Original subtitles

This programme contains some strong language

Actually quite relaxing.

Mm.

What do you reckon? Yeah, I'm quite happy.

HE CHUCKLES

For first-place Brian and Melvyn, a moment of serenity.

It gives you a chance just to chill.

You can actually feel the vibration of the bell things

going through you. Mm.

Words can't describe how it is to come in first

on the elimination leg.

We've exceeded our expectations, for some reason.

If I'm thinking ahead now, yeah,

we've got to get our race heads on again.

Do you feel the pressure now? Yeah.

Four teams have made it to the third checkpoint...

I've seen a lot of horses down here.

I know, it's cute. There were some running this morning.

..and are now in the traditionally Tibetan Kham region of China,

within striking distance of the Himalayas.

We were close to Brian and Melvyn, an hour between us,

and now they've, 24... They've gone. Yeah, yeah.

I don't know how they've done it, but... Yeah.

It's sort of Brian and Melvyn, and then... And then us.

For the first time in the race, the brothers have taken a lead,

and for the remaining three teams,

less than two hours lie between them.

We seem to constantly worry.

Yeah.

I struggle to sleep.

We just don't mentally seem to be able to switch off.

Yeah. Normally at home, I don't think about anything,

I'm just... I'm pretty relaxed.

Finding ourselves at the bottom at the first leg was absolutely

frightful, so we have slowly and steadily been working our way up.

Less haste, more speed, I think has been our motto.

Morning. Good morning.

Good morning. This is for you.

Thank you very much.

Take care. Cheers. Bye. Thank you.

So Brian and Melvyn, they're going to be leaving very soon.

I know. I wonder where they're going to be going.

I know. I know.

Ready?

Your fourth checkpoint is Varanasi.

Varnasi? Varanasi.

Varanasi. Varanasi?

Where do you think? Get the map out.

Varanasi. It's there, look. Right, so that is in India.

That is on the Ganges.

In Northern India, the fourth checkpoint, Varanasi.

This ancient city has been continuously inhabited

for over 3,000 years.

Considered to be an abode of Lord Shiva,

it is one of the seven sacred cities of Hinduism.

Every year, more than a million people make a pilgrimage here

to visit the mandir,

and purify themselves by bathing in the River Ganges.

To get to India, it's going to be a long way away.

Ooh! "It is not possible for the race to continue over land

"across the Himalayas."

"You must fly...to Kathmandu."

"Where the race will resume."

Whoa! Wasn't expecting this.

Now, Kathmandu is in...

Nepal. ..Nepal, isn't it? This is a double country leg.

So that's exciting.

Now, it's going to be tough, but let's go for it.

We're here, Melv.

The sun's shining at last.

Having flown from China to arrive in Nepal's capital city

of Kathmandu, first-time race-leaders Brian and Melvyn.

Watch the cars!

Nepal feels quite vibrant.

It's, erm... It's a different atmosphere to China.

It's more colourful already.

Nepal looks to be completely different from anywhere

that I've been to before.

So it'll be a bit nerve-racking,

but I'm looking forward to some new adventures.

Nepal's north is dominated by the Himalayas.

It is a land where many use the phrase "guest is God",

and natives offer home stays as a source of income...

..allowing budget-conscious visitors to experience the true heart

of the country...

..while those hungry for adventure flock for the great outdoors.

We're in Nepal.

One of the things that we have to do, Melv, is we've got to cross

the border into India at some point. So where are we going?

It is the shortest leg of the race so far, at just under 800km.

But without the ease of bullet trains,

teams will be at the whim of Nepal's basic road infrastructure.

To reach Varanasi, teams could head west to take in

Nepal's rural communities and abundance of wildlife.

Or they could travel a similar distance southward,

but enter India sooner,

directly into the country's spiritual heartland.

Are we going to keep the same strategy?

Yeah, strategy similar to China. Yeah. Yeah?

Bed and board rather than work and pay.

We can have a home stay.

We can experience their way of life.

Yeah. We're ahead of everybody else,

so we can afford to spend a bit of time here.

And once we've had our fun, over the border, race,

and then come in first again. Brilliant.

Keen to immerse themselves in local life,

Brian and Melvyn plan to head west.

Bus to Bandipur - how much?

Well, it's two people.

Can you do it any cheaper? Can you do 1,000?

Nah?

No, OK.

Er, 15? 1,500?

Two person. 1,500.

Is that a good deal? Yeah, are you happy with that?

OK. What did he ask first?

He wanted 1,700, and he's agreed to do it at 1,500.

Are you sure? I could've sworn he said 14.

Did he? Pff!

No, he didn't, did he?

I thought he said 700 per person.

Yeah. That'll be 1,400.

Yeah. And you've negotiated it up to 1,500.

No. We need to check. Well played, sir!

No! No.

Look at the windscreen, right?

Never pass its MOT, would it, that?

It's fine, lets the air through, that does.

Oh, we're away.

If we make the home stay tonight, I think we're well on course.

I just heard a noise from upstairs.

Probably my bag has just slipped off.

