Race Across the World (2019) s01e02 Episode Script

1
Reaching the other side of the world
has never been easier.
But by flying over, are we
forgetting how to travel through?
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 Moley, that's going to be
tough.
Five pairs of ordinary Brits are
about to attempt just that
Most people would go from A to B
on a plane,
but then they'd miss
all this.
..in an extraordinary race.
Come on, come on.
At ground level, they'll cover
over 12,000 miles.
Oh, man! That's amazing.
Everybody wants to get to
Azerbaijan. ♪
Who will finish first as they leave
behind the trappings
of modern-day life?
It's 34 hours on one bus.
Without their bank cards.
We're going to run out of money at
some point. ..and their smartphones.
I don't want to argue about it.
Time's ticking on.
It will test them physically
This way you find out about
yourself.
Sleep. Sleep where? You can't
finish the race if you're dead.
..and emotionally.
It's almost like I'm questioning
my purpose.
What is it that I want?
It's a bit much.
I'm at breaking point.
The reward is great
It's about me capturing
the little bit of me.
..as the first team to Singapore
will claim the prize of £20,000
..in a race across the world.
Shift your butt. Come on.
50 days. Blood, sweat, tears.
The teams set off on their epic
journey to Singapore.
Oh, for God's sake.
Best mates Josh and Felix worked
hard and raced fast to make
it to Delphi in Greece,
the first checkpoint and first
place.
Claiming a three and a half hour
lead over their closest rivals,
father and son, Darron and Alex.
Thought we'd give you a chance
the first leg.
A tragedy at home
My mum's in hospital.
She's taken a slight turn
for the worse.
..meant an early exit for husband
and wife, Jinda and Bindu.
We're going to head back again, OK?
Taking up the baton, Yorkshire
couple Tony and Elaine.
I can't believe it, we're here and
we're doing it.
Lifelong friends Natalie
and Shameema
We're in Starbucks, brushing our
teeth.
..relied on the kindness
of strangers
Could I hug you?
..to take third place.
Leaving the two remaining teams,
best friends Sue and Clare,
and husband and wife
Tony And Elaine
We're trying
to get to Delphi.
..all at sea.
No.
On the slope of Mount Parnassus,
Delphi,
in ancient times considered
to be the centre of the world.
At each checkpoint,
the teams have a 36-hour
break before heading
to the next destination.
So the earlier they get
there, the sooner they can leave.
Three teams reached the checkpoint
yesterday, but two
have yet to arrive.
Sue and Clare
Look, Hotel Amalia.
OK. Hotel Amalia.
..and Tony and Elaine. Thank you.
Thank you. Good.
Amalia Hotel.
Amalia Hotel.
How far down?
It's there? It's there. Crikey.
Hello. Welcome to Amalia Hotel.
Kalispera.
Three other teams are in before us.
Sue and Clare take fourth
spot, almost 24 hours
behind the race leader.
Can we just do this? Fantastic.
We got here. A little bit
disappointed, but not
far behind. Not far behind.
Just five minutes behind
Here we go. Come on.
Last little bit.
..Tony and Elaine arrive in last
position.
Come on.
This is the first time they'll meet
the other competitors
We're the newbies.
..having replaced Jinda and Bindu
Good to meet you.
We took their place.
We're the reserves.
I'm sure we all extend our well
wishes to them.
Yeah, but also lovely to meet you as
well.
Super. It really is a great, great
experience.
It's been great meeting everybody
else and we heard really
lovely people, but it changes things
a little bit.
You know, you see the whites
of people's eyes
and their experience
they've had.
We're 15 minutes into a game
of football and we've got extra time
and penalties, so it'll pick up
from now on.
5.35 AM.
We'd like to check out, please.
The next checkpoint is Baku.
OK.
Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
A city of fire with its historic
Ateshgah temple and ultramodern
flame towers celebrating
the nation's vast oil
and gas reserves.
I think we had our suspicions
that it was going to be somewhere
on the Caspian Sea.
Azerbaijan's meant to be beautiful,
as well.
The second checkpoint is 1,447 miles
east of Delphi.
And there will be a need for speed
on this leg.
"The team that reaches there in
fifth place will be eliminated."
OK.
If we get to Singapore first
or fourth, I really don't mind.
But if we have to go home at Baku,
that will suck.
Racing across the world
is all about travelling smart,
displaying speed and adaptability.
The threat of elimination means
every decision counts.
The first -
how to get out of Greece?
They could head south to the
capital,
Athens, and its port, Piraeus,
gateway to the Aegean and the Med,
or head north through Thessaloniki
using road and rail,
crossing the land bridge between
Europe and Asia.
To the bus stop.
Yeah, let's go.
We're going to get into Athens
on the bus and then we want to get
the ferry over to Cesme.
I think the added sense of jeopardy
that the elimination brings,
there's definitely an added urgency.
No-one wants to be last.
No-one wants to go home.
We've all put too much into this.
We were planning on, like, a nice
layover in Istanbul.
Take our foot off the gas
taking the scenic route,
maybe visiting some sites.
No, no, it's a real kick up the bum.
Need to get there.
What a lovely little town.
