The Amazing Race Asia 3 Episode 7

Ida and Tania arrived hours late to pit stop but were saved by non-elimination in The Amazing Race Asia 3 Episode 6.

Teams depart in the order in which they arrived.

First: Vince & Sam – 5:47AM
Second: Henry & Bernie – 6:53AM
Third: Geoff & Tisha – 7:12AM
Fourth: AD & Fuzzie – 7:24AM
Fifth: Ida & Tania – 9:57AM

The taking away of people’s money has never had an impact on the race before, which is one reason it was removed from the American version, and it’s unlikely to impact Ida & Tania here. The other teams will be donating to their cause. They’ll be able to beg for the rest should it be necessary.

The first stop of the leg is a goldfish market and then an aquarium. Hours of operation at the aquarium begin at 11, so they’ve got some time to kill. They wait hours for the shop to open so that they can turn over their fish and receive a clue. Why the clue could not have been in a clue box I’m not clear, but it has allowed all four lead teams to be even, and Ida & Tania are not far behind.

Teams will travel by ferry to Macau, China, where they will be going by pedicab to the fountain in Senado Square. Locals Sam & Vince know that walking to the ferry terminal will be quicker than going by taxi, so they are able to arrive first, giving them a 10-15 minute advantage. Geoff & Tisha are the only one of the other teams to notice there’s a ferry that leaves 5 minutes before the other one.

First ferry: Vince & Sam
Second ferry: Geoff & Tisha
Third ferry: AD & Fuzzie, Henry & Bernie
Fourth ferry: Ida & Tania

With a yield ahead, teams are going to the Macau Tower. Sam & Vince do not yield, as they don’t need it at this time, particularly as they still have the home country advantage. Geoff & Tisha have chosen to yield Henry & Bernie, considering that the teams are joining forces against them. That 5 minutes proved to be a bigger deal than it may have seemed initially. With how far behind Ida & Tania are, it’s probably a waste to use this now rather than in a later leg, though. Henry doesn’t hide that he hates them (more) when he gets to the road block.

The road block is to climb the mast of the 10th tallest tower in the world.

Road block (in order of arrival): Vince, Geoff, Fuzzie, Bernie, Tania

Vince and Geoff finish in the same order they arrived, but Fuzzie struggles, allowing Bernie to pass her. Tania arrives before the third and fourth place teams have left. After Bernie leaves, the sky falls in, a bad thing when you’re trying to climb a high tower outdoors. The good news for Fuzzie is that, due to the lightning, she does not need to complete the outdoor portion of the task, nor does Tania, although, ultimately, this seems to cost Tania since Fuzzie was still trying to recover from the first part of her climb and had still not begun to climb the outside part.

From the road block, teams will complete a dragon boat course at Sai Van Lake, where Geoff & Tisha narrow the lead down to a couple minutes. Ida & Tania, who appeared to be making things interesting and closing the gap, get taken to the wrong place by their cab driver.

The detour is a choice between dance or chance. In dance, teams must complete a lion dance routine correctly, which turns out to be further complicated by the slippery conditions caused by the rain. In chance, teams must get dressed in formalwear and play blackjack until they win 9 times.

Chance: Vince & Sam, Henry & Bernie, AD & Fuzzie, Ida & Tania
Dance: Geoff & Tisha

By the time Ida & Tania arrive at the casino, AD & Fuzzie have completed 7 of their 9 winning hands.

The Ama Cultural Village in Coloane is the pit stop for this leg of the race. Before they are granted access, teams will need to complete the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac. Geoff & Tisha are the first to arrive after a quick detour finish. Despite their earlier lead, Henry & Bernie are the fourth ones to arrive following difficulty getting a cab. The zodiac could have changed the race, but it ultimately didn’t have any impact on placement.

First: Geoff & Tisha (each win a 40 inch HDTV and a PS3)
Second: Vince & Sam
Third: AD & Fuzzie
Fourth: Henry & Bernie
Non-eliminated: Ida & Tania

The leg turned out to be a lot closer than I would have expected thanks to the beginning hours of operation, but Ida & Tania have arrived in last. This again is a non-elimination leg, though. If they are not first in the next leg, they will receive a 30 minute penalty.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another recap of The Amazing Race Asia 3 episode 8, and don’t forget the live blogs of The Amazing Race 13.