As Brian and Melvyn get on the road...

Thank you. Thank you.

..back in China, and trailing the brothers by almost a day...

Are you ready? I am. Let's read it first.

..the remaining three teams.

Aah! See?

"Your fourth checkpoint is Varanasi."

So we're crossing the border. Ooh!

I know where that is - India.

India?

Wow, that's far. That's far. So far.

Oh!

"You must fly...

"..to Kathmandu, where the race will resume."

How exciting!

It is exciting.

Oh, my God.

We're going to Nepal!

And now I've got goose bumps. Yay!

Aah! Wow. That is the best news I think we've had so far.

We are going to Nepal.

I am so, so happy with that.

I've never seen such a big grin on your face.

Ah, it's like... For me, it's the scenery,

just the beauty of Nepal, I'm really looking forward to it.

We're so excited about animals, wildlife.

I feel like it's the full package, really, for us, isn't it?

MUSIC PLAYS

Already finding their groove in Nepal...

Very lively place, isn't it?

..Brian and Melvyn have made it to Bandipur,

home to the Newar people.

With a culture rich in both Hindu

and Buddhist traditions, countless festivals take place every year -

including the five-day celebration of Deepawali.

Namaste.

I don't know what "Namaste" means, but it's very nice.

Hello. Hiya.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I didn't know what to expect,

but you couldn't ask for a better welcome, could you?

It's like the whole village has turned out.

Cheers. Black tea. Cheers.

Very good.

Hosted by Sajen, the brothers will repay their bed and board

by working an early shift on the family's farm.

6am?

OK.

Nepal is completely different from China.

Thank you.

China's very rigid. But Nepal is buzzing, bubbly.

Look at the geckos up there.

Bloody heck!

At the end of the day, it's why we're here.

It's an opportunity to experience something new.

I've lived my life quite straight, I suppose,

and it's about time that I let loose.

Yeah!

Excellent.

My kids told me, "Go out and enjoy it,"

and that's what I want to do.

It's a lot warmer, isn't it?

Almost 22 hours behind race leaders Brian and Melvyn...

..sisters Elizabeth and Letitia are the second team

to plan a way out of Kathmandu.

The west is popular for tourists

because there's lots of, like, backpacking.

So going south from here,

try and take advantage of the faster routes in India.

It seems more spiritual, like going to Bodh Gaya where there's

the famous tree where the Buddha became enlightened.

And that's what we wanted this trip as well, isn't it?

To, like, delve into culture and tradition.

Feeling the pull of one of Buddhism's holiest sites,

Bodh Gaya, they plan to take the more direct route to India.

I really don't know much about Nepal

so it's nice for both of us to be discovering something new.

It's making me anxious, being in a new country.

Look, there's a bus that's stopping over that side.

Shall we walk down that way? Yeah.

Oh, my gosh, it's so busy!

Letitia and I are definitely different in terms of, like,

how much we can be out there.

Where shall we sit? Here?

Very different to China.

She can get quite overwhelmed, especially with new situations.

I'm getting hot and bothered now.

It's just very chaotic.

People are bringing anything and everything on the bus.

Yeah, someone brought this makeshift bike.

THEY LAUGH

Oh, my God!

Whereas I'm, like, embracing it, I'm like, "Whoa, look at this,"

for her, it might be a bit too much.

I'm loving this lovely vibrant start to the day.

Yeah!

She'll smile, but I can see it's, like, draining her.

As the sisters depart...

Hello, piggies!

Open, open.

Come on, girls.

Cor, they're little stinkers, ain't they?

Certainly do. That stinks.

COCK CROWS

..high above the valleys, Brian and Melvyn are still in Bandipur.

The town is a testament to the Newars,

whose roots can be traced back to prehistoric times.

Their intricate craftmanship has led them to become

renowned as master architects.

Today, intergenerational families work the farms,

and Brian and Melvyn are helping Sajen with his morning chores.

Very hungry, aren't they?

Yeah.

Clean inside. Clean? Yeah.

If you're keen to do that, Melv, then you go for it.

Whoever says pigs are clean animals is lying.

But they do shit in one corner.

Well done, Melv, that's...

That's a really good job. I'm chuffed you've done that.

Come, come, yeah, come.

And go inside, you clean the buffalo.

The buffalo. There you go, Brian, I'll give you priority on that.

Fucking hell. You hang on to that.

Oh, God. What have I got to do?

Yeah. That clean, yeah. What, with me hands?

Yeah. Come, come.

I mean, really?! Yeah, put it outside.

I... I'm not that keen on this at all.

Come on. Come on!

Oh, God.

It's picking up shit.

Urrrgh!

Oh, God, what am I doing?!

I can't believe that! He's using his hands, picking up buffalo shit.

That isn't Brian. Definitely not Brian.

HE CHUCKLES

I'm doing it.

Yeah, you're doing grand.

I've got to be honest, when we first came out here on the race,

I didn't think Brian would be able to deal with new challenges,

because he doesn't like to be uncomfortable.

You're doing gra...

