All language subtitles for Race.Across.the.World.S05E01.1080p.iP.WEB-DL.AAC2.0.HFR.H.264-RAWR

Spanning more than 21,000 kilometres
across the vast nation of China...

..legend says the Great Wall
was built along a path

carved by a mighty dragon.

Over mountains and through deserts,

this fortification
of brick, stone, earth and mortar

has endured
for more than 2,000 years.

And today, just north of Beijing,

overlooking the village of
Huanghuacheng,

is where our race begins.

So many people up already,
like, actually working.

Look at them.

I love those.

Set for an imminent departure,
teenage couple Fin and Sioned.

Wow.

- That is the Great Wall of China, no?
- Yeah.

Oh-ho-ho-ho!

Stunning.

We've been together
four-and-a-half years.

- Experiencing the world is just
top of our list, isn't it?
- Yeah.

Being from a small town in Wales,

we think it's a good challenge
for us.

We're still so young.
We've not experienced a lot.

We still live with our parents,
so it would be nice to see

- how much we can rely
on each other...
- Yeah.

..how much we can stand each other.

You're going to have to
help me down.

HE GRUNTS

No, don't!

SHE LAUGHS

We always bicker.

I might be a bit poody.

- INTERVIEWER:
- Er, poody?
- Poody.

Oh, do you not say poody?

You don't know...poody?

You don't know what poody is?

Everyone in Wales knows poody.

It's like a tantrum.

Are we going the right way?

Yeah, look, this is the right way.

Oof! That is stunning.

Wow!

I'm a very homey person. Leaving
home is a massive deal for me.

Oh, I'm going to cry.

Up here, right there?

This is so stupid.

I think it's up here.

- Hi.
- BOTH:
- Ni hao.

Ni hao.

Please hand over your mobile phones,
cash and bank cards.

Sure.

Without smartphones,
the teams must survive

with only essential race kit -

money belts,
safety trackers and a map.

- Xiexie.
- Xiexie.

- And here.
- Oh, thank you.

- And, in China, red means good luck.
- Oh!

- So good luck on your race.
- Thank you very much.
- Thank you.

The last time we've been away
was when? 1970s, maybe, together?

I don't know. It must...

It must have been the '70s.

Also ready to race...

- What does this remind you of?
- What, this river?

- Yeah.
- Er...

- The River Derwent.
- Yeah, maybe.

..retired financial adviser Brian

and his brother,
driving instructor Melvyn.

I'm the younger,
the better-looking one.

I was going to say the same thing.

I'm the older and the better-looking
one. How does that work?

If you look at the hills,
that is exactly how you see China.

- Yeah, maybe.
- The little hills,
the mountains.
- Yeah.

I'm lucky enough to have gone
to lots of places in the world,

stayed in nice places,
and travelled well.

You'd have gone on business class,
wouldn't you?

If we'd have been on our own,
you'd have gone business class.

Probably, this far.

MELVYN LAUGHS

Brian's lifestyle is lavish,
and he definitely wastes money.

And I'm not talking about
a couple of quid.

I think he lost an awful
lot of money on the last car.

I can't believe you didn't take my
offer of a bloody personal trainer.

And I did offer
to pay for you as well, didn't I?

- Can you make it?
- We're here now.
We're here, we're here.

The longest time
we've ever spent together as adults

is two, three days.

- Hello.
- Hi.
- Ni hao.

Eight, nine weeks with you, Melv -
whoa.

We'll see.

- Thanks very much.
- Thank you.

- See you.
- See you, guys.
- Bye.
- Bye.

- I think...
- We're off.
- ..we're on our way.

Well, I'll tell you what, let's go
and get a cup of tea or summat.

Who would have thought,
after 31 years,

this is where we would end up?

- On the Great Wall of China?
- On the Great Wall of China.

What, out of breath and old?

HE LAUGHS

Next to ascend the Great Wall,

Yin and Gaz.

When I first met Gaz,

this is going to sound
really cheesy,

but I remember he turned around
and it felt like

a bit of a, like,
a slow-motion movie.

And I just thought, "Wow."

We did fall in love pretty quick
after meeting each other.

- Oh, my God. We're high, aren't we?
- Just a little bit.

When we had the takeaway business,
we worked together 24-7.

We were a really,
really good team together.

- Remember that picture
that we had in the takeaway?
- Yeah!

- We had the Great Wall of China.
- Yeah.

- Well, we're here now, aren't we?
- Now we're here, exactly.

Cos we've known each other
for just under 40 years,

that is going to play into
our strengths.

- Ah-ha!
- Ah!

You can't just discount
the 40 years of ups and downs.

- And here is the map.
- Thank you.

- We've always grafted.
- Yeah.
- And
I think, like, moving on in to Race,

that's why I'm not
so fearful or scared,

because I know that that will
come out in both of us.

- Bye-bye.
- What's bye-bye in Mandarin?

- Zaijian.
- Zaijian.
- Zaijian.
- Zaijian.

Bye-bye.

Nice that we're coming by boat.

I didn't even know you could get
to the Great Wall of China by boat.

Yeah, I didn't know it, either.

Floating towards
the starting line...

Oh, it looks like we're arriving.

..Elizabeth
and younger sister Letitia.

I think we're going to have
an advantage,

cos we're well-travelled
in different parts of the world.

We just come together and
it's like a...a mighty force of...

- We're like this.
- ..well-travelled people!

THEY LAUGH

Maybe they'll be seeing us
from space.

We're waving
while struggling with our backpacks,

like "Argh!"

THEY LAUGH

- We've never actually
really travelled together.
- No.

- Hello.
- Ni hao.
- Ni hao.

- What skills do you have?
- I've got peo...good people skills.

OK, yeah, yeah, you do. Yeah.

Yeah.

SHE SCOFFS

THEY LAUGH

- This one.
- You can take that.
- Thank you.

- You can put up with me.
- Yeah.

Which is actually
a skill in itself anyway.

Right, so I'll be in charge
of this, then.

I'll also be in charge
of that as well.

- What, the map?!
- Oh, no, no, that's yours.

- Yeah, that's my role.
- Yeah.

Apparently the wall
goes under this water.

Last to arrive...

So was it flooded afterwards?
It must have been.

I'm Caroline,

and I'm absolutely delighted
and proud to be doing the race

with Thomas, my only son.

- Thank you for doing this with me.
- It's OK.
- Thank you.