Without smartphones, Josh and Felix
are unaware that the first bus
to Athens isn't until 10 AM.
Great.
Time for Plan B.
There's a good chance that we could
do well in this competition.
Over a journey of such epic
proportions,
there's probably a thousand
things that could go wrong.
Felix and I's ability to rely
on each other is one of the
strengths
that we'll have. Our openness to
talk to people and our ability
to take risks.
Hopefully that will stand
us in really good stead.
No-one's going there. No.
After two hours, some divine
intervention from a tour guide
and oracle named Nicholas.
She will allow Nick to zip you to
Athens right after breakfast.
Would you be up for that, Nick?
He loves it. As long as I get
a nice breakfast beforehand.
Absolutely, man.
This is exactly
how the universe works.
We're having breakfast in a hotel
with these lovely people
who have invited us to join them.
This is Nick. And he's very kindly
agreed to take us to Athens.
Your health. Cheers. Cheers.
9:25 AM. The next team to leave
the checkpoint -
Darron and Alex.
Your next checkpoint is back here.
Ooh, cranking up the pressure with
an elimination.
Yeah, definitely.
Well, on the plus side, at least
we know where this is. Exactly.
Try there.
Since the age of 15,
I've lived with my mum.
He's still my dad at the end
of the day. I just don't know him
as well as I should.
So, this trip, we should be able
to know each other a lot
better than what we do now.
First thing, definitely, Athens.
Yeah. I think that opens
up more possibilities for us.
I don't know Alex as a man.
I know him as a child.
It's going to be difficult to get
balance because I need Alex to make
mistakes so he can grow as a person.
That balance of him growing,
him becoming a more rounded
individual and still winning,
it's going to be a tough
balance at times.
We just need to take as much
advantage, lead, as we can close
in the gap and hopefully
catching up to Josh and Felix.
I wonder what Josh and Felix
have done.
# I can't help
# Falling in love with you
# Take my hand
Take my whole life too. ♪
While Josh and Felix hold hands,
they lose their grip on the race
lead as Darron and Alex catch
the first bus to Athens.
Eventually Josh and Felix
hit the road.
What's your background, then?
I am a professional psychic.
No way. We were saying
on our way here the Gods
were looking down on us and smiling.
When we arrived,
It was at sunset and the piercing
sun was through the clouds.
It couldn't have looked more It
was mythic. It was mythic, yes.
This is Apollo is greeting you.
Yeah, exactly. Exactly.
Athens, birthplace of democracy
and Western philosophy,
with over 3,000 years of history.
The city's patron deity, Athena,
was goddess of courage, strength,
strategy and wisdom.
And a new-found wisdom is about
to be bestowed on Josh and Felix.
This will help you both
if you put it right here, you see.
Right here, on the third eye,
this will help you to open
up your psychic awareness,
relax the mind and tune in,
so you know which way to go,
you know
which decision to make, which path.
The path cach team chooses is
their own.
But they must pass through five
checkpoints on the way to Singapore.
Each team began the race
with the cash equivalent of two
economy airfares to Singapore
in pounds sterling.
This must cover all expenditures.
Hi.
We want to go to Cesme in Turkey.
What time does it leave?
From here, nine o'clock.
Yeah. Yes.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
Well, we got to Athens in record
time.
And then the ferry isn't till 9PM,
so we're going to hang out.
Hello. No, we're all right,
actually.
Yeah, we don't need phones.
We're going to E7 to get some money.
It's a little bit of a shame
that there isn't a ferry
till the evening.
But we have the power of Hermes
and Apollo on our side.
200 Turkish lira.
£200 in Turkish. Yeah.
7 PM.
11 and a half hours behind Josh
and Felix,
Natalie and Shameema leave Delphi.
It is ten past seven.
What? Train is coming.
Heading north, they're aiming
to catch the last train to
Thessaloniki,
then push on through to Istanbul.
Hi. You speak English?
Sorry, I don't. Oh, no.
I have known Shameema
since I was nine years old.
There's absolutely nobody else
in this world that I can imagine
doing this trip with.
I think Shameema would describe me
as somebody who just goes and does
something and then thinks
about it, and she's more considered,
but I think we balance
each other out.
I think that's from decades
of friendship.
We have English money.
No. If you exchanged this money,
and you get more euro.
But they're short of euros.
And the last train north
is due in 15 minutes.
I think we should just get the
train and pay for it to go to
Larissa.
I was ready to give him £30.
I know!
The girls take a risk and board
the train with a fare paid for only
half the journey.
This is cosy.
Piraeus,
Athens,
the largest passenger port
in Europe.
Darron and Alex have booked
an evening ferry to Turkey,
and won't be alone.
Hello!
Which team is it?
Hello!
We knew you were going to be on our
ferry.
Have you booked? Yes, I just
said to Josh,
I was like, "They're going to be on
our ferry." Good to see you, man.
We've closed the gap now, eh?
Look how happy he is. Are you taking
the 10,000 in pocket money?
Looking very smart.
We've closed the gap. Three-hour gap
and it's closed like that
The crazy thing is we have the same
strategy as Josh and Felix,
which is quite scary.
