like it might
start to deteriorate,

and be a bit of friction.

It has caused a rift between us.

I hope I don't live to
resent him because of it.

I'd be lying if I said
I still wasn't gutted.

I am.

Alex: Things are just getting
a bit tough at the moment,

but we have to enjoy
ourselves while we're here,

'cause we're not going to be
here again, more than likely.

Darron: We'll both have
to do some compromising.

So, I will try to make the best

of what I think is
a poor decision.

Darron: Oh, wow.

That's a pretty
spectacular temple.

Narrator: China, the most
populous nation on earth,

and one of the world's
oldest civilizations.

With hi-tech cities,
ancient traditions,

and diverse landscapes, it's
a striking mix of old and new.

Alex: This is cool.

This is proper China.

It's sick. It's somewhere new.

Who'd have thought, a year
ago today, we'd be in China?

This... just got real.

Narrator: Chengdu.

The traffic's... Mental here.

A city of 14 million people,

famed for pandas and
red-hot sichuan street food.

[Indistinct] Wearing a mask.

Why do people wear these masks?

We have some money,
but we need more.

Narrator: Through
the jobs directory...

darron and Alex
are scouting for work

at a wholesale flower market.

Hello. Nice to meet
you. My name's darron.

Nice to meet you.
- My name is Vicky.

Narrator: They're met by
21-year-old shift manager Vicky.

This is my son, Alex.

Oh, yeah.

This is our shop.

Alex: This is your shop.

In here, you have your jobs.

- This?
- Yes. Please.

Alex: You speak perfect English.

Um...

Perfect.

Okay, follow me.

This way.

We offer you the
accommodation for today.

We offer you 120 rmb.

Tomorrow's time is 4
o'clock until 9:30 A.M.

Alex: Sounds good.

When I found out about waking
up at 4:00 A.M., I felt like, "oh!"

He's a bit work-shy.

The money we earn
could make the difference

between getting
to Singapore or not.

Narrator: With the need to
earn money outweighing the need

to keep moving,

darron and Alex are shown to
the workers' accommodation.

Vicky: It's okay?

Alex: Yes. It's
perfect. Thank you.

Darron: We've got
sleeping bags, so,

we can sleep in
our sleeping bags.

That's fine.

How is the kitchen, Alex?

There's even mold in the sink.

You know that plastic
thing on the floor?

Just don't open it.

[ Alex gags ]

Even thinking about it
is making me sick now.

What do you think it is?

Human?

I don't know.

I'm certainly gonna be keeping

that hand sanitizer
very close by.

[ Laughs ]

I imagine it to be.

Bloody hell. Careful, Alex.

The bed's gonna fall down.

Are you gonna
turn the light off?

Do you know what? I can
probably reach it with my leg.

No, Alex. The
bed will fall over.

Alright!

Hell!

Yeah, it's definitely the
worst place I've ever stayed in.

400 miles behind the
race leaders, Josh and Felix

and Tony and Elaine,
have arrived at xi'an.

Josh: Oh, my god!

This is like blade runner mixed
with every single Sci-Fi film,

mixed with Wes Anderson.

This is incredible.

Narrator: Also in xi'an...

Tony: This is totally bonkers.

Tony and Elaine.

Elaine: What's it called? Xi'an?

Xi'an.xi'an. Xi'an.

With a population of
over 12 million people,

the city is often described

as the cradle of
Chinese civilization,

and home to the terracotta army.

More than 8,000
sculptures depicting soldiers

of the first emperor of
China, qin shi huang,

and buried with him to offer
protection in the afterlife.

I didn't know you could drive
a motorbike on a pavement.

This is our first venture
out into the world of China,

and it's just a crazy,
wacky, whoopy place.

Elaine: China is a
massive culture shock.

I've never been
anywhere like this.

It's so busy.
There's no slowness.

It's all very fast.

We might be a bit old
and doddery for this place.

Yeah.

Felix: This is unreal, man.

I just want to get out
there, and immerse myself

into a culture which
I've never been to before.