The fact that we get to do it
together is pretty good,

so we'll be all right.
We'll make sure we're OK.

I don't actually work, although
I do feel I work very hard at home.

I'm always cleaning up, I'm always
shopping, preparing meals,

cooking, looking after the animals -
just being a housewife.

It's really overwhelming actually,
Thomas.

It's a shame, really,
because then you find you're old

and haven't really done as much
as maybe you would have liked.

- You OK?
- Sorry, no, wait for me.

- Go on, you've got it.
Come on, you've got it.
- Sorry!

And I feel there's still
life out there,

and I...I'd like to grab
that opportunity, really.

Look at it.

Oh, my God!

This is one of
the wonders of the world.

I can't believe
you've done a few already.

I've seen the Colosseum,
Machu Picchu.

- I think that's it, actually.
- Gosh!

This is my first.

I've done nearly ten months
of travelling in total now,

and whereas Mum has done zero,
basically.

- Hello.
- Hello!

I feel like I might know
a tiny bit more than Mum,

which is quite nice, actually,
for the first time,

cos everyone always says
mums are always right,

but this time maybe
it's sons are always right.

You never know.

- Good luck.
- Lovely.
Thank you very much.
- Thank you.

- Ah, are you ready?
- I am, I am.
- I don't think we have a choice now.

Teams equipped
with all the essentials...

Oh! That's better.

..it's time to find out
where the race will lead them.

Ooh!

Final destination is Kanniyakumari.

Where is that?

Sounds Japanese.

- I don't think it is in China.
- No.

This is impossible, man.

- That's it!
- Yes!
- The bottom of India. No way!

Oh, my gosh! Look!

The finish line...

..Kanniyakumari.

RHINO GRUNTS

A journey of over 14,000 kilometres
to the southernmost tip of India.

Awaiting the first team to cross
the line, a prize of £20,000.

Let's go.

To get there, the teams must
pass through seven checkpoints.

Only when they reach one will they
learn the destination of the next.

Oh, wow, look!

They'll need to cross
the vast ranging landscapes

of three of Asia's
ancient civilisations -

China...

My little village
has nothing like this.

..Nepal...

Very lively place, isn't it?

..and India.

SHE GASPS

It looks like a picture.

- Come on!
- Oh, my God!

You definitely would not
see this in Wales.

And they have to do it all
for the lowest budget yet...

Oh!

Let's look at the money.

..the equivalent cost of flying the
route - just over £1,000 per person.

That's not a lot.

SHE LAUGHS

Around £22 each per day.

That's not going to buy
the accommodation, is it?

It wouldn't buy
your normal accommodation,

but it'll buy us what we want here.

In the shadow of the Great Wall,

ready to forge adventurous paths
across China,

teams gather at the start line.

It's getting a bit real now,
isn't it?

It is, I know. I think the nerves
are kicking in.

It's the first opportunity
to meet their rivals.

I feel a bit sick.
I'm like, "Oh."

There they are.

THEY LAUGH

They look scared.

- Hiya. You all right?
- Hello.

- Ah!
- Oh!
- Hello.

- Hello.
- Hi.

- Everyone's younger.
- I know!

- Hi, nice to meet you.
- Hug.
- Aw...

Oh, goodness me!

HE LAUGHS

- Hello.
- ALL:
- Hello!
- Hiya!

- I'm Brian.
- Hiya.

How do you two know each other?

- We're brothers.
- Believe it or not,
yeah, we are.

THEY LAUGH

That's DAM impressive, isn't it?

That is DAM impressive.

- Hello. Hi there. All right?
I'm Tom, nice to meet you.
- Hi!

Has everybody found
the final destination?

Japan, isn't it?

THEY LAUGH

I'm well aware that
it's going to be really difficult.

I have a point to prove.

People underestimate Mum, and I
think that's one of our superpowers.

- This is going to be
completely unique.
- Yeah.

Something we've never,
ever done before.

I'm always looking to push myself.

We are definitely
going to work hard.

The smells, the noise,
the chaos, the energy.

It's a race.

THEY LAUGH

We need to be on the ball.

- We both have different...
- Strengths and weaknesses.

..different strengths
and weaknesses.

I wouldn't want to do it
with anyone else.

He's probably more resilient
than anyone else I even know.

It's about the challenge,
it's about the excitement.

- And the way you do it.
- Holding our
head up high at the end of it.

If you're going to do it,
play to win.

STARTER PISTOL FIRES

THEY LAUGH

They'll be dead by the time
they get there.

HE LAUGHS

Oh, my God, there's so many stairs.

Yeah, look at that - sprinting.

Hold a handrail.

We are not going to fall.

Come on, Mum. Come on, Mum.

Be careful on this bit.

Right, where we going?

"Huan-gling."

2,000 kilometres to the south,
the first checkpoint.

Clinging to the slopes of the
Huayu Mountains for over 500 years,

Huangling village.

Famed for conserving
its Hui-style dwellings,

and its colourful custom
of drying chillies on rooftops.

First thing we need to do
is find our way out of here.

It seems to be
surrounded by mountains.

- Where was it? Beijing.
- Yeah.

There it is. The railway line's
going all the way.

We both agree it's Beijing to start,
don't we, mate?

All routes from there are open.

To reach the checkpoint,

teams will have to navigate
the first 100 kilometres

through sprawling suburbs
to the heart of Beijing.

From there, high-speed trains
connect the whole of China.

Escaping the capital tonight
could make or break this first leg.

Do you know English?

Beijing bus? To Beijing?

No, she doesn't understand.

- It's OK.
- Anyway, thank you.
- Thank you.

- Hello, hello.
- Hi, hi.

Do you speak English?

Does anybody speak English?
Do you speak English?

- They don't understand.
Let's move on.
- No?

- Wow, there really is a language
barrier, isn't there?
- I know.

One team to make a quick getaway
from the Great Wall...

Woo! Well, we made it.

..travel-savvy sisters
Elizabeth and Letitia.

I think we should ask
for the main Beijing station.

- The fact that we've been exposed
to learning other languages...
- Mm.

..we're definitely going to be
a bit more comfortable

- in these kind of settings.
- Yeah.

Zhan means station.

- Zhan means station?
- Yeah.

I lived in China for six months.

I did start learning Mandarin.

Yeah, I should probably pluck up
the courage to ask somebody.