But I think it's going to be close
between us all the way
up because they have the same
strategy, the same mentality,
the same,
like, traveling overnight to save
costs.
I'm not going to change
it because it's too like theirs.
No, obviously not.
I'm still going to be the same.
Because we believe it's the winning
way to go about it.
103 miles from Thessaloniki,
an inspector calls.
Hello. Hello. Your ticket, please.
Yes?
We can buy a ticket?
What is your money?
We have pound, English pound.
No pound.
So, when I bought it Problem for
me.
Yes. It's a problem for me
as well.
So we need to go to Thess
Thessalo
What? To Thessaloniki.
Don't you have money? No euro.
No euro? No euro. Pound.
Oh, it's problem. You stop
travelling now.
We get off next stop? Yes, please.
To date, Natalie and Shameema
have relied on the kindness
of strangers, and they are in dire
need of it now.
Hi, can you speak English? Yes.
What is your name?
Konstantina. Konstantina!
I'm Natalie. Shameema.
The train inspector's come.
He's trying to chuck us off the
train.
Do you have any euros
that when we get to Thessaloniki
we will give you euros?
Can you come to the ticket inspector
and explain to him, maybe?
How much do you have?
How much do you have?
I think that'll be enough. It'll be
OK.
And then when we get off the thingy
we'll get the money.
One from you, one from you,
the same price?
BOTH: Yes.
Tickets to Thessaloniki. ♪
This has been an interesting
evening for you, yes?
Yes, absolutely.
Not your normal evening?
Er, no.
Natalie and Shameema's risky train
strategy has paid dividends,
catapulting them right back
into contention as they've made
it to Thessaloniki.
A seven-hour wait for the ferry
connection
from Piraeus has dragged back the
leading two teams, but they've now
set sail across the Aegean, heading
for Cesme and Turkey.
The remaining teams are about to
leave Delphi.
Kalimera.
The first are best friends
of over 40 years,
Sue and Clare.
"The team that reaches there in
fifth place will be eliminated."
Oh, God. Three teams have already
gone.
I know. We're going out to gave to
get a move on.
They're five minutes behind us now.
I know. I know. I know.
Thank you.
It would be so wonderful to get
to Singapore because of my dad.
He was based there when he was
in the RAF from 1946 to 1948.
We're here. Wow.
That's a way. I'm just thinking
maybe stick to land and get
the miles in. I'm wondering
if there's a train.
I don't want to go home
when we get to Azerbaijan.
We can't afford to make
any mistakes this time, can we?
The sword of doom hanging over our
heads now with the elimination.
We're in fourth place, but we're
only five minutes
ahead of the other team.
Last to arrive, and therefore
last to leave,
Tony and Elaine,
retired teachers from Yorkshire.
We're getting started out because
we've just got six, seven minutes.
Well, as long as you get there,
Tony.
Just don't go tripping up.
I think, you know, most people think
of retirement as the last phase
of your life.
The bit where you kind of watch
telly all day and wait to die.
But for us, we really do
want to travel, see parts
of the world we haven't seen
before and just not be somebody
else's mother, somebody
else's grandma.
Just want to be ourselves.
Here they are.
We thought you weren't coming, then.
We were quite anxious and also quite
keen to lose the ladies
because it's a bit disconcerting
when you're in a race to have them
travelling alongside you.
This bit is, like, tricky,
because we don't want to
Well, it's not We can talk
without discussing where we're
going.
In a minute, in a minute.
We're going different ways anyway.
How do we know? They might do the
same thing.
If we get off together,
it'll be a laugh, won't it?
If we don't, we'll say goodbye,
that's it, and we'll see them
at the next destination, OK?
Two teams have docked in the port
of Cesme at the western tip
of Turkey, frontier to Asia
and home of the Turkish lira.
See you at the next checkpoint.
Excuse me. Bus station?
Er, 350 300 metres on the left.
Are you tickets?
Ankara? Ankara.
Two tickets, please.
Have we got Turkish?
Yeah, it's fine.
They've got it.
We want to get it to Ankara.
Do you accept euros?
We've got no Turkish money
on us.
Where can we change currency?
Ya Where around here can we
change currency?
There are cash Santro.
Where's that, please?
Minibus departing from here.
Also we've got to get
We need to change some money
so we can get a bus. Yeah.
We don't have any Turkish money.
So, the boys do, so I'm a bit pissed
off, to be honest.
I don't want them to get the lead
now
and I think they are going
We'll pack it in the back, maybe.
The fact is that we have to take
an hour out of our time
and then come back.
And they'll be already
on the way. Stupid!
And then we're going to have to wait
40 minutes.
I wouldn't dare. What's the point?
Sad to see the guys Getting
stressed.
..in a difficult situation.
No, cos I was telling you in Greece
we should have changed money.
I was telling you.
Well, why didn't you?
Because obviously it's a mutual
decision.
I'll just go spend money, can I?
Pissed off, man.
I'm just I'm sick of this.
Every time there's a slight
hiccup, he goes into
a mood like, "Oh, it's the end
of the world."
British pounds to Turkey?
We can't get beaten down at
the slightest bump in the road.
It's just
You just can't do that.
