For the first time Canadian racers are leaving the country. I was so shocked last week when they announced it, but I am so happy. One it adds a tougher element to the race and it’s just more exciting for the racers to be travelling internationally. That way no team can possible have a home turf advantage. Meaghan and Natalie are the first to depart for a second time. They and all the teams are heading to Hong Kong, China via Vancouver International Airport. Once there we realize all teams will be on the same flight to Hong Kong. Of course they are going to let all teams start off on equal footing. I am normally not a huge fan of the equalizer element of the race BUT my heart has a soft spot for both Rex and Bob and Laura and Jackie so I will let this one slide. Before we get to China I must say that casting has done such a great job this year. The teams are competitive, dynamic and just all around fun to watch. That being said, let’s go to China!
Once in China the teams must travel by taxi to Ngong Ping Village. There they will be blessed by monks. The plane land and everyone scatters looking for their cabs. Rex and Bob get one first. Now these boys are CRAZY in cars. I am convinced they lose their minds when car doors close, BUT they had the presence of mind while in the airport in Canada to call ahead and book a cab! So our last place team is now first leaving the airport. Everyone else after some problems get into cabs. At one point Sukhi and Jinder tried to take a bus! What? Lucky for them the bus left before they could get on it and they found a cab. READ YOUR CLUE! I am sure had they gotten on a bus that would have been a penalty. Everyone eventually gets to Ngong Ping Village and find the area for the Monk’s blessing is closed until 8 am. There is a sign up sheet and teams will go three at a time to receive their blessing. First teams to sign up are Natalie and Meaghan, Rex and Bob and Laura and Jackie. Second up are Audrey and Alain, Cormac and Nicole and Ryan and Rob. Last to the blessing is Pierre and Michel, Mickey and Pete and Sukhi and Jinder. Once they receive their blessing they now must run up 268 stairs to the Tian Tan Buddha and find their next clue. The juxtaposition of young athletic Natalie and Meaghan taking the stairs 2 at time against poor Rex and Bob huffing and puffing behind them was hilarious. Our Olympians are beasts at this race. No one dies running up these stairs, but I most assuredly would have! If that didn’t kill me, what comes later would have!
Buddha gives them their next clue. They must find the Golden Dragon Statue on Hong Kong Island. There they are given their detour options. The can choose from Kung Fu Master or Master Chef. In Kung Fu Master teams will suit up and perform a Kung Fu fight routine. Once a judge determine they have done it correctly they will get their next clue. In Master Chef teams will go to Michelin Star restaurant Bo Innovations. Their Canadian Master Chef Judge Alvin Leung will give them a shopping list. They must go to Wan Che Wet Market to collect the ingredients for one of his signature dishes and bring them back to @TheDemonChef Chef Leung will give them their clue when he is satisfied with the ingredients. Right off the bat Natalie and Meaghan decided to use their express pass. Personally I think this is a bad idea. Neither of these challenges are THAT difficult, and they could have tried one, see if it’s something they could do, if not then use it. It’s too early in the race to be using an express pass. That and they haven’t even discussed who they are going to give their spare to. They only have 2 more legs to give it away. First Rex and Bob decided to do the Master Chef challenge, but cooler heads prevailed in the cab and Rex decided that the Kung Fu challenge would be more up his alley. Being a dancer it would be more like choreography and that is his thing. Everyone but Laura and Jackie and Sukhi and Jinder decided they are going to Kung Fu it out. After Nicole treats Cormac like he’s two and insists he hold her hand while the cross the street, Nicole and Cormac surprised me here, they were out of that challenge on their 
second try, followed by Rex and Bob. Alain has taken martial arts before and his a stunt fighter so he thought they’d breeze through this challenge. He didn’t account for the fact that Audrey is not. All the other teams left and they were the last ones to leave the challenge after being the third to arrive. When Laura and Jackie arrive at Bo Innovations you see why Chef Leung has the twitter handle The Demon Chef. He screams ” Here’s your list GO!” Why so mad Alvin? Chill out dude! Laura and Jackie and Sukhi and Jinder are in market and it chaos. Shops everywhere. My head would have been spinning. Luckily the girls find someone who speaks English and is willing to help them out a bit. They find everything but Jakeman’s Canadian Maple Syrup. Sukhi and Jinder have the same issues with the maple syrup and vanilla beans. Laura and Jackie go back to Chef Alvin Leung. They made a mistake on some pepper and Demon Chef is NOT happy. He sends them packing but not before Laura grabs some of the right peppers he threw at them for reference. Finally Sukhi and Jinder find their maple syrup and Vanilla Beans and both teams are given their next clue. I would have done the shopping challenge. I know I am not agile or coordinated enough to pull of Kung Fu. What would you have done? Do you think Natalie and Meaghan used their express pass to early?