Don't! Don't you dare.

But he's proved me wrong on that.

He's done really well, he has.

That's digging deep. But you did all right.

Proud of you for picking up shit.

HORNS HONK

Right, let's familiarise ourselves with our plan and our route.

Back in Kathmandu,

Caroline and Tom are the third team to leave for Varanasi.

Doesn't look that far. So it looks like we could probably

either go down, south, straight into India,

or head up a bit west and spend a bit longer in Nepal.

If we spent too much time here,

I think I'd get a bit anxious about rushing to checkpoint.

So tough. I know you want to experience their way of life,

so why don't we do a home stay, if we can?

Stay the night, and then rush down over the border...

Across the border. ..and then rush to Varanasi.

And get to the checkpoint, open the book.

And find we're not third or fourth.

I think that makes the most sense.

We're sacrificing a bit of time in Nepal for Mum,

because she doesn't like worrying about being so far behind.

Right, bus to Pokhara.

I don't want to lose sight of the fact that we are making progress.

You know, a primary reason to be here is to race, so if we can

do the best of both worlds, then we'll both be really happy.

Oh, my God, this gets heavier, Thomas, as I get older

and more tired. How does that happen?

We've only... We haven't even started yet!

Let's go.

Their compromise - head west into central Nepal for a home stay

before trying to make up time and cross the border.

Hello. Erm, to Pokhara?

So literally leave now? Yeah, yeah.

Let's do it. Let's do it.

The bus is going.

Hold on, hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on.

The bags are going on the roof.

Come on! Thomas, come on.

Ha-ha-ha! Bye, darling!

This is chaotic. This is crazy.

Oh, it's so peaceful.

On their journey south,

Elizabeth and Letitia come to a pause in Panauti,

one of the oldest towns in the country.

Believed to have been founded in the 13th century by King Ananta Malla,

it was ruled by the Malla dynasty -

a name meaning "wrestler" in Sanskrit.

They have secured work at a female-led community restaurant,

run by Sirita, where authentic Newar cuisine is served.

OK.

A steamed, filled dumpling, momos are a Nepali staple

filled with meat, vegetables, and spices.

So there is four women running this restaurant?

That's very good.

Mm.

So you seem like a very big part of this community,

so really nice.

How is it for women here in Nepal to work?

Yeah. Yeah, it's nice.

Seeing that wonderful woman who runs that restaurant is,

it's just very inspirational, they're so strong and confident.

It just makes me think about things in my life.

Are you OK?

SHE SQUEAKS

OK? A little...

Little bigger. Little bigger. A little bigger, yeah.

I'm not great at all.

I'm working on my confidence,

but I feel like it definitely dips a lot,

because I just don't want to put myself out there.

Pinch and fold.

No, no, your hand isn't... Oh, no.

It has to be quite close here.

Again. Again. Sorry!

When I was quite young, our family did go through a...

..a hardship, I guess you could say.

My dad wasn't working, and we did end up losing our family home.

Pinch together like that. Ah, this is... Like this, OK.

This, tightly. OK. OK.

Your home is like your safe space,

and that being taken away from you is very upsetting.

It really did impact me,

and I guess I became a different person, basically.

Folding. It's OK.

Oh, no! Folding.

This is your first try, it's not... It's OK.

I think that's why I go travelling, cos I'm trying to find a sense of...

..belonging.

No! It's awful!

No, it's better than mine.

This race is going to be a challenge,

because I just want to be the kind of person

where you don't have to think about a lot.

Look, that's good.

That's the confidence I want, just not to care and just be me

and try and embrace myself more.

Really? Oh, OK, if you say so!

Oh!

LETITIA LAUGHS

Thank you.

WHISTLE BLOWS

We need to find the ticket place so we can try to find a bus to Chitwan.

In Kathmandu, Fin and Sioned are the final team to depart the capital...

..with the lowest budget - just 48% remaining.

This is a little bit different to buying trains in China, isn't it?

We're going to Chitwan to do a safari...

Namaste.

..because we really want to see some animals,

but it will probably be a bit expensive.

We've spent just over half the budget...

Thank you.

..so I do think, going forward, we need a bit less spending.

Oh, wow, that's a step.

We've had too many hotels and nice beds,

so hostels or home stays would be good, and the way to go

if we want to experience a bit more of Nepal, as well.

Planning to enjoy a safari, they take a seven-hour bus to Chitwan.

This road is absolutely awful.

I know.

Oh, my goodness!

Wow. Wow.

It's like being in bumper cars, you know when you're like...

SHE GROANS It's a continuous bumper car.

And they're driving on, like, edges of cliffs.

This feels like we're tilting all the time.

It does not feel very safe.

GOATS BLEAT

Do you have a favourite goat?

This one, yeah. What's her name?

Hello, Miley.

The baby goats, have you got names for them?

No. Call it Brian.

Briony, then.

In Bandipur, Brian and Melvyn have been helping out

three generations of the Shresta family.

Your grandad, how long he's looked after the animals here?

40, 50 years? And he's never left the village?

Yes.