This is the perfect
time to arrive,

at night, as well. Lit up.

We have to spend some
time exploring here...

Especially as two people
that potentially want to open

a kind of, like, bar
inspired by this journey.

This is obviously...

This is where the
old and the new meet.

Josh: The Muslim quarter
is where all the street food is,

and I think we should
probably head there.

Yeah. Oh, I just
want to eat everything.

Narrator: Business
partners Josh and Felix

seek inspiration for their
next venture together.

Josh: That's what adventure is
about... bringing something back.

Yeah, we want to find a
taste, and take it home,

and share it with everyone else.

I draw the line at testicles.

Felix: Josh and I are at the
stage where our current business

is coming to an end, we're
thinking of the next thing.

And we're gonna
use this experience

as, like, the best research.

Thank you.
- Thank you very much.

Let's soak up a
flavor, and distil it

it into our own unique thing.

♪♪

We've just got to try
lots of things, I think.

If we can't find
inspiration here,

then, our eyes and
taste buds are dead.

Quail's eggs on a stick, yeah?

Absolutely bloody fantastic.

I'm happy. Thank you.

Xiexie. Xiexie.

What is it?

It's a very small rodent.

It is probably Guinea pig.

I mean, it smells
nice, it's just, what is it?

Oh.

It's not the best thing
I've put in my mouth.

It's sheep? Oh, sheep!

Baa!

Narrator: Going to any
lengths in the name of research,

next up, sheep's trotter.

I thought he was gonna cook it.

This isn't what I
expected at all.

Nothing you should eat
should come with a plastic glove.

Josh: You have to eat all of it.

You can smell the foot on it.

One of the worst things
I've ever put in my mouth.

I thought he was
gonna... Barbecue it,

or something.

Even for hipsters,
this is a step too far.

Tony: Watch you don't fall over.

Narrator: Planning their
next move, Tony and Elaine.

Tony: We're in a race, here.

Tomorrow, we need to
be on the move again.

Train tomorrow to...

Elaine: Guilin?

Guilin.

Narrator: Looking to cover
as much distance as possible,

they're aiming for the city of
guilin, almost 800 miles away.

They can choose between
a 26-hour slow service,

or a 12-hour bullet train.

How much, please, yuan?

1355 each.

Thank you for your help.

Elaine: Bullet trains
are so expensive,

but obviously, they would
be the way to travel here,

if you're gonna
not have a budget.

We've gone and booked
this long, slow overnight job.

The faster one was probably
about another £25 each.

Elaine: We're just doing
what feels right for us.

You know, if you can
get there cheaper, do it.

Yes, we've made
the right choice.

Alex: It's way
too early for this.

Narrator: 4:00 A.M.

Chengdu flower market.

- Not horizon.
- At an angle?

Yeah. Like this.

Alex: Do they all
have to be even?

Darron: No. They
don't have to be even,

they just have to
be cut at an angle

so they absorb water better.

I honestly wonder
what my street cred

is gonna be like
when this is done.

Doesn't that imply
that you had some?

I have loads. Don't dis me.

I know you like to think
you're some sort of gangster.

They smell good.

Narrator: Since leaving
school two years ago,

Alex hasn't had a stable job.

Darron: Alex has
got into a bit of a rut.

He always takes the easy option.

He's like, "oh, can
you just do that?"

"Oh, can you just do this?"

Partly we're to blame,
because we do it.

He needs to step up.

It's going to be an experience,

trying to get Alex
to push himself.

It'll make him realize,
if he can do this trip,

he can do anything.

Alex: Normally,
before this trip,

I'd stay up really
late, and sleep in.

But now, there's
hardly any sleeping,

but my body is
getting a bit used to it,

which I don't think is good
for your health, but, oh well.

It's the sort of thing
you've got to do

if you want to come
first in this race.

King, king, queen, Princess...

I'm learning. I like that.

- This one?
- Yeah. The pink pineapple.

But this is cute.

It's smaller. But
this is a big one.

But you can't eat it.

You can't eat.

Darron: Same old, same old.

I'm working hard.

