Race Across the World (2019) s01e03 Episode Script

1
This programme contains
some strong language.
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. Every second counts!
- Four pairs of ordinary Brits
- Beep-beep! - ..are attempting just that
Most people would go from A to B on
a plane,
but then they'd miss all this.
Oh, man! ..in an extraordinary race.
Come on, come on.
At ground level, they'll cover
over 12,000 miles.
That's amazing.
Everybody wants to get to
Azerbaijan. ♪
Who will finish first We do not
have time to mess about!
..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.
You can't
finish the race if you're dead.
It's almost like I'm questioning
my purpose.
What is it that I want?
It's justa bit much.
The reward is great
This is where you get to find out
about yourself.
..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 raced from Delphi
to the second checkpoint
Baku! OK.
..with each pair fighting
for its place in the competition.
The sword of doom hanging over
our heads now, with the elimination.
A slow train across Turkey
Not so much Express,
I'd call it the Eastern Trundle.
..cost Josh and Felix their lead.
No euro. Pound. Oh, it's problem.
While a new friend
helped Natalie and Shameema
Do you have any euros?
..out of a tight spot.
We've got tickets
to Thessaloniki! ♪
Tony and Elaine
Alexandroupoli? Platform 18!
I'm gonna start playing dirty.
Are you?
..rocketed to Baku
This is it! Come on! Come on!
..leapfrogging from last to
first place.
Ha-ha! Alex, Alex! Come with me!
Bloody hell. Why me?
A wake-up call Are you mad?
Yes, yes. ..for father and son
Darron and Alex.
So close to being lost.
But lifelong buddies
Sue and Claire
Somebody has to go out.
It's just a shame it's us.
..were eliminated from the race.
It's been brilliant.
It's brought us closer together.
The four remaining teams are at the
second checkpoint of the race
to Singapore.
I never in a million years thought
I would ever be in Baku,
in Azerbaijan. I didn't even know
where Azerbaijan was, if I'm honest.
No. Making the most of some
downtime before the next leg begins.
Nee-aow! Ha-ha-ha!
On this trip We haven't quite
found our dynamic yet.
We are getting better. I think
we've still got a long way to go.
But I believe
we will have the time to try
and get that balance right and stop
and enjoy things together.
Come on, lazy boy! Shut up.
It's 8:24pm.
The teams can leave the checkpoint
in the order they arrived
- .carrying forward their relative time
differences. - Hello. Checking out?
Checking out.
First into Baku, with a three-hour
lead over their closest rivals,
retired schoolteachers Tony
and Elaine are the first to depart.
Yes, sir, would you like us
to assist you with your luggage?
No, we are good. We've got to stay
strong for the rest of our journey.
In the three, four years we've been
retired, it has
just absolutely flown by and we are
both desperate to prove to
ourselves that there's a lot more
to come in life. And be together.
Just the two of us. Yeah, and
achieve
Which is, you know, when you got
a family, that's not easy, is it?
Yeah, yeah. Hopefully not our swansong.
I have here a letter for you.
They are about to discover where
they're heading next. Come on, then.
Tashkent. I know where Kent is,
where is Tashkent?
The third checkpoint in the race
across the world, Tashkent.
The ancient capital of Uzbekistan
preserves a mixture of Islamic,
czarist and Soviet influences.
Locked in the heart of central Asia,
it's 1,575 miles from Baku.
To reach it,
the teams will need to negotiate
hundreds of miles of uninhabited
arid landscape
in a region still unknown to
most Western travellers.
How do we get across to Kazakhstan?
But first, there is
one immediate obstacle in their way.
I would recommend you to cross
the Caspian Sea. Yes.
It's very simple, the ferry port,
it is south from Baku.
Do you know what time
the ferries go?
There is no fixed
timetable for this ferry.
The best thing is to be there on the
spot and wait for the next ferry.
Yeah.
Come on. To the ferry port. To the
boat. The sea? Yeah.
50 manat.
No, he said inside the hotel Yes.
..he said 40 manat.
40 manat? Yes.
Yeah. No problem. OK.
Thank you. Thank you.
We just need to get a move on.
Quite keen to keep that lead.
While it's possible to get from Baku
to Tashkent by land,
since shaking off Soviet rule,
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan
have flung open their doors to
foreign visitors and today, heading
across the Caspian Sea could shave
as much as 24 hours off the journey.
South of Baku lies
the port of Alat,
from where the teams can cross
to Kazakhstan.
When we get there, we need to see if
there is a boat there, if we can get
on it, and if not, we need to find
somewhere to stay for the night.
It will certainly be a good
leveller! If there's no ferry!
The freight ferries that operate
this route only leave
when fully loaded and can be delayed
by the unpredictable weather.
If one of the teams misses a ferry,
they could wait days for the next
one.
Totally, 238.
238 manat? Yes.
Is there a boat leaving?
Yeah, leaving tomorrow morning. Oh!