On the other side of the Aegean Sea,
Sue and Clare and Tony and Elaine
have both chosen to head north
using road and rail, entering
Turkey
via the land bridge.
With elimination on everyone's mind,
Tony and Elaine are desperate
to lose their nearest rivals and
set about quizzing locals to gain
any kind of advantage.
I'm trying to get to Istanbul.
Any idea of how we could find
the times of trains?
Oh, thank you.
Thank you. 16:01. You will arrive at
22.36. 22.36?
Yes. Wow! That is a long time time.
A long time.
We presumed the onward
journey would be by train,
but when the guy looked it up
on his phone,
the bus took half
the time. Three and a half hours.
So the bus is quicker
than the train?
What time do we get in? 12:45.
12:45. Maybe one o'clock.
One o'clock, five o'clock.
You think we could catch
this one o'clock bus?
We don't have enough time?
It's very tight. Very close.
The obvious route in this scenario
was longer.
I'm so pleased we had that
conversation because that might
make a difference of getting to
Istanbul tonight.
We're in a race. Across the world.
We have to go really, really quick.
Yeah. Really quick.
With Sue and Clare in the dark,
Tony and Elaine plot their escape.
Ready to go?
What?
I just hope it works out.
OFF SCREEN: Been married 40 years.
Basically, I do what Tony tells me.
I only wish that was the bloody
case, I tell you what.
The bus goes a 24 minutes.
OFF SCREEN: We're both quite
stubborn. We're determined.
When the going gets tough
Yeah. ..me and Tony get going. Yeah.
They only have ten minutes
until the 1pm express bus departs.
And the terminus is over 3km away.
So we can go straight to the bus
station.
Yeah. Yeah. Another taxi
Is that it? Yeah.
Yeah, they're in. They're
following us.
Good God.
I swear to God The women!
They're behind us in a taxi.
I am desperate to shake them off
now. Desperate. They were in
a very big rush, so I'm wondering
whether they know something
more than we do.
I don't know.
Well, though Good, good, good.
Thank you, thank you.
Fast, fast, fast.
Fantastic.
Yes!
But if we hadn't
Done the similar
Well, almost the same thing, then we
would have been behind,
we wouldn't
have been able to do this.
Let's hope that taxi driver
behind has lost us by now.
I can't see, because my neck won't
turn that far round.
This one here? Yes. Ah, there's
people waiting still. Excellent.
Ticket before? Do you need to get
a ticket? Cheers, thank you.
Ah Where do we go?
Alexandroupoli, one o'clock?
Where is it?
Platform 18. Platform 18. OK.
Alexandroupoli?
This one?
Excuse me, are you this bus?
Alexandroupoli.
OK.
This one.
Jesus. Where's me wine? It's
Oh-ho-ho-ho.
We made it. Oh, God. Excellent.
Woman possessed in bus station.
Unaware they've just missed the 1pm
express bus, Sue and Clare
opt for a coach to Istanbul
What time's the next bus?
Ten o'clock is the next bus.
There's not one before? No, it's
only one - ten in the morning or ten
in the evening.
..but it doesn't depart for another
nine hours.
At least we're in a place that we
can buy a little bit of food,
sit and relax, maybe have a cup
of tea, coffee.
Can't see the other team, and that's
what's on my mind,
I have to say, because they're
not here. Sue, we're here.
I'm just talking. And that's what
concerns me,
is that they're not here. Yeah, so
they get there, right? Listen.
Listen. Listen, calm.
They get there, get an overnight
accommodation and we'll still
be there at the same time.
So don't worry. It's fine. OK.
Won't we? Well, no, because we're
sitting around here
for nine hours, till ten o'clock.
So So what?
What a game, what a rush.
That is a proper race, but we'll do
anything to get
through to the next stage
if possible.
I'm going to start playing dirty.
Are you? And you are too.
What do you mean? You can't do that.
Well It's the taking part
that counts,
it's not the winning.
That's what you said to me
all my life - why change it?
Yeah. Because I'm older and wiser
now, Tony.
It's about the winning, trust me.
370 miles ahead are Natalie
and Shameema.
Istanbul, the only city in the world
spanning two continents -
where Europe meets Asia, east meets
west,
and over 12 million tourists
meet the locals each year.
So we need to go to Kapali Carsi.
We're having to spend money to move
as quick as we can through Turkey.
So we really need to be able to work
to make that money back.
The further the teams head
east, the chance of earning
good money diminishes.
Natalie and Shameema have already
spent over 30%
of their total budget,
so they take decisive action.
We are trying to get a job
in the bazaar, and we have two
telephone numbers that we can call,
but we don't have a phone.
Would it be possible if you could
call the number for us, please?
All teams have been provided
with a travel guide for each leg,
complete with classified
job adverts.
Yeah, he's waiting for you.
Yeah!
They've secured work in a cafe
in one of the world's most
popular tourist destinations,
the Grand Bazaar,
which attracts up to 400,000
people a day.
Oh, this is it. I'm Shameema.
Hi, I'm Natalie.
What would you like us to do today?
Working. Working? Yes. Yes.
Hello, guys. Want to come for
a tea or coffee?
