Episode 4 starts once again with the Olympians skating out in front after last weeks "Hat Trick." Theyre leaving Hong Kong at 12:02pm to make their way to Macau, China via high-speed turbo jet ferry in search of the A-ma Temple. Cormac & Nicole are right behind them.
Everyone heads to the ferry terminal and Natalie & Meaghan are booked for a 4:00pm departure, as are Cormac & Nicole, Ryan & Rob , and Pierre & Michel. On the second ferry leaving 30 minutes behind are Mickey & Pete, Alain & Audrey, Rex & Bob, and two hours behind the lead, Sukhi & Jinder.
Teams have about two hours to mingle and Jinder comes straight out and asks Natalie & Meaghan "can we have the Express Pass?" Can't hurt to ask, I certainly would if I were in last place.
Once teams arrive at the A-ma Temple they'll need to perform an ancient ceremony meant to ward off evil spirits to get their next clue. Sounds pretty easy so far.
Mad dash out of the ferry terminal to find a taxi and Natalie & Meaghan move to front if the line to ask if they can go ahead of the guy at the front. Not sure if it was their winning smile or the cameramen all around but the guy agrees and the girls are outta there, leaving Ryan shaking his head.
Taking a cue from the Olympians, the Twins try jumping into a cab as it enters for customers but Nicole bullies them out like a mother bear. C'mon guys, man up. She's not that scary.
The Olympians are first to the Temple, set off their fireworks and receive the next clue. They now have to make their way to the Macau Tower and search outside the entrance for their next clue. They're off again as the other three teams arrive en masse and repeat the task.
The second ferry arrives and there's a lot less turmoil at the taxi cue, with Mickey & Pete the last to depart. Meanwhile Natalie & Meaghan have found the Roadblock.
This Roadblock will take one team member 51 stories above the city just so they can jump off the highest commercial bungee jump in the world. I love the sign "Caution Falling People" at the top of the tower.
764 feet is a long way to plunge. I'd let Wayne do that one, he's more of an adrenalin junkie. Apparently so is Meaghan as she's jumping for the Olympians. When my daughter watched that part she agreed with me, let Wayne do it.
The girls are now on their way to Happiness Street to find a shop selling almond biscuits for their next clue. Almond biscuits are pretty much a Chinese staple so this could take some time.
Pierre & Michel arrive after the girls have left, as do Cormac & Nicole. Finally Cormac mans up and decides to do the Roadblock for a great view of the city. Good thing the clue didn't say jump. I think it's Rob for the Bartenders.
Back at the temple all four final teams arrive and again repeat the firework task. Easy peasy. Loud but quick.
Sukhi & Jinder have promised their taxi driver double the money to get to the Macau Tower first. I hope they remember that when they get there. Unable to hail a taxi, Alain & Audrey decide to make a run for the Tower. Not their best decision since, if it's a physical task, they'll be wiped when they get there.
Michel is next off the Tower and it's starting to get dark out. If they close the jump at nightfall some teams will fall way behind, but I doubt that'll happen. The jump certainly looks like a lot of fun, and Pierre's French accent makes Happiness Street sound even "Appier."
Cormac's looking a little nervous as he gets suited up but Nicole's the one breaking a sweat. As a parent I get that but he's gotta step outta the nest and fly eventually. Nows good. If he's going to pass out hopefully he falls forward.
He didn't pass out. Way to go Cormac.
Natalie & Meaghan are lost on Happiness Street as the others arrive at the Tower. Jinder is the first to jump and as the others watch Rex looks ready to run in fear.
Back on the street two teams finally decide to form an alliance as they search for the almond biscuit shop. A little surprised it's the Olympians and the Twins, especially after the boys deception last leg but the girls probably know nothing about that and they feel they can trust fellow athletes. Natalie has finally figured out there are too many almond stores as the teams split the street in search of the clue.
At the Tower, Pete is told to empty his pockets so he just takes off his pants. That's gonna be breezy.
Despite Rex's fear of heights I'm proud of him for stepping up and jumping off. This is a task people would quit, not chair building. Bob is even more proud. With this I think Rex has redeemed himself.
Whatever happened to our stunt performer? Oh wait, there he is. Still running their way to the Tower. Big mistake. They know they're last and really need to pick up the pace. Audrey decides to enjoy the view.
Nicole & Cormac and the Bartenders arrive on Happiness Street and the first two teams are still searching. Finally Michel finds the clue box and calls the others over.
Detour: Stamp It or Stomp It.
In Stamp It, teams must locate the Ruins of St Paul, collect a blank scroll and then search for six shrines with a different symbol to stamp on their scroll, and once complete they can return to the ruins for their next clue.
In Stomp It teams must make their way to Senado Square, an open plaza where they will dress in Portugeuse costumes and perform a complicated Macaunese folk dance to get their next clue. I can see Rex pushing for this one but I'm pretty sure Wayne and I would Stamp It, but maybe not.