So, we've got until tomorrow morning
to wait
So, do we stay here?
Right here, the waiting.
OK. And we can sleep? Yeah.
A bed for the night.
Which bench are you having?
It's not the hotel, is it?
And we have to sit here all night.
I bet we all finish
up on the same boat.
Tony and Elaine can only wait it out as
the other teams depart Baku
..and eat into the lead. What is
the quickest way to get there?
Of course by the aeroplane. That is
not an option.
We can't take a flight,
unfortunately.
Second to set off, friends since
childhood, Natalie and Shameema.
Urgh. I never thought I would be in
this part of the world.
The further away
you are from the UK,
you think about all the different
types of culture
and the massive differences that you
would have. I'm a black girl.
Shameema's a tiny Asian girl.
We look different,
so, I'm excited one minute
and then really scared
the next minute.
But we'll be there
for each other, regardless.
Tashkent.
Six hours behind the current leaders
and already planning to
head off the beaten track,
business partners Josh and Felix.
I feel incredibly
excited about the next leg
because it promises adventure.
It's just stepping into the unknown,
isn't it, really?
It really is, Josh.
I think the richest
experience for us, that's winning,
and although the race, obviously,
is a primary motivation,
it's got to also be balanced with
soaking up an incredible journey.
That's not to say
we're going to turn down £20,000.
We are much more relaxed
now there is no elimination. Yeah.
It's time to really dive into it
and have some of the experiences
that will really define
this as a once-in-a-lifetime trip.
Jesus, something's crawling on me.
There is! Oh, my God!
There was a beast on me.
Swear to God. Did you see it? Yeah.
It's about as big as me hand.
It's there, look.
It's just gone under
the silver thing.
Hi!
I wondered where you were! I don't
think I'm ready for Tony's pants.
Right, let's work out where we are
off to.
5:00am. Three teams have reached
the port.
OK. Thank you!
Sorry your lead has been evaporated.
Due to depart at any time,
the ageing ex-Soviet cargo ship,
the Merkuri-1,
transports Ukrainian truckers
and their cargo between Azerbaijan
and Kazakhstan.
Oh, wow!
It's definitely seen better days.
It's the sort of thing that sinks.
All cargo has been loaded
and the ferry is preparing to leave.
But one team is nowhere to be seen.
So, you don't
know how often the ferries are?
You don't know
if there is one today for definite?
Still in Baku, father and son,
Darron and Alex.
Let's go.
We rushed the first leg
and finished second,
we took our time for the second leg
and finished fourth.
Was it worth it? No. Everything has
a consequence. We messed up.
We've got no sign of Alex and his
dad yet. And the engine's kicked up.
I do fear that they may not make it.
The ferries can be very hit
and miss, it could be a case of,
a couple have already gone,
or everybody's still waiting.
I feel like they are not
getting the bloody boat.
They've still got time.
They still have time.
Is that them? Hey!
Yeah! Woo-hoo-hoo!
Hello! Alex!
Everyone is here! Ha-ha-ha! Oh, my
God!
Skin of your teeth! We caught
up.
And we had a lie-in as well!
Day 1 again.
Struggling, and finishing fourth
means nothing.
We are all starting again.
Clean slate. Everybody gets off this
ferry exactly the same time.
The Caspian Sea, the largest inland
body of water on Earth,
covering an area the size of Japan,
it is a remnant of a much
larger sea, left stranded after
ancient continents collided.
Next stop,
the port of Kuryk in Kazakhstan.
With fair weather,
30 hours of plain sailing away.
It's stepping into the unknown. This
next stage, the wild is approaching.
Four, three, two, one
I'm going
for a run, with a truck driver,
on a ferry,
crossing the Caspian Sea.
That's a sentence I never thought
I'd say. Coming to join us, Alex?
No.
But just hours into their 300-mile
voyage
The storm is coming!
..a gale that could spell trouble.
17 years ago, the Merkuri's sister
ship capsized after being
caught in winds that reached 65mph.
Vessels are now advised to sit
out bad weather,
so the anchor is forced to drop.
I'm glad the lifeboat is close!
The teams hunker
down to see out the storm.
The food on here, I think
you'd be polite to call it edible.
Oh, God. And it comes in this soup
but it's more like flavoured lard.
It's not that great at all.
Here, we have people's urine,
the smell, the smell
I stink of urine.
You need a six.
Yeah! I miss my Xbox so much.
Don't say that, Alex. Come on, you
don't miss your Xbox.
What's an Xbox?
The weather's just been pants.
I think it's just
a matter of batten down the hatches
and try to keep an even
keel on things.
"Day three on the Caspian Sea.
Still on the boat.
"The boat has not moved."
I've started my diary for today!
Actually, no, this is yesterday's -
is it Friday today?
That tap's running.
I know. Eh? I know.
The wind's really kicking in,
it is cold.
I think everybody is getting
a little bit of cabin fever.