I'm a grandad. It's very nice for me to see grandad and son,

and you all work here on the farm.

Thank you very much. Thank you.

Marvellous. Looks good.

Beautiful, isn't it?

You like chilli? You take chilli?

I'm not... No, thank you.

It's really hot, isn't it?

Now, your son, lovely fella, just gone to school.

Yeah. What does he want to do for work when he finishes school?

Army. Army.

Army? Yeah. Will you miss him?

Yeah. Miss him, yeah.

You'll be sad? Very miss.

When I was 16 - so your son's age now - I joined the army.

I didn't want to stay at home.

Not a friendly community like you have.

Growing up, our relationship with our parents

wasn't a loving relationship. I do remember Mum saying something like,

"Oh, you'll never be able to do anything like that."

She was always very dismissive.

Mum never kissed us or hugged us, did she? No. No, I...

I can't... I can never, ever, ever remember Mum...

Putting an arm round you. ..putting her arm round you. No.

Mum was a hard lady.

She was probably a lady who shouldn't have had children.

I've got to admit, I was never made to feel welcome

if ever I came back on leave or anything.

But it was the same for you when you came. Yeah.

Well, yeah. Odd, innit, really?

There's the difference here.

These are a kind of really loving family unit,

and want to be together all the time.

Ah, it's nice to see they all look after each other.

If Mum and Dad were still alive,

she would not believe that we could do this race together.

And Dad, he would probably say, "Well, you'd be daft, lads." Yeah.

But now we're getting towards the twilight years, if you like,

I hope I still find time for adventures

until I can't do it any more!

Hello. Namaste.

Namaste.

Having spent the night in Panauti,

Elizabeth and Letitia are the only team travelling directly south,

and are looking to reach the Birgunj border crossing.

We want to go to Birgunj border.

Do you know how we go there from here?

It's very easy to go.

First you go to Kathmandu, and then Kathmandu to Birgunj. Ah! Yeah.

So we have to go back to Kathmandu?

If you like to go another highway here,

Sindhuli, this is also possible.

OK. Yeah.

Which one is the fastest?

That's Sindhuli - but, if you go to Sindhuli,

sometimes we have a landslide here.

Yeah, OK. Oh, OK, OK.

With temperatures rising in recent years,

Nepal is enduring unprecedented rainfall.

Receiving the highest downpour in half a century

has put pressure on an already fragile infrastructure,

triggering landslides that have made roads impassable in many regions.

I can't believe there's landslides.

What are you thinking?

I don't know, I feel like we should just get a move on.

I'm thinking not to risk it,

and Kathmandu is probably easiest to go to.

Unable to continue with their strategy of a direct route south,

Elizabeth and Letitia must retrace their steps

and head in the opposite direction from the checkpoint.

Er, two. Kathmandu? Yeah? OK.

Oh, my gosh.

I can't believe we are going back where we started.

I think it'll be fun.

SHE SCOFFS

We're just going to be so far behind.

Can't do anything about it now, so...relax.

MELVYN:Go away, fast as you can.

We're in a race across China, Nepal and India with other couples.

That's my brother.

Your brother? Yeah. Yeah, he's five years older than me.

Three!

He looks older, though.

I do, actually.

THEY LAUGH

As Brian and Melvyn speed closer to Varanasi,

Caroline and Tom have gained ground,

reaching their home stay, just outside of Pokhara.

In the village of Bhalam,

communities cultivate rice, wheat and vegetables on terraced fields

overlooking the Annapurna mountain range.

LAUGHTER

Yeah!

Oh, my gosh. Yeah, Mama!

Mummy. Mummy.

My mummy.

To experience a more local way of life,

they're staying with the Gowtan family.

Should we take our shoes off?

Yeah. Yeah? I think we do.

Do you grow? Everything from our gardens, everything.

No way!

And the rice?

Rice also.

No! We have big field.

Here, food is eaten in the customary Nepali way.

OK! OK.

So with...with hand? I watch.

THEY LAUGH

Do you eat with your hand?

There you go. Yeah?

But it's right hand only.

Is... Is it OK to eat with my left hand?

If it's difficult, there is no worries.

Oh, thank you very much.

OK, so we make a... Just like that.

It's difficult for Thomas to use his right hand.

As a child, he couldn't write very well, but we didn't know why.

It's just with my right hand, I...

I'm... I'm left-handed. He can't use his right hand. So...

When I was six or seven,

I was diagnosed with a mild form of cerebral palsy,

which affects my right arm and hand.

If that's OK, that's very kind, thank you.

I feel like my left hand just does what it's told,

whereas my right hand feels like it's disconnected from my brain,

but it's something I just don't really talk about.

Mm, that's really nice!

It's obviously not normal for us to eat with our hands, but it's...

..it's quite a fun thing to do, yeah.

I feel like I have to know someone quite well

before I start opening up.

This temple is pretty, wow.

Feels really nice to be up here in barefoot, actually.

Brother, come.

Inside here? Yeah.

Just think about your breathing.

Calm, strong.