Yeah, you've got this.

OK.

- Here, OK.
- Here?
- We need to get off here.
- OK.

She gave us directions to go down
that way to get another connection.

To get the subway.

As the sisters put their faith
in a local tip-off,

30 kilometres behind...

Thomas,
have you worked out where we are?

We're looking for Hairo Wanzhou.

..Tom is figuring it out for himself
and mother Caroline.

I'm just kind of taking the lead
for a little bit.

You have confidence
in your own ability, don't you?

You're really good like that.

If we manage to get on a night bus
tonight from Beijing to somewhere,

or a night train,
that feeling will be so good.

So I think that's the plan for now.

And we'll just have to see
how it goes.

Thomas, this is it!
This is the next stop.

Huai Rou Shidong. You have a look.

Huai...Rou...Shi...Chang.

- Wrong.
- Is that it?
- No, wrong.

Re...read what I've written.

- Huai Rou Wuzhong.
- There you go.

- Is...is that Hairo Wuzhong?
- Isn't that good enough?

- No, it's not. Sorry.
- LAUGHING:
- OK.

- No, not quite, nearly.
- OK.

We need to find, like,
the way out of here.

I want to feel like I'm getting
out of this little village

in the middle of nowhere.

Still struggling to get going,

first-time travellers
Fin and Sioned.

- Do we sit down?
- I think we sit down.

Right, put that...
Put the map down for a sec.

- Once I've got a plan, I'm happy.
- Mm.

She's a control freak.

She's already planned the wedding.
I've no say in it at all.

Yes, you do. Don't be silly.

Your first checkpoint is Huangling.

- Right, well...
- Where is...?

Straight away,
I think Shanghai's better.

To reach the first checkpoint,

teams must traverse eastern China.

Home to some of the country's
most trailblazing cities,

it's also the birthplace
of profound philosophy,

and some transformative inventions -

silk, porcelain,

and the compass.

From Beijing, teams could
travel along the Yellow Sea coast,

well connected by China's extensive
high-speed rail network.

The route's show stopper -
the glittering metropolis, Shanghai.

The more adventurous
could veer inland,

steeped in tradition and history,

less direct but with the advantage
of fewer crowds.

I do feel like sticking with
the city gives you peace of mind.

Oh! There are bullet trains
from Qingdao to Shanghai.

Right, check where Qingdao is.
Come on.

Cos, once we're in Shanghai, I feel
like it'll be straightforward.

Sioned's plan - play it safe

and city-hop down the coast
via Shanghai.

That's not cheap.

- Right.
- I'd like not
to just splurge on the first leg.

I feel like this is the leg
we should splurge on.

And now we've sat down
and we have planned, like,

we've got a bit of an...

..inkling of
what we're going to do, I guess.

Let's go and find a bus stop.

THUNDER RUMBLES

Oh, my God.

45 kilometres ahead...

We're practically walking
back to the Great Wall of China.

..but still 60 kilometres
from the centre of Beijing,

Yin and Gaz have reached
the suburb of Huairou

with nightfall approaching.

We've got off the bus
and, if I'm brutally honest,

I think we've gone completely wrong.

So, I don't know where...
where we are.

Er, we're certainly
not in the centre of Beijing.

Just kind of assumed that the bus
would take us to the terminal,

but, er, obviously not.

Everyone just jumped off.

We're looking for bus station
or train station.

There's... Oh.

WOMAN LAUGHS

OK.

No, I don't...

Although I'm Chinese,
I was born in the UK.

I've been to China once before,
a really long time ago, in the '80s.

And, to be fair, my Mandarin is
like zero, so it's just impossible.

Neither of us are getting anywhere,
basically.

The problem is, is like,
we ask people and no-one...

- And they speak Chinese to you.
- They speak Chinese to me

- because I...I look Chinese.
- Yeah.

We don't get anywhere.

I've kind of lost a bit of heart,
to be honest.

I know you have. OK.
But we need to....we need to...

- What do you want to do, then?
- There's going to be an answer.

Let's head across there, ask around.

Oh, I do feel like I'm a hindrance.

No, you're not a hindrance at all.
No, 100%.

Could you help us?

Is this the city centre,
or is this the suburbs?

- This is...
- Yeah, yeah.
- ..the centre of Beijing.

Right, and where are we?

Three hours to go by bus.

- Oh, wow.
- Three hours?!
- Still three hours by bus.

Oh, wow.

What's kind of like a good place
to get a cheap, clean hotel?

- Like, here, everything is cheaper.
- It's cheaper here? Right.

- Like, the centre...
- Yeah, it's more expensive.
- Yeah.

- OK, so...
- Stay here tonight,
and then get to Beijing tomorrow.

I think that's the best plan.

Come on, red man, green man.

- Hey, green man.
- Go, go, go, go, go.

- Bloody hell!
- 21...

Beijing, a name that means
"northern capital."

Once home to imperial dynasties,

today it's the centre of power
for the Communist Party.

Twice the size of London, it's the
most visited destination in China.

- Is it to the left and then right
or straight up here?
- This here.

Straight up here?

Trying to plot a way out...

Melv, decision time, I think.

..Brian and Melvyn.

It's dark, late. We're tired.

I think we'll find a cafe,
sit down, have a plan.

Do what we need to do
and then find a hotel tonight.

- It's been a long day,
really, hasn't it?
- Yeah.

You can always get me
on a bit of cake.

- Mmm!
- Personally, I think
we should do the most direct route.

I don't fancy ending up at Shanghai,

which is going to be a very bustling
and large city.

And I would be more comfortable
in the countryside.

But I think you'd actually
get to the checkpoint quicker

by going to the Shanghai route.

But we'll miss out
on the ancient stuff.

So let's forget the Shanghai route.

- Knock that one on the...on the head.
- Right.

I am a bit controlling.

That's one of my bad qualities.

So Luoyang is the birthplace
of Chinese civilisation.

- OK.
- Full stop.

There's Buddhist grottoes,
1,700 years old.

- That's unique.
- Yeah, yeah.

My wife said to me, she said,

"You know, don't come over
all pushy.

"Don't come over all pompous,
Brian."

That'd be brilliant for me.

- Do you think it's a risk, then?
- It's, it's...

Yeah, it is a risk,
but we need to see how far it is.

There's the point.

Brian's route will lead
the brothers deep inland

to Luoyang in Henan province,
a dicey detour from the checkpoint.