Alex is chatting away,
having a good time.

Alex: Do you do this
as a part-time job?

Yes. I have a summer vacation,

and I have the part-time
job in this [indistinct].

And you're studying
at university?

Yes.

Vicky: What do you
do in your country?

I'm a bit confused with
what I want to do after,

when I go back home.

Yes. So am I.

I don't know what to
do after my graduation.

Yes. You're a bit
confused, like me?

Yeah.

You need to pick
the right thing for you.

Yes. And I think happiness
is the most, you know?

It's happy to meet
you, you know?

Yes. Same with you.

It's happy to know that the
same problems in england

happen the same
problems in China.

Yes.

We have the same
problems everywhere.

Thank you.

♪♪

Natalie: Oh, my god.
He's eating a chicken foot.

Gnawing away at
it, like a pepperoni.

Narrator: 1,100 miles
behind the race leaders,

Natalie and
shameema have arrived

in the city of jiayuguan,

famed for the jiayu pass,

the largest and most complete
part of the great wall of China.

Natalie: We are now in China!

Shameema: This is
a pretty epic moment,

that we actually
made it to China.

And I took myself back to the
moment we were in greenwich,

and we saw how far delphi was,

but we've actually
made it to China.

And we're on the same fold
on the map as Singapore.

Huge. High five.

Narrator: The great wall began to
take on its epic scale in 200 b.C...

We're actually going to
climb the great wall of China.

And now spans 13,000 miles.

Oh, I could cry,
'cause it's that amazing.

Yay!

We made it!

Shameema: I feel it's
moments like this, you can't help

but think about the things
that you have to think about.

This trip is a
once-in-a-lifetime

opportunity for me, to give
me some breathing space,

just to focus on myself.

I got married young.

I was about 21 when
I had my first child.

When you have children,
you plan the next 20 years.

And those 20 years
are nearly here.

It feels like it's
happened all of a sudden.

And it feels a
little bit like...

It's almost like I'm
questioning my purpose...

again, 'cause i'm not sure of

what life will be
with an empty house.

What is it that I want?

Narrator: In xi'an, Josh and
Felix are still playing catch-up.

Josh: We've just purchased
train tickets to guilin.

Felix: Now, we want to try and
catch up with darron and Alex.

The normal train takes 36
hours, and this one takes 13.

Anyone who gets the slow
train is losing 24 hours on us.

A kilometer every 15 seconds.

Yeah.

You could do a marathon
in 10 minutes on this train.

We're gonna see darron
and Alex on the slow train,

and we're gonna be like, "ha!"

I can't imagine trundling along
on that hard seat for 36 hours.

Yeah.

It's the arse end
of nowhere, really.

Narrator: Taking
a different tactic,

budget-conscious
Tony and Elaine.

Elaine: We've laid on hard
beds in shared carriages on trains,

all with a view to saving money.

Tony: I don't want to go
on another train ever again,

I don't think.

Don't you like these, either?

No.

If the other teams have
been paying for bullet trains,

they probably will get there
before we do, at checkpoint,

but then, we'll be richer.

[ Man yells ]

Pot noodle man.

Narrator: In chengdu...

Alex: Vicky?

As his shift comes to a close...

Huangyuan, do you
know whereabouts it is?

Alex's mind turns
back to the race.

Vicky: Huangyuan.
Yes, I know that.

Alex: If could you
do a circle for us?

- Here.
- Perfect.

Huangyuan is
near to [indistinct].

Would you have
to get a bus, taxi?

No. Trains.

Trains.

Darron: Good. That
sounds good to me.

And now, we know
what it is in Chinese.

That's perfect.

Thank you for everything.

It's nice to meet
you, my friend.

Yes. You, too.

Yes. Definitely. Bye-bye.

Thank you for everything.

See you later.

Darron: She's gonna
remember you forever.

Alex: Maybe. I gave
her my contact details.

I'm sure you did.

♪ Love is in the air ♪

Shut up!

♪ It's everywhere
I look around ♪

[Indistinct] Used his
birth charm to get places,

and get things... Totally
nothing wrong with that.