When I was younger, I really wanted to be a pilot,

that was like my dream.

Mum and Dad got me a flying simulator for one of my birthdays,

but you had to use both your hands

to touch all the buttons and do all of that,

and I just couldn't quite do it all with my right hand,

and that kind of made me sad.

In all honesty, earlier on, I think the...

..in a culture, normally, you... you eat with your right hand. Mm.

I almost thought it would be more disrespectful

if I tried to use my right hand and it would've just made a big mess.

I absolutely get that.

As time has gone on, I've got more used to it.

I play rugby, I go to the gym, I can work out,

I can do all that kind of stuff.

It's just more a bit of a...

..a mental block for myself, if that makes sense.

I'm worried if I was to tell people,

they'd see that more than they see me.

I'm worried it would define me.

Which is not what I really like the idea of.

Oh, Thomas.

I can assure you, people see you as this lovely, friendly,

kind-hearted, polite young man.

155km south...

Oh, here we go!

..Chitwan National Park.

ELEPHANT TRUMPETS

More than 900 square kilometres of rich flora and fauna.

PEACOCK CRIES

Once a hunting ground for the country's ruling class

during the cool winter seasons...

..it's now a protected World Heritage site...

..and one of the last refuges of the mighty Bengal tiger.

GROWLING

Wow! What's that?

Not the biggest fan of insects.

Fin and Sioned have veered off their westerly course for a safari,

in the hope of meeting some of the park's natives.

Even though it is a slight detour from the race,

a safari's always been something I've wanted to do.

There's something about animals that's always comforted me.

You can see the kingfisher.

Common kingfisher, you see?

Yes!

The start of the race was hard for me with missing home.

Sitting up there.

Oh, is it a monkey?

Up at the highest point in the tree, by himself.

I don't know how that's comfortable, but...

Cos he's not a human.

I don't like change,

so it's taken me a bit of time to adapt to a new routine.

What can they see?

Look at the rhino.

There's a rhino? Rhino?!

Behind the tree.

SIONED GASPS

We can see now.

Look at it!

Oh, wow, yeah.

I've grown up in Wales, just a small little country,

I don't really see anything new.

GASPS:Wow!

I've grown up just wondering what goes on in other areas of the world,

so I just want to experience all of that.

We've actually got a rhino to the right

and a crocodile to the left,

and it's literally, like, metres away from each other.

Where's he going now?

I don't know. Bye, Mr Rhino.

I still don't think, like, I believe that I'm here.

I don't think I'll actually come to terms with what I've been doing

until I'm home.

Oh, wow! Elephant.

SIONED GASPS

Wow!

Is it going to come past here?

Wow.

GASPS:I touched an elephant!

I touched an elephant.

That was absolutely amazing.

We won't ever forget this memory.

It will be a special place for us, now, forever,

so...that's nice.

HORNS HONK

To the border. Border. Birgunj.

Back at the leg's starting point,

Elizabeth and Letitia try to compensate for their setback

with a private transfer.

Two tickets, 1,700.

OK.

I thought this morning, we'll go to the border,

so...it has been a lot longer than I thought.

We just need to catch up, really, by taking speedy transport.

OK, bye.

I don't think this is going to be the most comfortable ride.

Whoa, look. Oh.

There's bumps in the road, there's holes.

Their taxi will take them 130km

nonstop to the southern border with India.

Oh!

Oh, my gosh, that does not look stable.

Ooh...

I didn't think that the roads would be like this.

Thought we were going through the highway.

The Tribhuvan Highway is one of the oldest roads in Nepal.

Just go through quickly!

My heart, the palpitations are going to start coming in.

With large stretches of the road

lying at more than 2,000 metres above sea level...

Look at that.

..its steep climbs and hairpin turns

make it difficult to reach anywhere very quickly.

Oh, my gosh!

I'm hiding.

I'm trying to go to a happy place.

You're probably making yourself even more anxious, you know.

No, I'm not. Just look the other way.

What do you mean? This is me looking the other way!

SHE GIGGLES

It's not funny!

Yeah, sorry.

With the remaining three teams on track to cross the border

further west...

We have just set off

on our first overnight bus,

in the hope that we arrive at the border.

..Caroline and Tom are also acclimatising

to Nepal's road network.

We've probably spent about 36 hours in Nepal, had the best time,

and then we said once we've done that

we're going to focus on the racing,

and that's exactly what we're doing.

This night bus is just hectic. Oh, my God!

It's... It's... Oh!

I was very excited to be on it but, actually, it's terrifying,

and they've just come round with sick bags.

Like, there's absolutely no way, if this continues like this,

that we'll be able to sleep tonight.

Beautiful, isn't it?

The foothills of the Himalayas.

Good view.

We wanted to do really great experiences,

and then, over the border.

Just 65km from the border,

looking to cross into India today,

Brian and Melvyn are squeezing in one last escapade.

We're going to a zipline.

I'm quite looking forward to it, I'm not sure Brian is, he...

He's a bit apprehensive.

I don't like heights.

I just want to really get it over with.