Ha!
It's not even boring,
it's just absolutely nothing.
It's complete nothingness.
There's only so many
times you can wash your pants.
My teeth are getting loose, I think
it's the onset of scurvy.
Is this what claustrophobia
feels like?
I'm just sick of the boat,
being stuck on here for so long,
I feel like I'm having
a bit of a mental breakdown.
I want to go home, kind of. Missing
home a lot. Feeling very homesick.
It's just a bit much.
I remember,
I were in Norway caught in a storm.
It were -15, my tent poles had
snapped,
I had no fuel, I had no water.
I just sat down at the side
of the road and cried.
And then I realised that
I just had to pull myself together,
get on with it. If you can survive
this, you can survive anything.
Do you think sometimes
when I've told you to suck it up
and get on with it,
do you understand what I mean now?
A bit.
But you also frustrate me as well.
Stiff upper lip approach,
you know, tough love,
it's not because I'm being mean,
it's
because sometimes you sink
and wallow in your own self-pity.
Alex is my son
and I would do anything for him.
But he needs to grow up.
I may come across as a grumpy,
strict, miserable father.
I'm sure some'll even think I'm
a bit of an arsehole.
But my job as a parent is to
make him the best person he can be.
And I know he can be a fantastic
individual, who can
achieve anything he wants. So, I
don't care what people think of me.
As long as he becomes the man
I know he can be.
Four days and two hours stuck
at sea. Look at the smoke, Tony.
That's promising. Lots of activity
down at the other end.
Clearly preparing for the big
set-off.
With the boat back on its way
We need to get racing,
we need to be on the move.
..attentions turn to
hitting dry land.
We'd need to get to Tashkent.
Train, choo-choo!
Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch!
To get to Tashkent,
the teams could choose to follow
the ancient Silk Road through
the historical cities of Uzbekistan,
Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand.
Bukhara, Samarkand, Tashkent.
We've got a potential route and
we want Samarkand,
from The Golden
Journey to Samarkand,
a poem I liked as a kid, so,
definitely go there.
Alternatively,
the more intrepid among them
can venture into the wild open
desert plains of Kazakhstan.
The Kazakhstan route seems to be
the one which offers the most
adventure and freedom.
Do some walking and some hiking
and then we dash down on a train,
to make up some time. Yeah.
This is where you get to step
outside of your comfort zone
and discover, "I CAN do this," or
"Whoa, that's too much." So, bring it on.
A deck below, Natalie and Shameema tap
up their own source of local knowledge.
This is Dao. Hello!
And Dao is a stuntman. Really?
Wow.
Our next checkpoint is here -
Tashkent. Where do you live?
Are you going that way?
So, I was wondering, if you didn't
have anybody in your car,
that maybe you could drop us when
you get to the first place you stop?
Yeah.
Yeah!
A stuntman from Kazakhstan
on my boat!
What are the fricking
chances of that?
He was just in Azerbaijan doing
a Bollywood movie.
It's possible their new-found
friend could take them
all the way to the checkpoint
in Tashkent, a journey of over 1,200
miles, on the way to his home in
Almaty, saving them time and money.
I was really apprehensive and
scared,
but now we're going to be with
somebody who's a native speaker.
That's a massive asset. Yeah.
That's taken a lot of
that apprehension away.
Look at that!
Dry land! Dry land! It's been a long
journey, it's been a long journey.
Well done, mate. You made it.
The teams have arrived
in Kazakhstan,
a country of outstanding
natural beauty,
with big skies, vast deserts
and very, very few tourists.
I didn't think Kazakhstan was going
to be like this. What, desert?
I'm waiting for the tough part
of the journey
..and I expect this may well be it.
The teams land at the port of Kuryk.
Off into Kazakhstan!
The nearest town - Aktau -
is 40 miles away
and surrounded by desert
Come on. See you in the checkpoint!
..so public transport links
are non-existent.
Yes. How much?
3,000 for one?
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, good.
Let's get in. Let's go. Excellent.
Here we are, we're in Kazakhstan
now. There's a big camel.
Oh, that's great.
I do like camels. I know they might
be smelly, dirty and grumpy
It reminds me of you!
Back at the port
All the other teams have left
and are on their onward journey.
We're still waiting for Dao.
OK.
OK.
OK.
You think it's not bad news, right?
No, it's not bad news! Yay!
Banking on a free lift
being worth the wait,
the girls settle down in Aktau.
See you later. See you later.
At the moment, I feel like my
journey is dependent on
one person's actions,
and it feels like we're in
no-man's-land,
which is weird, because we've been
stuck in the middle of the sea
and it hadn't felt like
we were in no-man's-land.
While the girls sit tight
Express train. I don't think it
were a lot of money.
We are getting good distance
and we're seeing some
amazing things.
Most people would go from A to B
on a plane,
but then they'd miss all this.