Is the risk worth it?
Yeah, I think...I think...

- I think it is.
- All right.

Yeah, that's decision made,
cos we can't fart about all...

- Yeah, decision made, go.
- ..all day.

I think we need to just
speed up the pace.

Also gambling on venturing
into less-travelled territory...

I think we should definitely
go inland,

where there's more opportunity
to do a bed and board,

where we can save money.

..Elizabeth and Leticia,
looking to escape the city tonight.

Oh, a different...

But needing to grapple
with six major railway stations

and nearly 900 kilometres
of metro system.

We're cutting it
mighty, mighty fine.

It's this way.

We didn't make it on time. Ah!

Which means we have
to stay the night here.

We were so close.

Oh, so we're sold out.

So we're buggered.

Also failing to exit Beijing...

Oh, God. I'm gutted.

Well, we'll call it a night tonight,
find accommodation.

- Which is brilliant.
- Is the one thing that we said

- we didn't want to do.
- We didn't want to do.

So I think
the plan for tonight is to...

Eat up, rest up,
shut up and perk up.

Exactly.

SHE LAUGHS

Oh, do you think
they do cheap buffets?

THEY LAUGH

That's what I need right now.

As day one draws to a close...

..one team has managed to leave the
capital and squeeze into the lead.

Sorry, it's a bit tight.
Yeah, right, um...

Oh, hello, Sioned.

Fin and Sioned are looking to
leave Beijing and the competition

650 kilometres behind,
via an overnight train to Qingdao.

I think we've done well
on our first day.

Although we have definitely spent
more than we probably...

- More than we wanted to.
- ..wanted to. But we are on the move.

We're on
a ten-and-a-half-hour train now.

I do feel like we've got further
than we expected to.

Oh, it's a tight squeeze.

Goodnight. Love you.

I love you.

Boop, boop, boop.

Boop, boop, boop.

SHE LAUGHS

I'd love to have
a little cuddle tonight.

Tough. We're in a prison cell
tonight, Sioned.

OK.

- Right, Thomas, have you got
everything?
- Yeah, I think so.
- OK.

I feel so much better.
I've washed out my underwear.

HE LAUGHS

I think yesterday was a bit of
a...a shock to the system

and a bit disheartening.

But now we're ready to crack on,

especially as we can see
the train station from our room.

One step ahead...

- Finally have a ticket.
- Yeah, we're making progress.

..Elizabeth and Letitia
are heading south,

seeking rural home stays
to protect their budget.

Do you know what this reminds me of?
The train from Nairobi to Mombasa.

Yeah, look, you can actually even
see some mountains over there,

- which is quite nice.
- Oh, nice.
- Bye, Beijing.

Also venturing inland,
Brian and Melvyn,

making a journey
of over 800 kilometres

to enjoy the ancient sites.

Yeah, we're making good speed.

The only thing is,
we're spending a lot of money.

That's the problem.

So, when we get to Luoyang,

if we can get a paid job
and accommodation...

Yeah, we might be able
to get back on an even keel.

We know where we're going.

All we've got to do is book a train,
take in what Jinan has to offer.

- Ah, sold out, sold out.
- Sold out, sold out.
- Look at this.

How are they so busy?

- Yeah, we have to get out of Beijing.
- We have to get out of Beijing.

It'd be really nice to still
stick to the plan and go to Jinan.

It is the capital
of another province,

so it's got great transport links.

We've come up with a different
method and...hopefully that'll work.

That might be booked up as well.

And then I don't know what we do.

Probably just start
walking to the checkpoint.

It says on here there's some left.

Leaves from a different station.
We don't even know where it is.

OK, well, try going
somewhere else, Thomas.

We need to look at other stations
and how to get there.

Come on, you're better than me.
You...you know what you're doing.

Er, right, line two, the subway.

- If we can get on the way to Jinan,
then we can get excited.
- OK.

But, until then, I think
we're very much in race mode.

- That looks like us, there. 916.
- Yeah.

Still just 45 kilometres
from the starting line,

Yin and Gaz are finally
on their way into Beijing.

After yesterday and kind of
having a bit of a meltdown,

- I do feel a lot better today.
- Yeah.

And now that we're moving,
it feels quite good.

We want to get to Shanghai

cos it is pretty close
to the end checkpoint.

Small win, we're good.
We're on the move.

I'm just really glad that we didn't
get stuck in Beijing last night.

No.

- There we go.
- Well done, Sioned.

At the front of the pack,

Fin and Sioned have reached
China's Yellow Sea coast.

- Oh, look at that.
- Yeah.

Absolutely massive bridge.

And the sea.

One of the world's longest
sea bridges,

spanning 42 kilometres,
connects Jiaozhou Bay to Qingdao.

It was Europe's first colony
on China's mainland.

But, despite centuries
of foreign influence,

the city's culture and cuisine
remains resolutely Chinese.

Can you smell fish yet? Cos I can.

No. I could do with some food.
Maybe hot food.

Before heading to Shanghai,

Fin and Sioned plan lunch
at Huangdao Market.

Can't wait for the crispy beef,
the sweet and sour sauce.

- Crispy duck.
- Oh...

Oh, look at the head.

Oh, wow.

- Is that a lung? Do you want to
try a lung, Sioned?
- No.

- I reckon we should try a lung.
- You try it.

- I have...
- Do you want to try it?
- No.

Periods of food scarcity
throughout Chinese history

have led to the nation
having a wide-ranging palate,

with everything enjoyed,
from insects to offal.

Chinese food at home is a lie.
It's a massive lie.

It's a...it's a really big
misconception, I think.

Loads of little willies.

It's a bit gross.

SHE LAUGHS

I reckon we have to try something
we'd never normally eat

because we have to eat it then
cos we spent money on it.

This just feels wrong.

Urgh!

Oh! Oh!

Do you know what it reminds me of?

Like, Voldemort
when he's like, "Avada kedavra."

Oh, you haven't watched it,
so you wouldn't know.

Oh, my gosh, it's so squishy.
It's so squishy.

I want to ask a local, "How do you
eat it?" Cos I don't know how.

Ni hao. Er, do you...

How? Just, just...?

- Oh, very good.
- Anyway, how do we, like,

mm-hm, or...?

HE MIMICS CHOMPING

HE SPEAKS MANDARIN

Oh! Sioned.