The Olympians and Twins both decide to Stomp It. Not sure why the twins feel they should get the Express Pass but they reveal that, by the end of the fifth leg they intend to U-Turn the girls. Not much of an athletes alliance. Both teams head back to the Square.
Ryan & Rob found the almond biscuit shop pretty quickly and they're off on a Detour. They also decide to Stomp It and Audrey makes the jump as she and Alain continue their hold on last place.
Michel looks cute as the girl, but not as cute as Meaghan as the boy. Neither gets their first attempt. Cormac & Nicole also choose to Stomp It.
We get a little backstory on Ryan's extensive time in dresses and that may not bode well for the Bartenders. Their first attempt is equally unacceptable.
Natalie wants to watch again but Meaghan feels they can learn in the circle. Cormac thinks he's found the Olympian's Achilles heel, it's dancing. He could be right, but their third attempt proves him wrong and they're moving on.
The next clue leads teams to the Grand Lapa Hotel where they must learn the ancient Chinese casino game of Fan Tan. Using an active table as their only guide they need to figure out how to determine the winning number, how to calculate odds, mark wins with green, ties with yellow and payout with red chips until the pit boss is satisfied. That's a lot to remember.
No surprise Rex & Bob chose Stomp It, not that they didn't tell Sukhi & Jinder where the clue box was, but it was kinda sad to watch them walk right past it. Back at the Square Cormac & Nicole fail their first attempt as Rex & Bob arrive, . . . and fail. Fortunately Jinder found the clue box and they chose Stomp It.
The Twins complete the dance and are off to catch up to Natalie & Meaghan. Meanwhile the girls have decided to split the task in two, one will figure out the winning number while the other focuses on the board. That might work but I wouldn't count on it.
Finally arriving on Happiness Street I couldn't believe Alain & Audrey walked into the almond biscuit shop, right up to the obvious clue box, and made a left to look on the shelves. They damn near tripped over it while stepping around it. All teams have now chosen Stomp It.
Cormac & Nicole fail their third attempt as Mickey & Pete decide to switch tasks, as do Sukhi & Jinder. Audrey realizes there are still two teams from the first boat and she and Alain also switch to Stamp It. All three teams are now headed for the ruins.
Sukhi & Jinder ask the Dudes if they're working together but then run off in the opposite direction like twin tornadoes. That's who's harshing Petes mellow, with a little too much energy. Back in the Square the Bartenders make their third attempt work and move on.
The girls have taken over the table but their first attempt was off as the Twins arrived.
Back on the streets Alain & Audrey were standing right in front of one of the shrines but just kept walking. Cormac & Nicole failed their fifth attempt while Rex & Bob completed it on their fourth. Nicole's looking a little flustered as they're now the last team dancing.
At least they kept a good attitude about it and made it on their next attempt. Speaking of attempts, Natalie & Meaghan's third attempt was correct. Not as hard as it looks I guess.
The next clue will have all teams racing through the city's underground passages to find a hidden entrance to the traffic circle known as Praca de Ferreira do Amaral and the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. This is no time to get lost.
Mickey & Pete are the first ones to find all the shrines and complete the task. The other two teams are right behind them and off to deal a hand of Fan Tan.
Everyone is equally confused at the tables, but Ryan & Rob are the first to figure it out and head to Pit Stop behind the girls. Finally making an impression. It's about time, hope it's not too late.
Despite a few wrong turns Natalie & Meaghan are again Team Number 1. These girls are almost unstoppable and win a trip aboard a brand new aircraft to Tokyo, Japan and another $3000 on their Scotiabank Amex card. Ryan & Rob have climbed up the ranks and are Team Number 2. From ghost team to second place just like that.
Back at the Hotel everyone is scrambling to figure out the system and Rex & Bob have it on their third attempt. Cormac & Nicole are right behind them as Rex & Bob are Team Number 3 and Cormac & Nicole are Team Number 4.
Mickey & Pete nailed the Fan Tan on their first try. Way to step it up Dudes. Pierre & Michel, who I somehow lost at the tables, are Team Number 5 and Mickey & Pete are Team Number 6. Good thing Pete didn't get too distracted by the pretty girl in the white dress.
Sukhi is practically begging Audrey for help, but as the last two teams there's no way Audrey's going to help them. Every team for themselves. Alain & Audrey complete the task but once again can't find a taxi.
The pressure is on as Sukhi and Jinder complete the Fan Tan and race out to a taxi just as Alain & Audrey get into one. It's down to the wire for these two teams but only one "may" be eliminated.
Alain & Audrey squeezed through as Team Number 7 and Sukhi & Jinder are the last team to arrive . . . but guess what, it's a non-elimination leg and they're still in this race. They look pretty depressed as for two people who were just given a reprieve.
Next week the race returns to Canada as teams fly to the Yukon and the Olympians become the center of controversy over their Express Pass. Add in some dog sledding and biathlon events and we're sure to find a little shake up in the order.
Watch for our video recap in the next 48 hours and our interview with Cory Mitic to get his views on this leg. Since no one was eliminated we won't have an exit interview this week but be sure to catch it after the fifth leg. See you real soon.