Darron and Alex have crossed
the border into Uzbekistan
on a 22-hour train heading to Nukus.
The first time on Uzbekistan soil
for me. Ever!
That's pretty cool!
Uzbekistan's blue-domed mosques
and incredible mosaics
hark back to the seventh century
when trade along the Silk Road,
the ancient network of roads
connecting East to West,
made this one of the busiest and
most wealthy places on Earth.
Today, merchants still move
their goods through
the major Uzbeki cities of Khiva,
Bukhara and Samarkand -
the same route that Darron and Alex
plan to take to Tashkent.
When I were your age -
maybe even slightly younger -
I always wanted to come
to Samarkand.
I remember reading a poem.
Summat like
We travel not for trafficking alone
By hotter winds our fiery hearts
are fanned
For lust of knowing
what should not be known
We make the golden journey
to Samarkand.
My dad, just, he knows everything.
Seeing new things, seeing
new cultures, seeing new people,
expectations are that
I'm a lot wiser,
I'll learn a lot more on my trip
compared to what I know now.
As they make their way
further into Uzbekistan,
the train begins to fill up.
It's a bloody long train journey.
There's no personal space at all.
The train, it's just
a moving nomadic community.
But I'm sort of getting used to
interacting with strangers
and not running away and hiding
from them.
Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum!
If you rage against it, you're going
to have a really miserable journey,
so you might as well embrace it
and have fun.
Storm
Normally my dad's quite
a shy sort of person,
he dun't like speaking to
random people.
But this trip's changed him.
Tony and Elaine are also aiming
for Uzbekistan
4,000? Good? 4,000. Yeah.
Yeah? Thank you. Thank you.
..but have opted to avoid
the crowds.
Because we're Yorkshire people,
we would never, ever, ever dream
of getting a taxi.
That's always the most expensive
way,
and we just wouldn't do it,
we're just tight.
But we're desperate to get to
checkpoint.
Apart from taxis, transport systems
are not in place to get you
around easily.
You know, the gas is for nothing.
I mean, the desert is just full
of gas and oil.
I feel as though I'm, like, being
dragged on asledge across it.
I can see why they all
have clapped-out cars.
As Tony and Elaine head
to the border
..200 miles to the north,
Josh and Felix have chosen
to take a different route.
It's so stark and bleak
and just keep thinking we're going
to see
Ewoks coming over the horizon.
Love it.
For us,
this is the flavour of adventure.
After an overnight train journey,
their thirst for a Kazakh adventure
sees them reach Aralsk
at the northern tip of the Aral Sea.
Their chosen route to Tashkent
heads deep into
the unexplored wilds of Kazakhstan.
But it could take them
400 miles longer
than going through Uzbekistan.
We're mainly just having some time
to ourselves after
a long three weeks of transport,
just being able to be in nature
and breathe in fresh air.
It's really bitterly cold today,
which is lovely because my thermals
come in useful.
Once the fourth largest lake in
the world, the Aral Sea has now
shrunk to a tenth of its size
after being exploited
ruthlessly in the Soviet era
to provide irrigation.
It's stunning, in its own
kind of bizarre and lunar way.
Oh, it's nice to be outside!
Even if it is a lake that's been
destroyed by mankind.
This is what we were searching for, we
were searching for something elemental,
something which would bring us back
to nothingness and the elements.
I think this really delivers.
We're happy to slow down if it means
a more rich experience,
we're happy to spend money
if it means that
it's something which is just once
in a lifetime.
Hopefully this will renew us
for the dash to Tashkent ahead.
As three teams clock up the miles,
still by the Caspian Sea
I feel a bit worried now.
What am I doing? We're in a race.
We don't look like we're in a race
right now.
..Natalie and Shameema have not
moved for 36 hours,
waiting for their free ride.
Not really sure what
has happened to Dao,
but we need to think of
our next plan.
We need to think of ourselves.
Mm-hmm.
Hey, morning.
It was a mixture of tiredness
and joy and relief.
It was like, "Oh, my God,
he's finally here!"
And maybe how many women
may have felt -
"Why didn't you just text me?!"
Then realised I didn't have a phone.
We are finally getting
out of Arrrrgh-ktau.
On the road at last
Get me back in the race.
..they're also heading
for Uzbekistan.
The journey to Tashkent may be
1,200 miles -
the equivalent of driving
from Birmingham to Rome -
but without the need to trust
an unreliable and budget-eating
public transport, they can make up
time on the other teams.
Guys, I just want to let you know
I need the bathroom
Shameema, this is why I tell you to
go to the toilet before!
I'm giving the heads-up before
I really, really need to go.
Oh, my God! What?
There's no bin! Go.
Some things you just can't
talk about.
As Natalie, Shameema and Dao
cross into Uzbekistan
Josh and Felix probably have come
across a poor horse that died
somehow, so they cut it open and get
inside to keep themselves warm.
To Shymkent? Yeah.