If I could just find someone
to work my charm on...

That's not working on anyone.

If I can find...

Apart from the elderly, maybe.

Some old, blind,
gullible, senile woman,

and we'll be laughing.

No, definitely best job so far.

Well, it would be
for you, wouldn't it?

Narrator: Whilst darron and
Alex catch the bullet train to guilin,

Tony and Elaine are crawling
along on their economy drive,

still at least 28 hours
from the checkpoint...

Shameema: Thank you.

Natalie and shameema are
putting their plan into action.

What time does
the bullet train go?

This one gets in in the morning.

It's a high-speed one.

If they time their
connections right,

they can catch
high-speed bullet trains

all the way to guilin,

the closest major
city to the checkpoint.

Natalie: Race mode starts again.

Wow. I doubt we're
gonna get a lot of sleep.

This gentleman,
here, is a snorer.

[ Woman laughs ]

Narrator: While three teams
push for the checkpoint...

Felix: Oh, my word!

That's like the coolest
thing I've ever seen.

For best friends Josh and Felix,

a stop-off in China's
rock-climbing capital, yangshuo.

There's mountains,
like, right there,

looming behind the neon.

Josh: One of the reasons
that we're going on this trip

is to have moments

which you just can't have
anywhere else in the world.

Felix: Josh and I
like to climb together,

so, hopefully,
tomorrow will culminate

in something truly epic.

- Yeah?
- Yeah, yeah, perfect.

Josh: Felix and I do a
lot of climbing in London.

It's all the things we enjoy...

It's challenge-based, it's
problem-solving, it's physical,

and I would kick myself
if I couldn't do some.

Felix: But the mood is a bit
sour, because Josh lost his bag.

In the kind of chaos, I managed
to put down a small bag,

which had nothing of any
great financial value in it,

but had a book that I've
written a letter to my girlfriend in

every day since we started this.

When you're a
long way from home,

anything that links you to home
kind of becomes really precious.

But we're super
excited about tomorrow...

Really excited.

Narrator: The karst peaks of south
China, over 270 million years old,

and a welcome distraction
for Josh and Felix.

I'm terrified.

Felix: I don't know how
anyone could come here,

and not be inspired by them.

Why would you
not want to climb it?

Like, that's the
most awesome thing

I've seen, like,
in this entire trip.

Josh: Are we gonna
afford to eat ever again?

No. We're on rice now.

This stuff is priceless.

Man: This is the egg,

the most famous
climbing place in yangshuo.

It looks like an egg, right?

Yeah, absolutely.

All the gear, no
idea, as they say.

I'm not rushing.

Don't rush.

This rock is beautiful, man.

I've only ever climbed up
to, like, 13 meters before,

and this is 30 meters.

It's just a whole
different ballgame.

I think that there's
something fraternal

about me and
Josh's relationship,

where we just both
trust each other implicitly.

Are you alright, pal?

Also, we have worked
together so much,

and we've been through so
many really stressful experiences,

that we know how each
other is gonna respond,

we know what our strengths are,
we know what our weaknesses are.

This journey will allow
us to discover a lot

about what we want
our future direction to be.

Josh: It feels like
there's a constant battle

between the race and experience.

And for us, £20,000 is
a hell of a lot of money,

and it'd make a big difference,

it'd mean I could
see my family more.

It would I could
buy a camper Van,

spend more time with Holly,

and that's something
I really, really want.

Oh, it's a nice
sit-down, up here.

It's quite high, actually.

My life kind of
divides into two.

There's, like, the
amazing adventures

that I go on with Felix.

And that's, like, a massively
important part of my life.

And then, there's the other

half of my life, which is, like,

my family, and
Holly... My girlfriend.

Felix: That's the best
thing that's happened

in this entire trip, I think.

When you're in the
moment completely,

all your other problems
start to solve themselves

in the back of you mind,
and in your subconscious.

It does bring home to me
that, like, some of the difficulties

of where we are at the moment,

I just really want what we
build next to not be, like,

we build it for three
years, it works for a year,

and then, we have
to do something else.