What? Did you just bite it?

- Oh! Oh!
- I can't eat that.
- Oh!

MAN LAUGHS

In the capital...

Can we please get any ticket
to Jinan today, please?

Er, today, no.

There's no tickets.

There's got to be tickets.

- Is there any...?
- What about overnight?

- An overnight? A train?
- Train to Jinan?

Today, no. Tomorrow.

We haven't made it out of Beijing
in 24 hours now.

We...we have to come up
with a plan.

- Um...
- Well, we can't, Thomas.
This is the plan.

- Yeah, I know.
- OK, OK.

It's all right.

HE SNIFFS

- Give me a hug.
- Feeling so useless.

I'll try.

Come on, we're up to a challenge.
We said that.

I'll give it a go, shall I,
and you can watch me fail?

SHE LAUGHS

It's difficult as a parent
to see your child struggle,

especially as I would say
this is more his strength

because he has
travelled on his own before.

And I think he was hoping he'd find
it easier and he could show me.

Yeah, 6:20. 202.

Thank you.
Can I have two tickets, please?

Thomas, it's sorted.
We'll find a hostel. OK?

I think we just sleep on the street.

I don't know if it's safe.

I feel like I've kind of taken
the role that I'm going to

take the lead and take care of you
and I'm worried I can't...

- Oh, Thomas!
- ..I can't do that as much.

- Already I just feel like I'm...
- We're doing it together.

I'm just worried I'm going to
let you down. That's all.

No! Oh, darling! No.

Yesterday I was putting on a brave
face for Mum and that was OK.

I think I tried to do the same
again today and it just...

it just all got a bit too much.

It built up and then it just
kind of forced its way out,

which even took me by surprise,
to be honest.

I haven't seen you cry for years.

It was just so overwhelming.

DOG BARKS

With the way we've been brought up,
I think, er, Mum and Dad have...

It's always been quite
traditional...roles and values

in our family. I've never really
seen Dad get emotional,

and I think you're worried
that showing your emotions

can sometimes be perceived
as you being weak.

So I think
maybe that's why sometimes

I don't show my emotions
as much as I...

..I'd like to.

- Dad would absolutely love these.
- SHE CHUCKLES

HE LAUGHS

With Caroline and Tom stuck
in Beijing for a second night...

..300 kilometres south,

Elizabeth and Letitia
are pushing on to Bengbu...

Sleeper beds look so nice.

The pillows look so comfy.

Damn it!

It's OK,
we're saving on accommodation.

..with a nine-and-a-half-hour
overnight journey in third class.

Oh, and it's even hard.

You know when you
sit down on something

and you were expecting a cushion?

This is...
It's going to be interesting.

Yeah, we're not getting sleep
tonight.

I don't think so.

Deep inland,
in the city of Luoyang...

I wish I knew what she was saying.

..with plans to visit
the ancient grottoes tomorrow,

tonight Brian and Melvyn
are earning their bed and board...

OK. No, got it,
I've got it, I've got it.

It's in hand. You lead the way.

..at Miss Huang's restaurant.

You hold it, Melv, OK?

There we go.

OK.

She's a bit of a hard worker,
isn't she?

What a taskmaster.

- She's clipped me once.
- Did she?

For me, I'm used to
the Michelin-star restaurant

and the five-star hotel.

Actually quite a posh restaurant.

There's some businesspeople
in there with suits and ties.

A place where I'd certainly eat.

I may have been lucky, but I've made
that luck by hard work.

Do not fall over, Bri.
Do not be a prat.

So I'm quite happy
to get my hands dirty

if that will help us get
those little bits of luxury.

- Bye, thank you, girls.
- Thank you.
- Thank you very much, bye-bye.

Phwoar!

I tell you what,
I'll be glad to get into my bed.

So where are we going, then?
The restaurant's over there.

I don't know.
Oh, it's a hotel, look, here.

We're not going there, though,
are we?

Oh, we're going up
a little side alleyway.

It's a bit dark down here, isn't it?

It is, mate.

- Watch that, Melv.
- Yeah, seen it.
- Oh, right.

Seen it, seen it.

Thank you very much.

- Yeah.
- Ah, lovely.

Lov-er-ly.

Thank you.

Very good.

People at home think
that I probably can't adapt.

My kids don't think
that I can adapt.

- Where's the loo?
- Just over there, look.
- OK.

OK.

We might not be in a hotel
every night,

but I would like a bed at night
to lie in, and a pillow.

Oh, what's that? That's a...
that's just a piece of board.

The "bed and board" bit...

THEY LAUGH

..is literally a board.

Bloody... Is there any glass
in that window?

There was glass on the floor
that I picked up,

but there's none on the...
none in the window.

- Does it smell?
- Yeah.

- No, it doesn't.
- It does. It smells of wee.

There's a key in the door.

THEY LAUGH

Who's going to break in?

Who in their right mind
is going to...

..nick out of...

You've got to get out of here.

Stop! Stop it.

I'm crying.

What's happened tonight

is exactly the sort of thing
I was hoping would happen.

I can't remember the last time
we laughed like that together.

LAUGHTER CONTINUES

- BLEEP!
- That stinks.
- It's been a horrible bloody day.

I tell you what,
I'm happy with the accommodation.

The accommodation is fine.

THAT is now my problem.

MELVYN LAUGHS

Hello.

This area feels very calm,
quite serene.

I like this, yeah.

At the midway point
of their journey to Shanghai,

Yin and Gaz have made it
to the holy city of the east...

..Qufu.

That's well cool. Look at that.
Well over 2,000 years old, at least.

Home to a sprawling
complex of ancient temples

and the birthplace of China's
most renowned philosopher...

That's the man himself.

..Confucius.

When you get your fortune cookie
and there's a proverb in there,

that's probably come from Confucius.

Born 2,500 years ago, his teachings
on morality and family

garnered such fame that his home
was turned into a temple,

and decorated in a style
usually reserved for emperors.

- What do you think they are? Dragons?
- They are dragons, yeah.

There's a lot of symbolism
in Chinese culture.

I know fish is going to be wealth.

Dragon, obviously,
strength, courage.

I've had a really nice time.
It's incredible.

Being able to see the symbolism
here that kind of ties back in

with some of, like,
the things that I grew up with

is really nice,
to see it in its context.

My mum and dad were
very traditional Chinese.

They were quite insular.