..looking to head deeper into
the wilds of Kazakhstan
I'm just finding out what time
it gets in.
This woman's just gazumped me
in the queue, though.
..Josh and Felix get to grips with
the Kazakh approach to queueing.
WOMAN: Huh?!
I'm just trying to get my ticket.
I feel like me eyes
have just gone
Yeah.
300 miles to the south,
Darron has taken integrating with
the locals a little too far.
The person we're travelling with,
he offered me some really
dark-green powder
..by ingesting naswar,
a powdered tobacco snuff.
He looked slightly in shock,
slightly in horror,
as I just downed it all.
My dad's on drugs! That's so funny.
You're not meant to swallow it!
It's like the tables have turned.
I'm the 40-year-old,
he's the 20-year-old right now!
I don't like waiting for buses
and trains now. You just go, "Taxi!"
I think we'll do the rest of
this journey on taxis. Taxi Tony!
Tony and Elaine have regained
their lead,
having travelled the 900 miles from
Kazakhstan exclusively in taxis.
We've done 600 km today
for 40 euros.
Yeah, but we could've done the train
for half that.
We spent a lot of money.
Spent a lot of money.
So we're going to have to work.
To help finance their new habit,
Elaine has spotted
an ad in the jobs directory.
Why do you want to brush camels?
Are you saying you don't want to?
They'll be the highlight of
this entire trip.
Why? Because we've never done
anything like it.
The starry sky, for a start
..in the desert with the camels.
Tony and Elaine have reached the red
sands of the Kyzylkum Desert,
115,000 square miles that are home
to wild boar,
golden eagles and the ships
of the desert - Bactrian camels.
Never groomed a camel before.
Didn't realise how scraggy
on the neck they get.
I can't tell you how many sticks
and bits of food are trapped here.
It's like a baby with a bib on.
At one of the nomadic camps
in the area,
working as farm hands for their bed
and board,
Tony and Elaine muck in.
How many times does the camel
go to the toilet in a day?
One hour, yeah?
A bit like my missus.
Sheep - one, two, three
Like this.
We've got to count them.
Oh, 'eck!
Two, four, five.
You look like a goat herder, Tony.
Yeah, I know.
Tony spent his early years on
the family farm in Yorkshire.
As kids, we had a bit of
a tough upbringing, you know?
Being up on the farm andgoing
round and feeding animals and things
before school and after school
and working all your holidays
and weekends.
Oh, naughty boys.
Sometimes my dad would lift me
out of bed on a morning,
put clothes on on top of me 'jamas,
then I'd be working till
9, 10 o'clock on a night.
One hundred and sixty-seven.
..twenty-seven!
It's good! Yeah!
Did you get it right? Are you sure?
We're earning our ..keep.
..yurt tonight.
How cool is this? This is lovely.
This is off the beaten track.
Lagging 300 miles behind their
nearest rivals, life on the road for
Natalie, Shameema and Dao is
beginning to take its toll.
Are you all right, Dao?
But we've been, like, locked up for
a few days - it feels like a week -
and we need - need, need, need -
to get out and have some adventure.
Let's go.
After days in the desert,
the girls reach the oasis of Khiva,
the first of Uzbekistan's
Silk Road cities.
Wow! Oh, my God!
At its heart, a tenth-century
Juma mosque
and its 30-metre high minaret.
Wow! It's really steep.
Oh, my goodness me.
Oh, wow. Oh, my God. It's amazing.
When there's a country that you've
never thought of coming to
and you see amazing sights
like this
It's just really intriguing. Yeah.
I was expecting to see ancient
ruins, but this is actually
How so intact it is.
Good to know more. Yeah.
So well preserved. Yeah.
118 steps.
Definitely worth it once
you get to the top.
And then you think, "Shit,
I have to get back down again."
Before they can get
back on the road
..there is a problem with
the third member of the team.
Dao? Yes?
Has your friend told you if you need
to go to Tashkent or not yet?
OK. Because if you're not going
to Tashkent,
we need to see a time that we can
get the train, cos then
we just get the train, because we
have to buy our ticket in advance.
OK. Yes?
Yeah? Yeah.
Yeah, OK, cool, let's do that.
Whether he stays tonight or not, I
think we should just get on with it.
OK.
We're basically going to see
when the next train is.
Because we are independent women
and we are independent travellers
and we are still in the race.
While Natalie and Shameema begin
to plan for life without Dao
Important notes from
the Kazakh train a culture -
shoes on the bed are a no-no,
absolute no-no.
..after days in the badlands
of Kazakhstan,
Josh and Felix are approaching
civilisation -
the city of Shymkent.
Menya zovut Felix.
Menya zovut Josh.
Samat. Samat.
Luckily we're fluent in Kazakh now.
I think that was Russian.
And having travelled 1,000 miles
across Uzbekistan,
Darron and Alex are arriving
in Samarkand.
I always dreamed of riding
into Samarkand on a camel.