Ooh! No problem, no problem,
no problem.
Yes, they have English tea here.
Do you want a drink?
I don't want to do this any more.
I know we need money.
I'm washing the cups.
LAUGHING: Don't slam the cutlery.
Fuck's sake.
Ankara, the capital of Turkey,
and its second largest city, home
to over five million people.
Still 1,200 miles from the Baku
checkpoint,
Josh and Felix have just arrived
and are looking for a direct bus
east to Tbilisi in Georgia.
Maybe we should get the train.
I just don't want to spend 23 hours
on a coach.
I'd rather spend 24
hours on a train.
Let's just go. Yeah, like,
literally.
Unable to face another marathon
coach journey,
and confident
in their position in the race,
the boys opt to take the Eastern
Express Railway - a slower
but more scenic route across Turkey.
Also awaiting the same evening
train are Darron and Alex.
We're heading to an art gallery,
which is supposed to have amazing
views over Ankara,
and we get to
work with some locals,
do something we've never
done before.
It's going to be good fun, isn't it?
Yeah, of course.
I'm looking forward to it.
There's a really, really fine
balance between racing
and having a really tight budget.
It's no good avoiding elimination
if you've then got no money
to carry on.
Please.
Oh, yes, we'll come up. Please.
Father and son will be working
for a renowned local art dealer,
Mr Terzioglu.
Come, come, come.
Coming. Chop, chop.
Come, Alex! I'm coming.
Coming, coming, coming.
Tough boss, shouting and ordering
Alex about already.
I like it. I'm just surprised Alex
is listening.
OFF SCREEN: I don't really know,
like, my plans in life.
I've been applying for jobs a lot,
and you go to hundreds of
job interviews, but
you just don't get anywhere.
Come, Alex! Bloody hell. Why me?
This trip is about proving
to myself that I can do something,
like I can properly
get out of my comfort zone.
Alex, Alex! Come on, come on!
Not England! This is Turkish!
OK.
Two tea, please. Two tea.
Two tea.
But Uh Well
Yes, please. Yes.
Can I have a drink?
No drink.
I think Alex has got into a bit of
a rut.
He always takes the easy
option.
One of the challenges will be for me
to step back and go,
"No, Alex, you need to do this,"
and I'm going to try to let Alex
do as much as he can, because he
will benefit.
Pissing me off, man.
This is a joke. I ask for a drink
and I can't even get a drink.
Alex is basically having a bit
of a culture shock at the moment.
Alex!
UNDER HIS BREATH: He can fuck off.
Patience, remember, patience.
I'm going to walk off soon.
I justcan't cope with him.
Respect.
Just Yeah, respect!
Just
I just want a drink. That's all I
want.
Finish, finish, finish, please.
Please.
Are you mad? Yes, yes.
270 miles north-west,
and Tony and Elaine have arrived
in Istanbul,
having spent the last 18
hours on a bus.
After bringing up the rear
in the first leg,
the retired teachers know that
should history repeat itself,
they would be eliminated.
Depends how long, and how much.
We are25 hours.
Determined not to let this happen,
they're planning to get straight
back on another bus, travelling
a mammoth 1,100 miles
across the whole of Turkey
and into neighbouring Georgia,
a journey of over 24 hours.
Even the express train, that is
full, that we know is full,
takes longer than 24 hours.
So clearly this is the quickest
we are going to get there.
We need to know the price. How much?
40 euro.
Let's just get the ticket. Get
the money, get the ticket.
Done. We'll be in Georgia tomorrow.
That journey is 24 hours. For me,
that I'm going to go.
That journey could be a week.
But if that's the fastest way to do
it, we're going to do it.
As Tony and Elaine await
their connection
..Natalie and Shameema are cashing
out after their long shift at the
cafe.
This one is for you. Oh, thank you.
Oh, thank you.
That's very nice of you.
Thank you very much.
Great! 50 Turkish lira - £6.42
is what we've earned today.
OFF SCREEN: I think we've really
felt the difference in the value
of money in Turkey,
in comparison to Europe.
For a whole six hours,
we've earned £6 each.
That's like a pound an hour.
I think going across Turkey
it probably will be quite cheap.
I hope so.
Meanwhile in Ankara, Josh and Felix
and Darron and Alex
are still neck and neck as they
board the Eastern Express
bound for Kars.
The Eastern Express takes a long
and winding route across Turkey,
and though it has an estimated
journey time of 24 hours,
it rarely runs on schedule.
These pull down.
You got a bed.
Now in the lead despite being last
to leave Delphi, Tony and Elaine,
who are on their direct bus
to Tbilisi.
Yeah, 25-hour, 26-hour
coach journey.
It's state of mind. It'll be fine.
It'll be good.
We've got the cards.
Natalie and Shameema are still
in Istanbul,
and Sue and Clare
have also just arrived.
This place is amazing. Wow.
Absolutely amazing.
Caviar.
But their nine-hour wait back
at Thessaloniki bus station
has taken its toll.
I think it's more than 36 hours
now since I've really had any sleep.
Um
And I'm feeling it.
I'm not making sense.
I'm functioning at very low level.
We've got to be off by nine o'clock
tomorrow morning,
to get the bus.