Do you think this is it? No.

Is that the zipline? Yeah. Yeah, it's the zipline.

That is not a proper zipline.

It's a bloody bike upside down.

I mean, it looks solid enough.

Melvyn decided that he wanted to do this.

I probably wouldn't have picked it,

but I don't want to let him down,

because one of the reasons for coming on the race

is to do things like this together,

which we wouldn't do at home.

I'm not nervous.

My doctor said to me, "Melvyn, remember, you're 65,"

but in my head I'm still 18, 20.

Can we get it over with, then?

It's fine, this, Bri.

HE LAUGHS

Couple of minutes of peace.

And awaaaaay!

Goodness me.

This is crazy.

What a view!

HE LAUGHS

That wasn't long enough, was it?!

That was great.

It was just the feeling of it.

It just puts a smile on your face.

Mm.

I don't know yet.

A little nervous, I must admit.

I don't think Bri's ever done anything like this before.

I mean, Brian's idea of adventure is playing golf in an exotic country.

That's - is that screwed back in, then, is it?

HE EXHALES SHARPLY

He's going to be fine -

he's not going to bottle it, he's not a bottler.

He's not, he'll do it.

He's done a lot of things that have made me proud of him.

HE EXHALES SHARPLY Just go.

Argh! God!

Oh, shit!

Oh!

We're away.

I knew he wouldn't let us down.

Oh! Bloody hell!

Oh!

It'd be funny if he got stuck in the middle, wouldn't it?

Go on, mate!

MELVYN LAUGHS

He's...!

Well done.

How you feeling? Yeah, fine.

Good lad.

Piece of piss, that. There you go!

That is actually quite scary as you're coming down,

but, yeah, I enjoyed it, it was fun.

Tell your face, then, will you?

In Nepal, I'm constantly going outside my comfort zone.

I'm happy cos we've done it together,

so I haven't let Melvyn down.

I'm genuinely pleased that he did it,

and knowing he was doing it for me, it's incredible.

Yes, thank you. Thank you.

Also embracing new experiences,

Fin and Sioned have arrived at their lodgings in Pokhara.

Known for its nine freshwater lakes

and Himalayan peaks,

Nepal's second-largest city lures backpackers chasing adventure.

I've never stayed in a hostel before.

Me neither.

But we definitely do need to start saving money when we can, really.

With depleting funds, they are foregoing

the comfort of a hotel

for the first time in the race,

securing free accommodation at a hostel in exchange for work.

Hi. Hi.

Oh. Hello, nice to meet you.

Perfect, thank you so much.

Thank you. Thank you.

See you later.

What's wrong? No, nothing.

It's all good. Good.

Six people in a room? Like, wow.

It's... Yeah. Especially strangers.

Why are you making faces?

Why are you...? I'm not.

Meeting people for the first time, I'm a bit like, "Ooh..."

It's quite nerve-racking for me.

At home, I have my group of friends, and I've never really expanded.

You know, some of my best friends are my cousins.

I've never stayed in a hostel before.

Really?

Yeah, he's not big on sleeping, like,

with other people around, so...

I need to be a bit more out of my comfort zone, I think,

so I do need to do this. Definitely.

Be fine. Sure it'll be fine.

As night falls...

Very simple, small beer, 250.

Big beer, 500.

..Fin and Sioned are starting their shift in the hostel bar.

Erm, on your right.

Oh! Hello.

How can I help you?

We do.

I think I'm better than Fin is at hiding the fact

that we're both not very sociable people.

There we go. There we go. No. Wahey! No.

That's 1,200 rupees, please.

I work in a leisure centre as a receptionist.

It's the same day every day. Yeah. It's like living Groundhog Day.

Here, one ten back, and your margarita!

I think we're just very different to other people our age,

because we don't go out drinking Saturday night.

I thought I could tell!

Go on walks all the time, go up some mountains.

We're very chilled and just slow, I think. Yeah.

Have you been to India?

Oh, great!

Oh, it's going to be tough for me, then,

as someone who doesn't like crowds!

Yeah, I can imagine, yeah.

Ever since we found out that India was on the radar,

I've been very nervous.

And what I've heard today has not really settled my nerves at all.

China was a struggle, but I think India is going to be a lot harder.

My worries are the crowds and the noises,

everything seems to be very strong for the senses,

and I just like gentle stuff.

I miss you.

Goodnight.

BUSY TRAFFIC, HORNS HONK

CHICKENS CLUCK

GOAT BLEATS

Oh, my God. Holy shit!

Hello.

Brother, how you doing? Nice to meet you.

This place is so cool.

India.

The most populous country in the world.

Home to more than 1.4 billion people.

The first teams touch down

in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh...

..known as the heartland of India,

where 240 million inhabitants jostle for space in the cities,

and the Ganges carves its way east to Varanasi and beyond.

It doesn't really feel real that we're in India on a tuktuk.

I feel like this is a bit like a movie scene.

Caroline and Tom are the first team

to reach the third country of the race.

Oh, there's an elephant being ridden!