Lawrence of Arabia-esque Who?
..just riding across
Who's that? Who's that? Who's what?
"Lawrence of Arabia-ess".
Lawrence of Arabia.
Yeah, who's that?
You don't know who he is?
No, never heard of him.
What?! What is it? Alcohol.
Settling in for a night
in the Kyzylkum Desert,
Tony and Elaine enjoy
the fruits of their labour.
LAUGHS: Oh, my God!
We haven't spent this much time
together since we were
Just before we got married. Just
before Before we had children.
Skal. Bottoms up.
I think what this trip has afforded
us is that freedom of the big world
again and you feel quite giddy on
the lack of responsibility of that.
Beautiful.
You must have a lot more
responsibilities than me at home.
I think I actually do, because
you're part of my responsibility!
You're like another grandchild.
A pretty magical evening,
sitting by the fire
under a really starry sky.
Rekindled the embers,
so to speak, with the relationship.
It's just right up our street.
We could stay forever
and not a care in the world.
Bravo! Bravo!
Thank you for being like
a big brother.
After 720 miles together
..Natalie and Shameema say goodbye
to their Good Samaritan.
We met an amazing guy who did
so much for us,
someone who could speak the local
language and drive us around,
and it's almost like we're back to
reality again.
We want to go to Bukhara.
Bukhara. 7:20, leaving from there.
How much is the train?
Train? 97,000 s'oms.
97,000.
We don't have enough s'om.
We can't pay with dollars?
No?
They're closing in 20 minutes,
we have to buy the ticket.
So we need75. The race is on.
With ground to make up
Do you know money change?
..the girls need to find
the cash to hightail it
out of Khiva as soon as they can.
Let's go.
It's just back to Natalie
and I getting back in the race.
Did he say the cafe here?
Walking around,
trying to figure things out.
Do you know anywhere where I can
change money? Dollars to so'ms?
I'm losing this challenge. Quick,
quick, quick, quick. Run, run, run.
It's a bit daunting
but previous experience tells us
that we can get through it.
Rahmat. Rahmat. Thank you.
This is what we do.
Did you do it?
Did you do it?
Right, where's the next place?
Let's go. Let's go.
Ticket secured, Natalie and Shameema
begin a six-hour hop to Bukhara.
400 miles closer to Tashkent
..Samarkand,
the Silk Road city Darron has wanted
to visit since he was a schoolboy.
Wow. Now, that looks amazing.
That's pretty impressive, isn't it?
The architecture is amazing.
There's nothing like this in Europe.
Why don't I take a photo of you?
You know how to work it, don't you?
I'm not stupid.
At its centre,
the Ulugh Beg Observatory -
in the 15th century, at the cutting
edge of astronomy and mathematics.
This was an early version
of how to understand the sun.
Looks like a fun little slide.
Its 70 astronomers
could predict eclipses,
calculate the hour of the rising sun
and measure the length
of a stellar year to within
one minute of modern calculations.
I feel at one with the universe now.
What they achieved here,
all the stars aligned to advance
our knowledge of the place we live.
You're not an
emotional person, so
It's just there's not many things
that prick my emotions,
and something as beautiful
as this does.
It's just a privilege
to spend this time with you
and the fact that you've ticked
this off the bucket list
and I'm here with you doing it,
which you will never forget.
And I'm glad I'm doing it with you.
Oh, God, it's freezing.
In the Kyzylkum Desert,
270 miles from Tashkent,
Tony and Elaine
plan their next move.
We need to be in a
big city for transport.
We can't be in some random
little place.
What's the point of travelling
all the way to Samarkand -
we get the taxi and we
get really close to Tashkent.
Tony favours taking a direct route
through the desert
and along small back roads,
all by taxi.
But Elaine is keen on the more
reliable main road to Samarkand
and from there to jump on cheaper
public transport to Tashkent.
Don't you think there will
be buses from here?
Absolutely no way!
Of course there will. No!
We know what it's like, even from
big cities. We can hitch from here.
No. OK, then, we'll do that,
we'll go to Samarkand.
You call this one, then.
Samarkand. Yes. Yes. Yeah.
She's the boss.
Bye-bye.
We've got a race to win, haven't we?
We forgot about that momentarily,
while we were knocking back
the vodka last night,
but we're back in it to win it.
Oh, fantastic.
Josh and Felix
have arrived in Shymkent.
Determined to continue
their Kazakh adventure,
the boys have word that
just outside of town
a sporting spectacular
is about to begin
that they can't afford to miss.
I'm getting more and more excited.
It feels like the big match
is impending.
Brought to the region by
Genghis Khan's mounted raiders,
the sport of kokpar has been played
by Kazakh men
since the 13th century.
I said I wanted to go into
the wild and this is wild.
This is a different way.
This is the Wild West.
He's got a horse in a headlock.
It involves two teams
fighting over the decapitated
carcass of a recently
slaughtered goat.