It's going to take us to Tbilisi
in Georgia.
This is a 24-hour bus ride.
Which Not really looking
forward to, but we've got to do it.
We've got to power on through.
Having stopped racing in order to
earn money, Shameema is still keen
to make the most of the remaining
time in Istanbul.
I would really still like to go
and have a bit of chill time
So let's go to the Blue Mosque,
then.
And then? Then we can do
whatever you want to do.
If you want to really go to
the Blue Mosque,
let's make that our priority. OK.
And then we can sort everything
else out after.
Because now it's getting
late to go to the Blue Mosque.
I don't want that.
Don't put that on me.
I'm not putting it on you, Natalie.
OK, so let's go to the Blue Mosque.
The Sultanahmet Mosque - one
of Istanbul's most famous landmarks.
Built in the 1600s,
its walls are adorned
with hand-painted tiles,
which at night
bathe the mosque in a soft,
blue light, giving it its more
widely known name -
the Blue Mosque.
It's a shame we didn't get here
before it closed.
OFF SCREEN: Life's definitely
changed at the moment.
I've been married for 19 years and
we've decided as a family that
it's
..come to a point where
me and Imran are separating.
It's still quite taboo
in the community
that I'm from, so the South Asian
communities.
And although Imran and I have been
separated for a while now, it's not
something that I've been able
to openly talk about.
And so it's almost like I've almost
been living a lie.
It feels really peaceful
around here.
It would have been awesome
if we were able to go in.
Everyone's got their own ideas
about what faith means to them.
For me, it's just kind of calming,
gives me direction.
Having this time to myself
and just being away from
responsibility will allow me
to think about what it is
that I actually want.
My children Ah, they'd love it.
I'm going to do a trip with them,
come here. It'd be amazing.
Maybe that's why I didn't get to go
in - I get to go in
with my children.
I love travelling by train.
On an aeroplane, this would be
..five, ten seconds flying
over this area and it'd be gone.
I think because everyone's
in such a rush all the time,
they sort of, like, forget to stop.
And then when you do, and you look
out, you think,
"Wow, this is amazing."
Initially running in 1936,
the Eastern Express has been
expanded over the years to
stop at 11 provincial
cities between Ankara and Kars.
It covers a total of 1,208 miles,
almost double the distance
of the equivalent road journey.
Not so much express either, really.
Very slow, it's very slow.
I'd call it the Eastern Trundle
if I was going to call it something.
The Eastern Local Train. Yeah.
When we get off at Kars and try
and make our transfer as quickly as
possible to Tbilisi, the feeling
of imperative will return
because the decisions we make will
affect how quickly we get there,
whereas for now it's a good time
to just sit back,
watch it slide by and try and,
yeah, recharge slightly
because we can't make it
go any faster.
I think within
the context of the race,
the most pertinent thing is the fact
that Darron and Alex are next door.
I'm not saying I don't ever cry.
I don't think
I've ever seen you cry.
It's not something I do very often.
I cry every time I watch ET.
I've seen it about 100 times
and, every single time, I choke up.
ET is the thing which you cry for
and it's not even human.
I'm improving.
It's your turn to improve.
You always send digs and stuff.
I don't intentionally dig.
I think sometimes
I can say things without fully
thinking about the consequences.
You can piss me off. Yes.
But also you get really, really
wound up and peeved
exceptionally quickly,
generally over the most innately
dull things
..and that's something you need to
heavily deal with.
So, we've both still got
a lot more work to do.
To get into Azerbaijan,
the teams must all travel
through Georgia,
as Armenia remains a closed border.
Sue and Clare are on
the direct bus to Tbilisi,
making rapid progress
..picking up the same route as the
new race leaders, Tony and Elaine,
who have made it to
the Georgian capital.
Natalie and Shameema
are making good progress
as they pass through Trabzon.
And just arriving into Kars
on the Eastern Express
are Darron and Alex,
and Josh and Felix.
After their marathon train ride,
Darron and Alex opt to
look for a bed for the night,
but Josh and Felix have other plans.
Let's go. Taxi! Taxi?
Yeah, cool, Tbilisi.
How much to Tbilisi in Georgia?
Today, tomorrow? Today, now.
ALEX: They're thinking of
getting a taxi to Tbilisi.
We can't go to the border
without having a lift
arranged from the other side,
so could you Can you phone
..phone Georgia,
phone a Georgian cab?
No. No. Wait, the Georgia
taxi wait the borders.
They wait at the border? Yeah.
DARRON: Sorry, looking for hotel.
Straight down? Straight down?
Thank you.
Oops.
Plans thwarted, Josh and Felix
discover they must also
stay in Kars overnight.
I'm spitting fucking balls, man.
Due to poor road conditions
and the time of night,
it's too dangerous
to get through the border
and it's not possible
for any teams to cross.
Aargh!
JOSH: Better not be a dry town.
We have Oh, that is so nice.
Alex, as well, he'll be happy.
We got a TV. Oh.
Oh.
Ooh, that's a bit weird,
we've got a normal toilet.
It's morning in the
east Turkish town of Kars.