I want it to be,
like, long-term.

If you want security,

then, become a teacher,
or a banker, or something.

Like, it's...

We've never chosen
the most secure path.

Our whole philosophy
is, like, take a big risk,

and often fall flat on our face,

but occasionally,
there's a big reward.

I guess the hardest thing for me

is that I know
it's going to take,

like, three or four years,
and if I feel like this now,

how will I feel in four
or five years' time?

I want more
experiences like this.

I have...

All right.

Yeah, look at
your watch, it's fine.

It's just, you've
been talking a lot,

and I just don't...

Yeah, and you're not listening.

You're not really
saying anything.

♪♪

Narrator: Guilin... A
bustling, modern city

famous for its scenic location

among high, craggy
hills on the li river.

It's the main hub for
the checkpoint huangyao,

the ancient town which
lies 100 miles south.

The plan now is to get to the
checkpoint as soon as possible.

Alex: Yeah, we're
gonna have to run for it.

We have 14 minutes.
This is rushed.

Darron and Alex have
arrived from chengdu

looking to make
their connection.

Darron: Alex picked
chengdu to gather information

and to work.

It were a very smart decision.

The amount of
information we gathered

to help us were phenomenal.

It affected the race.

♪♪

[ Man speaking
mandarin over P.A. ]

We can't get through this.

We're going.

♪♪

Whoa.

[ Man shouting in mandarin ]

Whoa!

Alex: Come on, we're
running out of time.

That were... Scary.

Darron: This journey...

Two minutes.

Alex is changed.

He's becoming more decisive

and becoming more
certain of himself.

Dad, it's a fast train.

That's pretty cool, then.

It should take an hour,

and then we're
on the road again.

Train to checkpoint
a.S.A.P. Is risky.

Argh! Let's go.

♪♪

Narrator: Pushing to make
up ground on their rivals,

900 miles to the north,

Natalie and shameema
are rapidly approaching xi'an.

[ Shameema sighs
]Natalie: Are you nervous?

A bit.

We're at the
make-or-break stage.

We get into xi'an and if
we get the right bullet train

from the right station,

then the game is ours.

- Xi'an?
- Xi'an?

Xi'an, xi'an.

It's a bit like London
underground.

I know.

♪♪

Natalie: Is there a
fast train to guilin?

Shameema: We get ticket?

Wow.

How much is that?

£60!

I feel like that's
more than we spent

the whole trip...
The whole trip.

Yeah.

Wow.

But it's gonna get us
in three hours earlier

than taking the normal train.

I just hope it's worth it.

♪♪

Narrator: Hezhou.

Ba-da-bop-bop.

One hour's drive
from the checkpoint.

Huangyao ancient town?

40 for one?

These girls have
sorted it out for me.

Xiexie.

As darron and Alex head
towards the checkpoint,

after 27 hours on a slow train,

Tony and Elaine
finally reach guilin.

Elaine: We've got
our feet on the ground.

Hallelujah.

So, the journey has been
ghastly, gruelling, grimy.

Tony: Out of our six
days travelling now,

five nights have been on trains.

They decide to take
a much-needed break.

There's a river called...

I think it's the river li.

We would love to go to the river

and go down it.

I mean, we need
to see China now.

This is bad.

I'd give anything for a flight.

Huangyao ancient town.

Alex: This is it.

7:40 P.M.

"Make your way up to the
checkpoint at long inn hotel."

Long inn hotel.

Come on, dad.

Do you know where
you're going, Alex?

I'm going to ask someone.

- Hello!
- Hello.

Long inn hotel?

I'm in a race,
otherwise I would.

Where's long inn hotel?

Up? There?

I'm guessing it's round and up.

Darron: Alex is taking
charge a lot more.

- Hi.
- Hello. English?

Thank you anyway.

Darron: Not having
as many hissy fits.

Do we know what's up here?

But I feel like, when we
walked past them lanterns,

we should have walked in there.

We're starting to work
as an effective team.