It's visually impressive but
..borderline barbaric.
At least the goat's not alive. Yeah.
Yeah. Thank God for small mercies.
The more I've watched it, actually,
the more I've appreciated
and enjoyed it.
It's like rugby played on horseback,
fighting over a goat by
..60 of the hardest men
you've ever met.
Thank you, thank you.
You guys, you are all amazing.
Seeing you out there,
made us think
Oh, wow. This is fantastic.
It smells delicious.
I think today and I think this whole
Kazakhstan leg of the journey
for me has been the
most true to
what I've wanted
this experience to be.
Risking your life and limb
and then coming back to this
and everyone being together and
being like, "Do you remember that
bit where Jim got knocked out?"
You know?
This is for the story sharing,
and this bit is probably more
important than the kokpar,
to be honest.
There's nothing, there's nothing
that compares to this.
This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime
experiences that I'll never see again.
The next generation.
Thank you so much.
I wonder if you know when the earliest
train to Tashkent is tomorrow.
Samarkand. 180 miles
from the checkpoint.
Tomorrow morning, yes.
Early as possible.
There's one at 5.18.
Thank you for your help.
Thank you again.
Greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Just arriving, Tony and Elaine.
My rear end feels like it's
been pummelled for a good hour.
Why are you smiling so much?
We're looking to get
a train to Tashkent.
Today, yeah.
8am.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow.
Look.
I can only know one person
who wears that hat, other than you.
Hello. You're kidding me!
How are you? Oh, all right.
Where have you been?
Where have you been?
We've been in Samarkand.
With Tony and Elaine's
tickets booked
Yes.
8am. Thank you.
..Alex spots an opportunity to
steal a march on his rivals.
Hello. We are wanting to get to
Tashkent as early as possible.
Today? Tomorrow, 5am.
I seen something I maybe
should not have.
Ooh! Tell me.
8am. Their earliest train was 8am.
So they didn't know about the
They didn't know about this one.
Tomorrow. Perfect.
On this journey I hope Alex
learns he's far stronger,
smarter and more adaptable
than he believes he is.
He doesn't lack ability, he just
lacks the confidence of his ability.
It will change him forever,
without a shadow of a doubt.
How and in what way,
it'll be interesting to see.
73 years old. That's my gran.
So obviously I would
find the raving grandma.
200 miles to the west, Natalie and
Shameema adapt to life without Dao.
Are you going to take me to dinner?
Yeah.
Oh, my God, guys!
Yes! I will take you up
on that offer.
In the process of separating
from her husband
Me? Yeah. 25. 25?
..39-year-old Shameema finds
herself single for the first time
in 19 years.
You are not 18! 18.
OK, I can't have dinner with you.
He's 18, guys.
Oh, my God.
Tea. Tea? Yes.
Black.
I did say I'm going
to live in the moment
so I'll get to know this nice young
man and never see him again.
I'm not really thinking about
love and romance at the moment.
It's more about just
working on myself.
Mm. This is chicken soup? Yeah.
Thank you very much.
I feel bad for eating
without Natalie.
What is your name?
My name is Guara.
Where do you live?
In I live in
I live in Khiva.
Shameema went on a hot date,
so I've been just, like, with
my new train family next door.
What is your name?
My name is
Obviously I'm very different,
very different from them,
sharing and exchanging knowledge,
but feeling
very comfortable and not feeling
awkward at all during this journey.
So how has your day been? I had
a really nice dinner, actually.
Did you have a nice date?
Yeah. Yeah?
Oh, good. Have you been
a perfect gentleman?
12 days since leaving Baku,
all four teams are within
striking distance of Tashkent.
Time for bed, then?
Yeah, I think so. I'm tired.
If I eat any more meat
I'm going to burst.
I feel frustrated with myself.
We've made a bad decision
coming this way
and Elaine railroaded me this way.
She just wasn't listening
earlier today
and I should have stood my ground.
The simplest, easiest way
isn't always the best.
You're never going to let
go of that, are you?
You're going to poke the bear.
Whenever he's feeling fed up
or his body's hurting him,
he always sort of attacks me, which
is exactly what he's done tonight.
And after 40 years of marriage,
it won't really affect me.
I'll just ignore him.
Anyway, end of story,
new day tomorrow.
We'll get on Darron and Alex's
It'll be fun if they're
on the same train.
This week It's been a good week.
Yeah, I don't think
we've screwed up too often.
I think we've got on a lot more
than what we would normally.
Yeah.
I even recall a couple of moments
where I didn't mind you at all.
We went through a bit of a hard
time on the boat and the fact that
I was ready to quit and you kept me
controlled and it's good again.
It's helped we've stuck together
going through this journey together.
It's making our bond stronger
cos we're going through
the highs and lows.
8am.
Tony and Elaine catch the train
from Samarkand to Tashkent.
We hope to arrive
in Tashkent for about 1:30.