Oh...my...God!

Holy shit!

Oh, my God... No way!

There's an elephant! Oh, my God!

Oh, my God!

Why do they ride an elephant in a city?

What the hell?!

That is mental.

India is going to be full of surprises.

Planning on catching an afternoon train to checkpoint,

mother and son have time to top up their Indian rupees...

Thomas, Thomas, Thomas! This is it!

Oh, Baati Chokha.

..at a restaurant on the outskirts of Gorakhpur...

..helping the owner prepare food, ahead of the evening rush.

Ah, lovely. Yeah, perfect, yes.

Do you rock a hairnet?

I rock a hairnet.

I do it like this.

It's not for me.

How attractive is mine?

Oh, stunning. You look great.

Gloves.

Oh, and we get gloves, as well!

Oh...

That... Oh, no. ..looks...

Can you do it, with your hands?

It'll just take a while.

Make a jump at the thumb up here.

Oh, God, I've just ripped it.

No problem. Sorry.

This is an example of where Thomas struggles

because of his cerebral palsy.

Yeah, I'd rather go and do it somewhere by myself,

without the pressure. Don't like it.

The majority of things in life that I do,

I've just adapted to find different ways around it.

Won't go on.

I just can't move the hand around as much

to bend it around to where it needs to go.

It just doesn't work.

Something like that, when it was purely my right hand, and I...

..I couldn't really find another way around it, that's when it...

..it does affect me.

Mum, I... I just can't get it on.

I feel so bad, I'm slowing everybody down now.

No, it's OK.

Let's see if you can do something else.

No, I want to go into the kitchen, though.

It's the feeling of knowing you can't do something.

We're there.

We're there, we're good.

Well done.

It just makes me start to panic a little bit, and worry so much,

and I think I'm realising, as I get a bit older,

it's something I have to deal with a bit more.

I don't know if I'll ever get to a stage

where I can be so open about it, you know, freely say, like,

"Oh, look, I just need a bit of time, because...

.."I've got cerebral palsy," I don't know if that would ever happen.

But it probably would be quite nice if it could.

BRIAN:Whoa, look at this, eh?

Ha-ha! Bloody hell.

Oh, I would not like to drive here.

No. Neeowm!

Brian and Melvyn are the second team to cross the Indian border...

Plan is, we'll try and get a bus.

We need to get to the checkpoint today.

Definitely.

..utilising the country's expansive bus network for a swift departure.

Varanasi?

Which one? This one? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Oh, it takes six hours? Get on it, Melv.

India has a different feeling than when we arrived in Nepal.

This is ten times busier -

and just going past is a cow.

Look!

We're on, Bri. Yeah.

We're on our way to the checkpoint.

Morning.

Varanasi!

We had about a 20-hour lead.

Where do you think we're going to be in it?

Top...three.

I say top four.

THEY LAUGH

Wow!

Having persevered with the difficult roads

on the southern route into India,

Elizabeth and Letitia have reached their goal of Bodh Gaya.

The main reason to do this route was to come here.

Oh, look at this huge... Oh, my gosh, it is massive.

It's such a beautiful tree, as well!

A holy site where, in the sixth century BC,

Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment

under the Bodhi tree,

and became the Buddha - the awakened one.

For Buddhists around the world,

it's one of the most sacred places on earth.

This leg has been quite challenging,

and quite fitting that, you know, the essence of enlightenment

is just letting go and just trying not to have control of situations

and just accepting everything for what it is.

I feel like here is a little oasis.

Look, it expands all the way around.

We grew up in a Christian household,

but now I'm getting more into my own, like, spirituality.

Oh, it smells so good, as well, from the flowers.

I like understanding different aspects of myself,

whereas sometimes I think Letitia might shy away from that.

I can't believe we're under the tree...

..where Buddha himself sat.

Being down here, it does feel special.

I want to, like, kind of meditate on it,

and just let go of a lot of life things.

Sometimes I just worry, you know, so much.

Let go and start afresh.

I don't really share my feelings,

but losing our family home, me and Elizabeth

had a very different experience from each other.

Elizabeth was 18, and she went to Italy.

I did feel alone, and I just bottled everything up.

Mm, meditation bell.

Do you want to go under? Yeah.

I know Elizabeth wants me to talk about emotions.

However...

..er, I don't know if I'm ready for it.

"Fully realising your own nature

"is what the Buddha calls enlightenment."

SHE SIGHS

I'm just realising how far away I am from this enlightenment!

There's so many things that are unsaid still between us.

And it's affecting our relationship, and our race.

I would definitely like to understand Letitia

a lot more than I do.

So I will try to be a bit more compassionate,

and go at her pace.

Hello!

Hi.

Shall we head out?

Yeah.

It's just the checkpoint now.

Oh, this isn't what I was expecting.

What in the world is going on?

Argh! Argh!

Oh, this is already hectic.

Fin and Sioned have just arrived in India.

This is mental.

It's just full of people.

MAN SHOUTS

I'm getting really overwhelmed and it's really stressing me out.

Oh, no, this bus is a bit mental.