Do you think it's in here?

I have a feeling it might be.

Hotel?

This way.

You know?

Please, if you know,
I'll give you a big hug.

I think this guy knows
what he's on about.

Oh, this has to be it.

Long inn... my guy.

If I had any money,
I'd buy this man a beer.

After all this...

You've saved me.

Hello. Hello.

Good afternoon.

How are you?

Alex: Oh, my god.

I was not expecting that.

Give me touch.

Yes!

First, twice in a row.

Now I am absolutely buzzing.

Come here.

Narrator: Having displayed
exceptional teamwork

ever since crossing
the border into China,

darron and Alex have
made it to the checkpoint

hours ahead of
their nearest rivals.

Darron: Yeah, I must
admit, Alex, you did well.

Alex: Thank you for that.

I appreciate it a lot.

But hats off to you. You
got me out my comfort zone.

I knew you could do
this. I knew you'd step up.

I didn't believe in myself.

Yeah. You've turned into...

A far more confident
and smarter person.

You just... you just
needed that nudging.

Touch. We're going to win.

Or a hug?

Touch. [ Laughs ]

♪♪

Narrator: After
travelling on a shoestring,

cooped up for
days on hard seats,

Tony and Elaine are
swapping slow trains

for the great outdoors...

A cruise on the river li.

Tony: It's been
a tough leg for us.

Elaine: We're tired. You
know, it's been a slog.

We've pushed
ourselves really hard,

maybe got a bit
grumpy ourselves,

and maybe that's colored
my judgment of China.

Tony: We want to
complete the race,

and we don't want
to be the old farts

who dropped out with
a leg and a half to go.

But we've just got to
get our heads together.

Elaine: I'm going
to enjoy this, I think.

It is wonderful.

Wonderful scenery.

Oh, look!

In Yorkshire, we have
some spectacular scenery,

but nothing quite like this.

Nothing like this.

[ Motor humming ]

It's just the bloody noise and
everything round it and busy.

Get out left! We're
going to crash!

They should supply
earplugs on these things.

Yeah.

Shut up! Shut up!

Take that bloody...

Shut that frigging noise down!

Put a bloody silencer on it!

Definitely, we could have
made better choices for this leg.

♪♪

Oh, wow.

Pretty impressive, isn't it?

Look at that.

♪♪

This is special.

Narrator: Whilst darron and
Alex enjoy 36 hours of rest

and recuperation
at the checkpoint...

You are taking us to the
high-speed train station.

- Okay.
- Yeah.

The other teams are in danger

of falling further
behind in the race.

Shameema: We'll just wait
for the adrenaline to kick in.

As soon as we're off the train,

it will be race
mode, definitely.

♪♪

Do you think any other
teams came during the night?

I don't know.

The trains were running
quite late, wasn't they?

Yeah. so they
could've still got here,

even within early hours
in the morning, potentially.

That's what I think
might have happened.

Well, I suppose there's
only one way to find out.

What? Go look at the book.

Have a sneak peak.

♪♪

The book.

Wow. No one's here.

It's a massive lead,

and we've only
got two legs to go.

Could not be happier.

What time do you
think the teams got in?

Early hours, I
would probably say.

2:00, 3:00, maybe 4:00.

There's still no one here.

No one? There's
still no one here.

Do they realize it's a race?

♪♪

There's a bus there.

Narrator: Josh and Felix
have arrived in hezhou,

a 90-minute bus
ride from huangyao.

- How much?
- How much?

Okay, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

- Yeah, cool.
- Yeah.

Felix: 30 yuan...
A high-speed bus.

It seemed like a good compromise
between haste and money.

♪♪

Narrator: As night
falls in guilin...

Natalie: We want to take a taxi.

Natalie and shameema
are willing to shell out

on the fastest way
to the checkpoint.

Any other route
we try to find now

will not get us
in until tomorrow,

and we have to
get there tonight.

This leg is all about
taking hits hard.

- $130 here?
- Yes.

Shameema: No? Yes,
no? We have to go.

Thank you very much.