Bottoms up.
What do you say in Russia?
Nostrovia. Be healthy.
Nostrovia. Nostrovia. Nostrovia.
Slightly surprised not to see Daz
and Alex on the train today.
So I've got a feeling that
we may well be ahead of them.
But after catching
the earlier train
Well, we're in Tashkent. Yeah.
..Darron and Alex are closing in
on the third checkpoint.
They are notified of its exact
location by their GPS tracker.
Head to the Amir Timur Square.
If you stand next to the monument,
you will see our hotel.
Four miles away, Amir Timur Square,
a monument to the Turko-Mongol
emperor who founded a dynasty
that ruled from central Turkey
to the edge of China.
Beyond that, the Hotel Uzbekistan -
a brutalist relic of the Soviet era.
Go!
Sorry.
What the hell, Dad, what you doing?
We do not have time to mess about.
Bloody stressful.
Ah!
Navoi.
Navoi. Navoi.
Navoi and up?
Down.
Next stop, Navoi.
We're in Uzbekistan,
we've crossed the border.
Closing in, Josh and Felix.
I've really enjoyed soaking up
some Kazakh culture,
but maybe I'm feeling a little bit nervous now
that we're racing towards the checkpoint.
While in Bukhara, 350 miles
from Tashkent
Thank you. What did she say?
Basically, we're fucked.
There's a fast train fully booked,
the next fast train is fully booked,
but the cost of a taxi is the same,
but we lose time.
It would have only taken
four hours on the train
and it's going to take us
seven hours sat in a car.
OK, let's make a move.
This is Navoi.
Got to be fast, Dad. Oh, wow.
Now, that is impressive.
Timur Square?
Up? Thank you.
Monument. Hotel.
Please be there.
Hello. Good morning.
Hello. Welcome to Uzbekistan Hotel.
Thank you very much. Thank you.
Each team must sign in to find out
its position in the race.
Oh, wow. Touch. Give me touch.
That's exactly what I wanted.
I am buzzing.
After leaving Baku in last place,
Darron and Alex are the first
to reach the third checkpoint.
Oh, wow, what a feeling.
Yes!
This leg, it's been extra
special for me,
and I think Alex has picked up
on my happiness and embraced that.
So, we're getting on better.
We're getting there.
The fact that I took my dad's
advice and sucked it up
and carried on and it were good.
Like, we're here, we're first,
we're at Tashkent.
It's the perfect situation.
We'd better go, Elaine.
Have you got the bag?
Yeah, I've got it.
Have you got my glasses?
After taking totally different
routes through Central Asia
It's 10,000 each.
Pleasure to meet you.
All right, let's go.
..two teams arrive in Tashkent
just minutes apart.
Do you want me to take yours
as well? My what? Rucksack.
It's not my rucksack, it's my legs,
they're not as long as yours.
I'm itching to get there now.
Yeah. I need a shower. I need a wee.
First there has a bath first.
Into the light!
Come on, Elaine.
I'm coming as fast as I can.
This bag is getting really heavy.
That's probably it there,
the Hotel Uzbekistan.
Come on.
I'm sweating a bollock.
If Darron and Alex are here
I'll eat my hat.
Alex and Darron?
How did they manage that? They were
at the train station after us.
How did they get a blooming ticket
for a train before us?
I don't get that.
Oi, oi! How's it going, guys?
All right, guys!
Look at this! Oh, nice to see you.
It makes you realise that,
actually, there isn't much in this.
It can just turn.
We messed up, we would have
been here early this morning
if we'd taken some risk.
We don't know that.
But we've overspent on this leg.
That doesn't bode well.
Hello. Nice to see you.
We arrived two minutes
after the second-placed team.
It feels like this is the way
we've got to carry on doing it.
We're making the most of
the experiences
and we're not losing in the race.
We're competitive
but also having fun,
which has got to be what it's about.
There's one last team
to reach the checkpoint.
Hello!
Oh, no!
Oh, it's all right.
It's cool. It's cool.
We knew that we lost
a couple of days in Aktau.
I didn't want to be a day behind.
As long as we were
within hours of everyone
because I don't want that
to impact the next leg.
And the fact that we've only
come in a few hours after
is actually not that bad. Yeah.
After the third leg
in the race to Singapore,
Darron and Alex have moved
from last to 1st place.
And the teams are separated
by just 6.5 hours.
We are going to get our lead
back by whatever means.
We're only halfway
through a marathon.
I don't think anything is won
or lost yet.
Next time
God, it's snowing! Oh!
..the race hots up.
Oh, wow!
This shit just got real.
..as the teams head to the
People's Republic.
It's a crazy, wacky, whoopy place.
Oh, my God.
Emotions run high
Shut up!
Thank you.
We don't have enough money, so
..and budgets
We're in dire straits.
..dangerously low.
That is the most we've spent
in the whole trip.
It's a massive culture shock.
I've never been anywhere like this.