But I do understand why,

because they were
the first wave of immigration.

- The writing is so, like, intricate.
- Yeah.

And they've kind of carved
all that scripture in.

I wasn't allowed
to go out into town,

go to parties and things like that,

so I found it really challenging
to be hemmed in.

So, when they first met Gaz,

bear in mind,
it was in the midst of the '80s,

where it was,
like, the rave culture.

I had long hair,
I had a goatee beard, you know?

I did look like
a bit dodgy character.

There's a big drum!

- Oh, that's cool.
- That's a big drum!

The first thing
that my mum said to me was,

"Why have you brought
a drug dealer into our house?"

There is quite a rebellious streak
in you as well.

SHE LAUGHS

And I think that was almost

two fingers to your parents
by saying,

"Look, I'm going to go this way."

- We're going to make a...
- A wish to win the race?

OK, let's go.

We've got Confucius on our side now.

Come on, we need to get a move on.

- FIN:
- This place is huge.

My little village has nothing
compared to the size of this.

City-hopping south,
teenage couple Fin and Sioned

are the first team to reach
China's biggest metropolis.

Once a fishing village
on the Yangtze River,

today Shanghai reigns
as China's dazzling showpiece,

packed with over 24 million people,
a flurry of futuristic skylines,

and streets that echo
with stories of the past.

Look at his tash!

I think I'm pulling.

SIONED LAUGHS

- Yes!
- Go on, Sioned.

Oh, she's spinning too quickly.

- I'm getting dizzy, Sioned.
- Yay! Well done.

- Xiexie.
- Thank you.
- Xiexie.
- Xiexie. Thank you.

- Ah...
- Let's go.
- Right.

Oh! I thought
she wasn't going to stop then.

Sioned, how long have
we been walking for?

Probably been like
an hour and a half, hour.

My back hurts, right.

I feel really dizzy right now,
Sioned.

- BEEPING
- Oh, my levels are going low now.

- Yeah, I think...
- Oh, you'll need something.

I need to get some sugar down me.

I was diagnosed
with type 1 diabetes.

I was 11 years old.

The exercise
will bring down my levels.

So I'm sitting down now.

Have fast-acting sugar.

- We need to wait for your levels
to go up anyways.
- Yeah.

I used to be very,
I guess, insecure.

I thought it was embarrassing.

I remember the day
you found my sensor.

You went here and you...you touched.

It was like, you went,
"What's that?" I was like, "Oh, no."

Like, how did you actually feel
when I found it?

Were you like, "Oh, shit,
she's found it," or were you...?

- Gutted. Embarrassed and gutted.
- Really? Why?

I think I would have probably
hid that for a lot longer.

Aw, that's quite sad.

I feel like I worry
about Fin's sugar levels

more than he worries about it,
to be honest.

I feel like I take on
the motherly role a bit with that,

when...especially
when his mum's not around.

It's going to be a challenge,
doing the race.

It's making sure we've...
we plan ahead, I think.

I literally inject you now.

Yeah. Yeah, to be fair,

you've...you've injected me
in my bottom.

- LAUGHING:
- Yeah.
- Many times.

Do you think we can get
a bit quicker, Melv, so we can...?

Yeah, but I'll spill my tea.

- The key is to see the...
- Statues, that's what we've come for.

Brian's cultural journey west

has brought the brothers
1,000 kilometres inland,

to Luoyang, one of the four great
ancient capitals of China,

where Buddhism was first
introduced to the nation

nearly 2,000 years ago,

and home to one of the finest
examples of Buddhist art,

the Longmen Grottoes.

It's pretty awesome.

- I didn't expect it to be
this big again.
- I didn't.

This is massive. Flamin' heck!

Hollowed out of the limestone cliffs
of the Yi River,

countless caves
hold over 100,000 statues...

..amongst them,
the 17-metre-tall Vairocana Buddha.

- He's a big'un, in't he?
- Yeah.

- That's hand-carved.
- Yeah.

- His tops of his fingers are missing,
but...
- Yeah, but...

..but if you look how well-preserved
that is for 1,500 years.

Yeah, you can forgive the fingers,
can't you?

- Worth coming, isn't it?
- Yeah, definitely worth.

We have taken a step back
in the race to come and do this,

but this is the real China.

Come on.

It is nice for me to remember
that Melv is similar to me.

- What do you think?
- It's huge.
- It's amazing, really.

As we're getting older,
it's nice spending a bit of time

with each other,
which we haven't done in...

- 50 years.
- 50 years.
- Yeah.

Mainly because
we've gone our separate ways.

- Let's take a photo.
- Yeah.

- Hi. Would you take a photo
of us two?
- OK, OK.

- Hey! Thank you, mate.
- It's an old
camera, it's just that one there.

- OK.
- Brilliant. Thanks very much.

When we were kids,
we did share interest in things -

youth hostelling, fishing,
all that kind of stuff -

and it's nice to start that
over again,

and pick up where we left off.

We've not got on
each other's nerves yet.

It's nice at the minute,
it's pleasant.

- Yeah.
- Thank you, mate.
- Brilliant. Thank you.

You're welcome.

If you think back,
that's the first time

that we've actually been
together on the same photograph

in 20, 30 years, I suppose.

- Is it really?
- Yeah, and that's...
- Is it?

- Well, we need more of it, then,
don't we?
- Yeah.

We need some more memories together,

so we need to
throw our camera at people

- and get...and get our picture taken
a bit more, yeah?
- Yeah.

- Yeah, let's get on the train, mate.
- Cool.
- Let's get sorted.

Let's go.

- Oh, gosh.
- Oh, gosh.

560km southeast...

- Oh, my God!
- This is so fun! I love it!

I mean, it is fun.

I just don't want to go... Oh!

It's, like, going up very steeply.

..and heading into hilly farmlands,

Elizabeth and Letitia are in
the rural outskirts of Bengbu...

- Look how big!
- Yeah.

I didn't even know
they grew on trees.

..earning their bed and board,
working on the Wang family farm.

- OK.
- Oh, OK.

- Kind of like pull, and then twist.
- Get to work.

For generations,
they've made their living

growing and selling
white pomegranates,

Chinese symbols of prosperity.

Wah! Oh, dear.

Oh, dear! Oh, dear.

- Ouch!
- If I wasn't being stabbed,
like, every two seconds

by the thorns,
it's actually quite relaxing.