Felix: This is a third of
the price of getting a taxi,

so it seemed like
the right thing to do.

We paid £60!

Yeah.

It was us taking a hit.

Really hard.No. It's this!

[ Laughs ]

♪♪

Second or third
is not an option.

Imagine. oh,
there's another sign!

♪♪

Narrator: Both
teams are closing in.

Felix: This looks like
the old town, doesn't it?

♪♪

- Sorted.
- Let's go.

Long inn hotel.

[ Man speaking mandarin ]

- Thank you!
- Thank you!

Xiexie!
- Bye!

Long inn hotel.

Where's the rickshaw
when you need one?

[ Both laugh ]

Long inn hotel. Is this it?

- No.
- No.

Long inn hotel? No?

Okay.

Man: You have a mobile phone?

We don't have a mobile phone.

We're in a big rush.

Do you know where
long inn hotel is?

Inn hotel?

- Come on, focus.
- Focus, focus, focus.

Together: Long inn hotel.

Can you look on your phone?

- Thank you.
- Thank you.

It's bloody boiling.

[ Man speaking indistinctly ]

Uh? Quick, quick, quick.

Uh, we're not in the old town.

Um, might be why the
walls didn't look that old.

[ Both laugh ]

Oh, my gosh!

Shameema: I think it's here.

Yeah. It is.

[ Laughing ] It... Is.

Do you know what this is? What?

Another sign that you
should trust your intuition.

Unless we're going to our death.

Mm, scared.

We've come down the wrong way.

Oh, my god. Like, literally,
we are never going to find it.

For... sake!

This is beautiful, man.

It's this way and then left.

It's up there.

For... sake!

Run!

Long inn?

[ Woman speaking indistinctly ]

This way? Thank you.

We can do this, we can do this,

we can do this, we can
do this, we can do this.

♪♪

Uh...

- Hello, hey!
- Hello!

How are you? Nice to see you.

- Hey!
- Is this the long inn hotel?

It's been a long
journey to get here.

Felix: Darron and Alex.

They're... 22 hours ahead of us.

Oh, man. [ Chuckles ]

♪♪

Felix: Absolutely gutted.

I've been on coaches and trains

for like 25 hours a day

for the last five
weeks for this.

- Ah!
- Oh!

But we know exactly
where it happened.

Border for China,
which, didn't get across it,

and the border
closed in front of us.

It's really, really
hard work, this.

♪♪

Long inn!

If we now don't get in first
because of all this faffing,

I'm going to be
pretty annoyed at us!

- Aah!
- Ooh!

♪♪

Shameema: Hell.

They got here a day ahead.

Agh!

We spent all that
money, as well.

I know.

Before, when we've
come in third place,

we have hardly spent any money.

This time, we've
come in third place,

and we've spent a lot of money.

Shameema: We want to
have an adventure of a lifetime,

but I feel like the
game's on now,

and we need to play the game.

Let them have their, like,
first and second place now.

When it really matters,
that's when we'll come in first.

This game is all about
connections between things.

But that's luck.

Like, darron and Alex could
make a massive mistake.

We cando this.

Narrator: Darron and Alex have
established a significant lead,

but with two legs
still remaining,

budgets are running
dangerously low,

and one team is
still out on the road.

Elaine: Seems a long time
since we last signed that book.

It's gone so slowly, this leg.

Boring, boring leg
from a train window.

Not a good leg.

It's haunting me.

♪♪

Go! Go, go, go!

Narrator: With 3,300
miles still to cover...

Alex: Bye-bye, China.

You've been good to us.

Narrator: Next
time, the hunt is on.

Felix: Darron and Alex
are the wounded wildebeest.

We are the lion
in the long grass.

Narrator: As the teams
head to Southeast Asia...

Bit of a breeze.[ Horn honks ]

- Oh, my god!
- It's just got that real energy.

A snake. Alex: Oh, my god.

The stormclouds
begin to gather...

Where do we go? This way?

$5, please.

And lightning strikes.

Josh: Let's just go, bam,
straight on to the checkpoint.

♪♪