Darron and Alex have a few hours
until their connecting bus
into Georgia.
Keeping with the cut-throat
nature of this leg,
they're off to sample
a traditional Turkish barbers.
I'm getting my ears waxed.
I don't know what it entails
but I hope it's not painful.
Oh!
Ow! Goddamn it, that hurt! Ooh!
Oh! Wow.
Yesterday's
not-so-express train journey
has left Josh and Felix anxious
and eager to get out of Kars.
We know at least one team
is on the same schedule as us,
Darron and Alex.
Let'slet's see if there's a way
we can get a jump on them.
The coach is the quickest way and
I think if any other teams have
cottoned onto that fact
then they'll be overtaking us.
One team who have indeed overtaken
is Natalie and Shameema.
Their strategy of
back-to-back buses is paying off
as they're fast approaching Tbilisi.
We focus more on speed.
Yeah, we've got a good chance
but it's ait's
It's still everybody's race.
And there's just one
missed train connection,
one missed bus connection
and everything could change.
Tbilisi, derived from
the Georgian for warm.
It is the country's capital city
with a population of
one and a half million.
Elaine and Tony arrived
late last night
and have decided to cool off
from the heat of the race.
Travel plans mean
we can spend the afternoon here.
I feel really lucky cos I've
always wanted to come here
and now we have and we're
looking around and it's amazing.
The view off the top
is just quite incredible.
Fancy a shower?
You can stand in, cos you'd love
to stand underneath that. Yeah.
I think the excitement of going
somewhere totally new
is just so, so refreshing.
Oh, wow. It's nice.
Tony's Yorkshire charm has
proved a hit with the locals,
particularly the hotel owner, Tanya.
Ontomorrow we get eliminated.
From all of you?
Yeah, on the race, we get eli
We don't think we'll get through.
Then on the way home,
we've come back to Georgia,
and we have our holiday. Yeah.
As the day draws to a close,
Sue and Clare have
also made it to Tbilisi.
We knew it was going to be hard,
but when you're actually
in the middle of it,
I think it's harder
than we'd thought.
The relentless moving on
and moving on and moving on and
I do think
..the toll it takes on you,
and not being able to sleep
properly and eat properly and
I think once we're past this leg
and we're safely in,
and we're not eliminated,
things will change.
I think the pressure
has been enormous.
You can't keep going
without stopping
and we've had to stop here
for our sanity, and I think maybe
some of the other teams don't,
maybe they just keep flying through.
As Sue and Clare recoup
in the Georgian capital,
Elaine and Tony are heading out,
this time taking
a taxi to the border.
Bye-bye, Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan.
And I reckon it will
be one, two, three buses,
so, top whack, six hours.
I think we've worked
really hard on this leg
because we've thought
carefully about the route,
we've thought carefully about
maximising all long journeys.
Hello, we come? Baku?
Starting last is, ooh, it's a kick
up the pants cos you've gotta get
on with it, and you don't
want to be going home first.
Tony and Elaine's
persistence has paid off
as they are the first team
to cross into Azerbaijan.
Spotted a bus immediately to Baku.
I like operating like that.
We can't really presume that
you'reyou've got through
to the next stage,
because Sue and Clare
could have just thought,
"Well, let's go all out
and hire a private taxi."
They could be there.
You just do not know.
Back in Tbilisi, Sue and Clare
head for breakfast
Hello.
..at what appears to be the city's
most popular hotspot for tourists.
Yeah, we'd like some tea, please.
Chai English?
Yes, English. Yeah.
Azerbaijan? Yes. Yes. You know?
First couple, Tony?
Yeah. Helen
Tony and Helen? Tony and Helen?
Azerbaijan, they get there.
When? Did they go today?
Oh, they've gone today.
Five o'clock today.
Oh. OK.
They've got a picture. Ah.
Yeah, wonderful.
Oh!
Excellent.
Tanya, Azerbaijan.
Yeah. OK.
They're the team that
we were neck-and-neck with
and they're ahead of us and
we've gotta get cracking now.
OK, we need to go.
Right, let's get sorted. Bye.
We don't know about
the other three teams.
We're going to get there hopefully
into third place, maybe even second.
Sue and Clare make moves
to get out of Georgia,
just as the two teams that started
this leg at the front of the pack
are arriving.
Baku 6.30.
Where? There. That bus.
Is it leaving at half six?
Yeah, excellent.
But to get ahead,
rivals Josh and Felix
are opting for the quicker,
more expensive route,
all the way to Baku.
How much to go to Baku?
Yes? Shall we do that?
Yeah, let's do that.
50 miles ahead, Natalie and
Shameema's tactic of nonstop travel
from Istanbul means
they're the second team
to cross the border into Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan!
Azerbaijan. We made it.
Everybody wants
to get to Azerbaijan.
But a further 320 miles ahead,
Tony and Elaine,
the last team to leave
the Delphi checkpoint,
are the first team
to arrive in Baku.
The capital and largest city
in Azerbaijan.
Sitting 28 metres below sea level,
it's the lowest lying capital
in the world.
The lowest lying team at the start
of this leg were Tony and Elaine.
Having made it to Baku,
they receive details of
the checkpoint location
on the only piece of technology
permitted in the race,
their GPS tracker.
