Original subtitles

This programme contains some strong language

It looks quite like a fairy tale here.

Very different to Delhi.

Tucked away in India's northern state of Himachal Pradesh,

the Kangra Valley.

Home to Dharamshala's Cricket Stadium -

one of the highest in the world -

thousands of acres of tea plantations,

and the fifth checkpoint.

Are you tea drinkers?

Melvyn loves his tea. I - I am, mate, yeah.

Very tea demanding.

After 33 days on the road,

and almost 10,000km raced so far...

Oh, my gosh, that's actually the nicest green tea. Really? Yeah.

..a chance to take stock.

Are you having the same problems that I'm having with my older

brother, with your older sister? What problems?

Yeah, what problems are you having?

Well, I'm just trying to figure out what problems we've had.

It's more communication. Sometimes I just want things to be clear

and communicated. And we're also getting to know each other again,

been apart for quite a long time.

We've had years and years apart. We've missed 40 years of it.

I forgot what a sod he can be. THEY LAUGH

And he's forgotten what a... what a little sod I am. Yeah.

But now, five legs in, I'm thinking, "We're OK, that's working."

It's great to hear how they're bonding. It can be done and

I feel like we can take that inspiration moving forward.

And we're still working on it anyways.

Maybe we can't say things yet, but they're coming.

Yeah. They're coming.

Ah! Hello.

Oh, hello! Hello!

Three teams have made it to the checkpoint

with only nine-and-a-half hours between them.

For the first time, Caroline and Tom have taken the lead.

Haven't they done well?

She is going for it.

We found it really tough, actually.

But it was all worth it, seeing our name at the top.

We actually were really surprised to be first.

Really surprised, yeah, yeah.

And then the instant worry of, how do we stay here? Yeah!

MELVYN:I know exactly what you mean.

We've all felt it. I mean, we don't have many legs left, you know.

Hopefully Fin and Sioned ain't too far behind.

Where do we think they are?

Ooh! Push up this hill.

Left or right?

There's too many turnings!

33 hours behind first place...

There's not a lot of people around.

He's helping us. OK, we'll go. Are you coming?

..the final team check in.

Namaste, hello. Hello. Ready?

"Please sign in overleaf."

Ooh!

Really far behind.

Nothing we can do now. Ah!

It is our first time being last, which is...

Yeah, it's not the best feeling.

24 hours behind third.

Not nice to look at, is it?

First full leg in India didn't go very well.

We've - well, me especially, I've struggled. I can't deal with crowds

and noises and all of that stuff very well,

and then when things go wrong, well, I basically just shut down.

Thank you.

I'm so gutted.

I can't help but be a bit disappointed in myself.

I don't know, I always feel like...

..what I do isn't good enough, and I feel like I need to do more

and prove more.

I don't know. I don't know why I'm that way.

I just want everyone to be proud of me.

And I struggle to be proud of myself most of the time.

I don't want to just be second on the first leg

and then that's it, that's the highlight.

It's far too early.

5.13am.

Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. This is for you.

Thank you. Thank you very much. Are you ready? Mm-hm.

Sasan Gir.

Right. OK. OK, lovely.

Let's go find it. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Sasan Gir. Oh, my golly!

That is quite a long way.

1,900km to the south,

on the southern tip of Gujarat,

the sixth checkpoint...

..Sasan Gir.

The village is the gateway to the Gir National Park -

dry, deciduous forest, with large stretches of grassland

and the last remaining habitat for the endangered Asiatic lion.

That is quite a long way.

I'm afraid all I want to do is race, race, race and increase our lead.

Obviously we're first, we want to hold on to it,

but my main aim is to experience what India has to offer,

cos we're never going to be here again.

I don't want to just race, race, race. Right.

To reach the sixth checkpoint, the teams will need to navigate

four of India's western states,

including the country's largest, Rajasthan...

..coined the Land of Kings, after the Rajput and Mughal dynasties,

who left a legacy of magnificent forts and palaces.

Teams could choose a more rural route,

which weaves through the dry expanse

of the Great Indian Desert.