Teams are now on their way the roadblock “Is that a snake in my soup” You lost me right there! No freaking way am I doing anything with a snake. Reason number 1001 why I only blog about The Amazing Race and will never be on it. Everyone is on their way to Sheung Wan Restaurant where a snake master will choose a snake, extract its gallbladder, empty it into a bowl mix it with something and then they have to drink it. YES drink snake bile. But the hell isn’t over just yet. Once they do that and live through it they must then eat a bowl of snake meat soup! NO FREAKING WAY IN HELL! Rex and Bob get a bit lost on their way here and drop out of third. Pierre and Michel play a dirty with Mickey and Pete and give them totally wrong directions. The boys aren’t fooled and realize pretty 
quickly. Meaghan, OMG knocks back all this nasty snake stuff like she is taking shots at the bar. Nicole again proves she is an amazing competitor despite being a mom. Dave for TAR All-Stars, this is how a parent runs The Amazing Race. She doesn’t bitch about her age every second, she doesn’t make her son do all the tasks. She swigs her snake bile and moves on! I was so concerned for Laura and Jackie here. Both ladies are vegetarians and I wasn’t sure if they could bring themselves to do it. Once Jackie found out she could throw up she was good to go. I’m not sure if she did or not but she took her snake meat soup like a champ. Sukhi had a bit of a hard time no thanks to Jinder who was squirming like a baby in the corner but got through it. I think you can all tell that if the heights didn’t do me in, if my lack of swimming knowledge in the surfing challenge didn’t kill me THIS would have. Would you have been able to drink snake bile and eat snake soup? All these teams have my respect for doing this without hurling all over the place.
If you haven’t noticed yet, Canadian racers get no time to chill out EVER. They are now on their way to find Hong Kong’s Avenue of the Stars. Once there they must find the Bruce Lee Memorial. Teams must strike a series of action poses after being coached by a film director. They will be filmed and once the director is pleased with their work they will get their next clue. Rex and Bob surprise get a bit lost AGAIN, but in the middle of running around another Canadian walking the streets recognized Rex and stops them. Of course Rex takes a few minutes to chat with him because that is just how Rex is. Would you have stopped to talk to a fan or would you have been sorry racing I got to go? No one has any trouble with this “challenge” It wasn’t so much of a challenge but a chance to have a 
little fun because what is China without a Bruce Lee reference? Teams make their way to the pit stop after this in Kowloo Walled City Park. I think for the first time EVER Natalie and Meaghan make it to the mat for their third consecutive first place finish. The ladies have won 2 tickets anywhere Air Canada flies in China and $2000 on their American Express card. If you are keeping track that is 3 trip and 6000 dollars. These women are beasts. They WILL win this race. I call it right now. There isn’t anything they can’t do, they are strong and fearless and are dominating this race. Nicole and Cormac place second followed by Pierre and Michel. Ryan and Rob move up the ranks to fourth, followed by Mickey and Pete in Fifth. Alain and Audrey fall from second to sixth and Rex and Bob move two spots into seventh place. Sukhi and Jinder beat out Laura and Jackie for eight place. I am so sad to say that Laura and Jackie were the last to arrive and were eliminated from the race. I can’t wait for next week when we continue in Macau, China.
What are your thoughts on the race so far? I am just flabbergasted that this second express pass is a non issue with everybody. Nobody is sucking up to Natalie and Meaghan to give it to them. There are no alliances being formed. I don’t know if it’s because nobody can catch up to these girls long enough to have a conversation, but in TAR US they would be fighting each other and making deals for that express pass. Let me know what you would do FOR that express pass and who you would give it to if you were Natalie and Meaghan.