I don't know how
you're getting stabbed so much.

- There's a seven-year age gap
between the both of us.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.

- Oh! Oh, oh. No!
- Don't throw them.
They're going to bruise.

- I think our dynamic is quite younger
sister, older sister vibes.
- Vibes.

Yeah.

I want to get out of that,
though, you know?

You're not really trying
to get out of it.

I think you're even deepening
the younger sister vibes.

THEY LAUGH

So just twist, twist,
twist, twist, twist.

- Twist.
- Be careful.

Like, it has to be done perfectly.

Elizabeth nit-picks everything.

I think we need to speed up as well,
cos we're going quite slow.

You don't like being told
what to do at all.

No.

Oh!

OK.

He didn't say good, he said OK.

We can sleep here?

- It's like a princess room!
- Yeah.
- OK!

It's us back sharing again,
isn't it?

- Cos we used to share.
- Yeah.

Growing up, it was great
having an older sister,

but then Elizabeth
went to Italy for nine years,

so we did have that distance.

She left when I was maybe, like, 15,
and she came back

and I was, like, an adult,
so we had that, like, gap.

OK. OK.

Oh, wow. Look at this bread!

Mmm.

Mmm!

I think my sister still sees me
as how I was, like, back then...

It's not spicy!

..as a child.

Ah, um...

Wow, this is a spirit.

THEY LAUGH

Our relationship is very
surface level, so on this race,

I would like her to see me
as an adult, as a mature woman.

Mm.

That was so strong.

ELIZABETH LAUGHS

What?!

Where's the small bag?

- Have you not got it?
- No. You're such a...

Oh, Mum!

After their static start,

Caroline and Tom have finally
reached the travel hub of Jinan.

Eager to make up time,
they've secured an overnight train

that will take them 770km southwards
to the city of Suzhou,

and are riding in the cheapest seats
they could find.

This train is really going to
help us cover a lot of distance

and save money, so, look,
in the grand scheme of things,

it's not that bad.

We've got a seat, it's fine,
there's a shared table.

I didn't expect a bed or anything,
or a...or a really comfy seat

for the price we paid.

I've tucked my trousers into my
socks, I've got plastic shoes on.

This is what happens
when you travel on a budget, so...

I don't care how tough it gets,
that I'll get through it

- and I'll bounce back.
- You're doing well.

I think the loos
might present a problem,

but go early
before it gets worse, perhaps.

THEY CHUCKLE

This is the kind of travelling
I wanted.

I'm sure I wouldn't be
your first choice.

You seem to be now.

You're...you're going up
in the ranks, so it's OK.

Am I? Fantastic.
Yeah, it's good fun.

You're...you're impressing me.

Yeah, it's really good fun.
Yeah, it's lovely.

I'm quite happy.

Mum is doing pretty good.

I'm sure there's an element
of putting a brave face on.

We're both very determined.

I think we really want to prove
we can come back from this,

and we'll do everything
we can to stay in this race.

I think I love adventurising now.

Early morning, Bengbu.

- Here you are.
- Oh, this is so cute! Er...

Xiexie.

Yeah. Thank you.

This family has shown
such great hospitality.

So we really felt
really welcome here.

With money saved on accommodation...

Wow!

..the sisters' strategy -

to spend big on a direct train 550km

to Wuyuan, the closest station
to the checkpoint town of Huangling.

Hopefully we'll make it
to the checkpoint really quickly,

and then we can enjoy
the pomegranates.

230km closer to Huangling...

I'm feeling ready to go.

- ON PA SYSTEM:
- Dear passengers,
we are now at Hangzhou Station.

Prioritised speed,
and we spent so much on transport.

I feel like
if we're not there first now,

- I don't know what we've done wrong.
- No, I know.

..Fin and Sioned have one
final connection to make

to reach the checkpoint.

Er, Wuyuan.

6:24.

- Tonight?
- Yes.

So it's five, six hours.

We're not waiting that long.
Is there earlier?

No earlier, only this one.

And it's 306 yuan?

Another 30 quid.
This is so shit.

OK, we'll maybe come back.

So that was
a bit of a kick in the teeth.

When I've made a plan,
I just don't like steering from it.

Well, it says buses this way.

- No bus.
- No bus?

- No, bus today at all?
- No bus.

What do you want to do?

Cos I-I've had enough
of making decisions.

I don't know.

Oh, for... I can't believe this!

You're waiting for me
to do every single decision.

This is a joke.
We should not still be in a station.

Well, we can't have a bus.

Right. I think we should have
to go pay for the train

and just have to wait
a stupid amount of time.

I don't think
that we have any other options.

The youngest team at a standstill...

- BOTH:
- We're off! Whoo-whoo!

..behind them in Shanghai, Yin
and Gaz have already secured a train

towards the checkpoint,

departing later in the day...

It's like an onslaught
of the senses, really.

Look at that through there.

- It's cool, innit?
- It's, like, unreal, isn't it?

..giving the pair a chance
to wander the streets of the city.

Yeah, look at this.
What's that over there?

I mean, I can't read all of it,
but there's, like, um...

I'm assuming parents who have
put adverts for their children,

who are seeking marriage
or partners.

In a city where tradition
meets ambition,

many young professionals
are too busy to date.

So, every weekend,

People's Park transforms
into a bustling marriage market.

Let's see what's on the market.

- Because we're going to find you
a nice bride!
- We'll see.

- You look very, er, very presentable.
- Do I?
- Yeah.
- Good.

Genuinely,
he'd be a catch for anyone.

He's got his own teeth and, you
know, he hasn't got very much hair,

but he's still, I think,
quite a good-looking man.

I mean, you know,
Gaz was a great husband

And, like, when, when, when
the marriage was good, I mean,

he was a brilliant husband.

We were together,
we were married for...

I think we were together
for 31 years.

We did split up two or three years
ago, went our separate ways.

I'd consider Gaz
to be a best friend now.

I think at the point of the marriage
break-up, I probably hated him.

Little elements
of our relationship deteriorated.

We became two separate people
living in a house together,

and then before you know it,
there's no going back.

It's like a rock
going down the hill.

You can see what's happening,
but you don't change it.

See if we can find someone
with a friendly face who might...

we can offer you up to.

I still get people,
friends, saying to me,

"Oh, are you and Gaz
going to get back together?"

And I'm like, "Absolutely not."

- We're over that, aren't we?
- We are.
- We're over that.