This looks, actually, really fun.

I'm actually looking forward to this now.

I said I wanted to go on one of these buses,

and now I have... My wish has been granted, here I am.

HORN BEEPS

Oh, my gosh.

It's way too loud.

HORN BLARES

I feel like I've been chucked in the deep end.

I'm so glad I'm getting out of here.

Oh...

As Fin and Sioned head for Gorakhpur,

two teams are closing in on the fourth checkpoint.

I thought we were close to stopping three quarters of an hour ago.

And we're still going.

That could be the train station, actually.

Is that a train? Yeah. Yeah.

Is this Varanasi?

Thank you.

Right, bag on, got no time to waste.

The traffic is absolutely immense.

Gazing over the River Ganges,

the holy city of Varanasi.

Its banks are lined with 88 ghats -

stone steps drawing Hindu worshippers to the sacred waters...

..located by the Shivala Ghat, the fourth checkpoint.

BEEPING

"On foot, follow the Assi Road

"down to the Ganges River

"and find the Tulsi Ghat."

Tulsi Ghat.

See if this chap knows.

Do you where the Assi Road is?

Towards the Ganges?

Down here, Bri, yeah?

Coming through! Hup-hup!

We're looking for the Assi Road.

Thank you.

God, it's busy.

None of them have got bloody street names, anyway.

No. But let's get down to the river.

CAROLINE:Assi Road?

Said up and then right - down here? No.

No, I don't believe this is right.

Oh, shit!

Go... Go round.

Go round, go round.

Go round this way.

Wow, River Ganges.

There's Assi Ghat.

My friend, where's the Tulsi Ghat?

This is it? This is it, Bri.

Mum, this is such a weird route.

I know. It almost doesn't feel right.

DOGS HOWL AND BARK

Oh, God...

DOGS BARK

Right, there goes a dog.

Go behind the cow.

LAUGHS:This is crazy!

Er, "With the Tulsi Ghat on your left,

"follow the river up to find your checkpoint hotel,

"Suryauday Haveli."

Bloody hell.

Wow, so this is the Ganges.

Oh, we've got to be close now.

Ah! Ah!

Can you read it? This is it. OK.

Doing all right, Bri?

So the ghats are something to do with...

Bloody hell!

You all right?

Sit a minute. Just hang on.

Sit a minute. Fuck!

Checkpoint hotel. Let's go.

Just a little jog, Thomas.

Just a little one.

Come on, let's go.

It's OK.

Come on, Mum.

God, so many steps.

There is something up here that's well-lit.

Do you think this is it?

Suryauday.

That's it, there. That's it.

OK. Up the stairs. Oh, my God!

Up the stairs to the door, let's go, come on.

Welcome to the Suryauday Haveli.

Thank you.

Please sign in here.

"Congratulations,

"you've successfully reached your fourth checkpoint.

"Please sign in overleaf."

Oh, fuck!

Whoo!

I don't know how we've done that.

We didn't think we were going to be first again. We didn't.

We honestly didn't.

Don't know what to say.

Fantastic, fantastic.

With the route we took, going into Nepal and going west,

we thought we'd done it a longer way round,

and because of that, that might've cost us that lead.

Well done, Melv.

Put it there. Good man.

We're halfway through, and we've won two legs -

can you believe that? I know.

Have we peaked too soon, or what?

In the meantime, we'll have a cup of tea. Oh, definitely.

We made it second! Oh, my God. Oh, my God!

That's amazing.

We're only a few hours behind.

We are feeling elated.

We are over the moon.

HE SIGHS

That's a sigh of relief. Well done. We smashed it.

Sign it, quickly! OK.

Oh, my golly, Thomas.

We've really climbed up the ladder, starting at fifth,

all the way to second.

We gained about 20 hours. Yeah.

If we can do that much in one leg...

That's amazing. Oh, it's so good.

We're so close to that first spot

that we've been wanting since day one,

so maybe the next leg could be the one.

Well done, my boy.

We are en route.

I feel quite anxious to get to the checkpoint.

With two teams checked in, two remain out on the road.

I'm nervous that we might be last. Mm-hm.

If they are all ahead, and if it's by so many hours...

That'll be annoying.

Yeah, that'll be really annoying.

That'll be really, really annoying.

HE SHOUTS Hello. Hello.

We need to get to Varanasi.

Fuck me.

Stop crying, it's fine.

It's OK.

Come here.

It's OK.

I feel stupid for complaining about China.

I really hope all of India's not this intense,

cos I don't want to spend a month here.

Where are you from?

England. Lovely jubbly.

A 20-hour lead is nothing in this game.

You miss one bus, and it's gone.

We did so well to catch up.

We can't now let that slip.

Jeez Louise!

Honesty is lacking in our relationship.

It's easier said than done.

It's like a dream come true.

Oh, my God, this is so high!

ALL: Om...

They're trying to squeeze on. Let's go.

We need to go now!

Where are we?

There's just a sensory overload.

Grdla-grdla-grdla-grdla.

What was the need for that?