"Please proceed to Heydar."
Heydar Aliyev Center.
Right, OK.
Can't wait to get to that hotel.
I'll be straight in that pool if
there is one.
I don't know whether
there will be one.
I'll tell you what, a taxi would
have been expensive. We've got
this train's going a million miles
an hour and there's seven stops.
Do you know Heydar Aliyev Center?
Come on. Oh. Oh. That's it.
That's it. We're really here.
What do you think it is?
I don't know. No idea.
That is something else.
Come on, come on, come on.
Come on, then.
Let's read this message.
It should be here now cos we're
Where's the thing?
Yeah, let's have look.
Look directly in front of you
and you will see your next
checkpoint, the Flame Towers Hotel.
Which is in front? That way?
Or that?
Is it Could it be this?
Yeah, this is it, this is it.
Come on, come on, come on.
Entrance, Flame Tower Hotel?
Reception?
Shit. I can't any more. Oh.
Welcome to Baku. Hello.
Thank you.
Sign here and you're first.
Oh, my word.
I'm just so, so relieved
that we're still in this race.
And I just want now
to maintain that pace
and that energy
all the way through now.
They will be absolutely floored
I think they'll be
..when they come in. ..quite
shocked that we came in first.
Yeah, I think they'll be
Quite shocked. Yeah.
Where are they?
Come on, where are they?
The remaining teams are closing
in on the second checkpoint,
all too aware the last ones
to arrive will be eliminated.
Never give up. No.
Excuse me. Three Towers?
Three Flames?
OK.
My heart's going 400 to the dozen.
If Alex and Darron
have beaten us here,
leaving at the same time,
then credit to them
because I don't think we could
have done that any quicker.
I've seen some amazing things.
I've done some amazing things.
But I'm not ready to finish yet.
I want to carry on.
I don't want to finish in Baku.
I'm not ready to go home tomorrow.
The Flame Towers, fantastic.
That's it, that's it. Let's go.
Flame Tower, Flame Towers.
That way. Oh, that way.
Hello.
Wow. Wow! Sign us in, baby! Wow.
How did they get here first?
That's amazing.
How the hell have they done that?
I think we're just so shocked that
Tony and Elaine have come in first
cos they left last. But I don't know
how they've done it, but that's
It's actually amazing
that they've done that.
Anyway, forget that we've beaten
both people that were ahead of us.
And we improved our position.
Oh, my God.
It shows that we're
improving on our strategy
and logic in the journey
as well as continuing to have fun.
It feels amazing,
just we're still in it.
We're here for
another week at least.
Nice to meet you, sir. Hi, nice
to meet you, hi. How are you?
We just hope we're not
the last ones to check in.
Oh. Oh!
Oh, dear. OK, great, sign us in.
Sign us in, sign us in, sign us in.
I don't think it's quite sunk in
yet, the kind of like anticipation
of the journey, all of the kind of
recalculations and everything
that happens along the route and
then to get here and not be going
home feels absolutely fantastic,
but definitely, yeah, a bit of
..a bit of recalculating to do.
The race continues
for the final two teams,
but whoever checks in last
will be going home.
I don't feel like we
are fighting for last place.
I feel like we might be second,
maybe third, maybe even first.
But I don't think, "Oh, my God,
we're going to be last."
As far as we're concerned, the race
is still on, we both have reasons
for getting to the end of this race.
I want to get to Singapore. I want
to see where my dad was based
when he was in the RAF
in 1946 to 1948.
It's really important to me.
It means a lot to me,
so that's my motivation for just not
giving up. We're not giving up yet.
I think we're nearly there.
Downhill's better than up.
Uh, hello!
Welcome to Baku. BOTH: Thank you.
Would you like to check in?
Yes, please.
Oh, my God.
As we thought. Yeah. I know.
As we thought. Oh, crikey.
We are fourth.
We were so close to being last.
Sign it. Wow.
Well, we did everything we could,
sowe're last.
ALEX: We said from the start of
this leg that we needed to get to
this checkpoint in a good time,
good advantage,
and, if I'm honest,
I feel like we let ourselves down.
The skin of our teeth.
We're a bit worried now
for the next checkpoint,
but at least on the positive side
is we're not going home tomorrow.
That is what I'm happy about.
The journey continues.
This week's been brilliant.
It has. And we never would have had
that time. No.
Never would have had that time.
We're always snatching, you know,
the odd day here, the odd week
there,
and never having a chance
to actually be together No.
..and get back to where we were
all those years ago.
So for me, I think
that's probably more important
than the whole thing.
Yeah, that we've been together.
Yeah. Yeah.
Tony and Elaine have tipped
the race entirely on its head,
and it's all to play for.
But with over 8,000 miles
still to travel,
how much will dwindling
budgets play a part
as Race Across The World continues?
Next time
Stepping into the unknown.
..the teams head across
the Caspian Sea
The storm is coming.
..to the wilds of Central Asia,
where the teams
are pushed to their limits
We were waiting for the tough part
of the journey. This may well be it.
..as they reach the halfway point
Oh! Come on!
..in the Race Across The World.