Did you look for yourselves
to find a match?

- Oh, actually, er, she's not single,
but I'm single.
- Oh!

Do you think that Gaz would be
a really good prospect?

- Too old?
- He's not my taste.
- Not your taste?

THEY LAUGH

What about you?

Oh, no, not for me. Yeah.

Plenty more fish in the sea.
I might find a wife in India.

Ooh! Well, you'll have lost
some weight then, won't you?

- So you'll be even more...
- What does that mean?!

Now we need to concentrate
on the checkpoint cos, I mean,

we're in touching distance, mate.

As the teams make their final push
towards Huangling...

Could you take a photo of us two,
please?

..Brian and Melvyn...

Smile, you miserable git!

..are unable to resist
another cultural pit stop...

- There you go.
- Another one together.
It's the second one.

..and are making slow progress

towards the checkpoint.

Ahead of them...

Oh, my golly!

..an overnight train has propelled
Caroline and Tom south,

and back into the race
at the lakeside city of Suzhou.

Hello. We're trying to
get a train to...

We-we can't say it.

We-we don't know how.

- "Ooh-yeah"!
- "Ooh, yah"?
- "Ooh-yeah"!
- Ooh...

Hefeinan.

Nothing's simple for us, is it?

But to reach the checkpoint,
a 380-kilometre detour -

a serious setback for their race.

Even though we covered
a good distance yesterday,

it's shot us in the back

because we kind of now have to go
back to get to where we need to.

It is very deflating, to be honest.

Closing in on Wuyuan Station...

If we see people, we're running.

We need to get our jogging on.

I just wonder how fast
the others have gone.

..two teams.

- We should have been there hours ago.
- I know.

- We just want to get there now.
- Yeah.

It's going to be close, I think.
It's going to be very close.

Race mode is on.

Reaching the closest station
to the checkpoint,

teams receive instructions
on their tracker.

BEEPING

Oh, my God!

"Travel to Ti Tian Suo Dao
in Huangling

"and await further instructions."

- OK.
- Oh, my gosh. It begins.

- I would just get a taxi.
- Shall we just get a taxi?

Look.

- Hi. Ni hao.
- Ni hao.

Woo, woo, woo!
We're en route, route, route!

THEY LAUGH

- What did he say?
- It's on a mountain.

We have to get a cable car.

To reach Huangling,
teams must ascend into the mountains

via cable car, alighting to cross
the Leixin suspension bridge,

their only option to reach
the village and the checkpoint.

Oh, wow.

OK. Oh. Oh, gosh.

- Wow. It's there.
- Cable car is there?
- It's there.

Go, go, go.
Cable car entrance.

BEEPING

Shall we just go?

Let's go, let's go, let's go.

Oh, my gosh.

- Oh!
- OK.
- Shall we have a look?

"Take cable car B..."

B?!

- And we did not do that.
- Mm.

I think we've made a mistake.
This is really, really, really bad.

- Go!
- We want to get there as soon
as possible.

We've wasted too much time today.

BEEPING

- Cable car B?
- B? Right.

First stop.

- Thank you.
- Thank you. Thank you.

So back down again.

We've wasted time.

- Wow!
- Look at this.

That's stunning.

- It's actually really far down.
- Holy shit.

Look at all the lights.

I feel like I'm in Peter Pan.
Tinker Bell will fly out now.

BEEPING

"Continue through
the ancient village

"and find the first checkpoint,
Huangling Shaiqiu Hotel."

All right, let's keep going.

BEEPING

- OK, so...
- After the bridge,
find the first checkpoint hotel.

- Right, we're here.
- There's no hotels on here.

Where's the hotel?

The village is all
up and down, up and down.

- Could be up there.
- I'm getting so confused!

This place just keeps on going.

I feel like
we're just getting nowhere.

- Oh, wow.
- I can imagine it's probably
quite a nice view in the daylight.

You can just about see
the tops of the trees and stuff.

- Oh, God, I can hear glass cracking.
- HE LAUGHS

I think we should ask someone here

cos there's so many, like,
different directions we can go.

- OK.
- OK.

Shaiqui Hotel?

Shai-que-ee... Kiwi...

Come on, oldie!

- What the?
- It's a dragon!
- We're in a race!

Traffic, we have to wait a minute.

Quick, quick, quick, quick, quick.

Oh, is that it there?

Welcome to Huangling Shaiqui Hotel.

Please sign in.

Oh, I... You open it. I'm too
scared, actually, I genuinely am.

"You have successfully
reached your first checkpoint.

"Please sign overleaf."

Oh! Wow. Fair play to them.
Well done.

I'm actually so glad
that we just weren't last.

- I'm so happy that we're first.
- Yeah, we're first. It is good.

I've surprised myself with
how well we've actually managed

to navigate stuff, because China
is massive compared to Wales.

- Proud of you. Well done.
- Yay!

Is this it? Do it, go on, do it.

- Oh, OK, that's cool.
- OK.

Third. I'll take that.

- To be third was...
- Pretty amazing,
actually. Yeah, yeah.

Is... It was amazing,
cos it was a rough start.

I really enjoy being together
with you as a team.

- I couldn't choose anyone better
to do it with.
- Yeah, me either.

Whoo! Up the pace.

My trousers will fall down!

We're there. We're there.

Bloody hell, there's so many people.

Look at that.

- Excuse me.
- Excuse me, please.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.

What a beautiful place.

BRIAN CHUCKLES

That's it, Melv.

We're fourth.

Well done, mate.

In hindsight,
I think we chose the wrong route.

We're going to have to plan
a bit better.

- We're not last, mate.
- Oh, that's good.

Caroline and Tom
are still out there.

Fin!

Sioned! Oh, brilliant.

It's going to be really difficult.
I'm not quite sure how I'll cope.

- Come on.
- Look at this place.

This is just extraordinary.

In general,
I think we're quite different.

And I'm hearing more differences
the more you talk.

Look at that. My heart.

And away!

- We're a couple of old blokes.
- Yeah.

This is an opportunity
to do things differently.

- From when we were married, in
a crisis, we're pretty good.
- Yeah.

Whoa!

Cos we've only just come out of
school, we're going to hit bumps.

I need to wise up. I'm a big girl.

- Quick, quick, quick.
- Oh, shit, shit, shit!

I have no words.

It is definitely
Endurance Race Across The World.