Or they could go via Rajasthan's

brightly painted cities,

well connected to assist their many visiting tourists.

I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime going through a desert.

It's a completely different landscape,

I haven't seen many deserts.

It's very rural.

No, I'm happy to avoid the major cities

and have a calmer way of getting there as quickly as possible.

I like the idea. OK.

I think we make a very strong team.

You're very determined.

You're very keen to push on and move forward,

whereas I'm probably a bit more laid-back.

I'll teach you to slow down a little bit and appreciate stuff. Yeah.

Can you call us a taxi to the bus station?

As we're getting towards the end of the race, the decisions are harder.

I'm trusting Thomas, I suppose.

Come on, let's go.

Now he's experiencing more of life. I just love being with him.

I love his enthusiasm, I love his carefree attitude,

and I want a little bit of that for myself,

to see life more through his eyes.

We're going!

Tom's gamble - to venture

into less-explored territory -

heading south through the Thar Desert.

We're trying to go to Jodhpur. We need a nice sleeper bus.

We'll take that one. 2,800. What time do we arrive?

Thomas has been really throwing himself into it today.

He's finding out all we need to know.

We're going to get to Jodhpur, there. I know.

I know. It's really good. Halfway to the checkpoint.

We would be covering the biggest distance now.

That's incredible. That's superb. Wow!

As Caroline and Tom resume their race...

Look at this view.

It's not even real.

Been nice being out here, in the mountains.

..33 hours behind them, Fin and Sioned remain paused in McLeod Ganj.

When I'm crying, cos I definitely will cry again... I know.

..as much as I probably want to be babied, and be like, "Oh, it's OK,"

tell me to just...get a grip.

Oh, that's a bit harsh. I can't really do that.

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

I think it'd be nice if we can now both work together.

It's fine for her to get overwhelmed,

but maybe if she can kind of push through it

and make decisions with me, I think we'll get a lot further.

There's been a lot of emotions in India, I think,

but we are still here, and I think we are getting better.

If you told me last year, in one year,

you'll be every day not knowing where we're actually going to

sleep tonight, that's something I would have thought

I would struggle with, but I actually really am enjoying that.

You're learning new things about yourself, with this.

It's going to be a challenge to catch up, but it's not impossible.

I think we can do it and I think we will do it.

We've learned anything can happen.

BLEATING

Oh, my shit. Ooh!

GOAT BLEATS Hello. Are they even real?

Can I try and feed it?

GOAT PASSES WIND Ooh! Ooh! Was that a fart?

Manic, isn't it? Manic, yeah. It's manic.

Second to depart, Brian and Melvyn have made it to Amritsar in Punjab.

I do like the idea of going through the desert, if I'm honest.

Something I've always fancied.

I think we'll be in the middle of nowhere

but, as the crow flies, that's pretty straightforward. It's direct.

I think it'll be great.

We would like to get to Jodhpur tonight.

OK.

OK.

That get us a long way, Brian.

With their first connection south towards

the Great Indian Desert booked,

there's time for the brothers to explore.

How beautiful is that? It's lovely, isn't it?

Founded in 1577 by the fourth Sikh Guru Ram Das,

Amritsar is the holiest city in Sikhism.

Its most sacred shrine, The Golden Temple.

Got to wear a headscarf.

There you are, that should do it.

Just look like a... Twat. Yeah.

I mean, it's quite an impressive building, isn't it?

Following the tradition of selfless service known as seva,

the temple provides 100,000 free meals a day,

giving Amritsar the accolade the city where no-one goes hungry.

I'm desperately in need of the loo, Mel. I've got stomach cramps.

If I can find a sit-down toilet and then...

You think you might be all right?

..and then the stomach might go down. It's in...

..like, in spasms at the moment.

OK, let's go, then. All right? Yeah.

There is a part of me saying, "Don't go on a bus today, Brian.

"Stay in a hotel overnight." If we do that,

we're going to be 24 hours behind everybody else.

We can't afford to do it. We'll battle on.

We'll be bottom of the pile if we miss... If I... If I miss this bus.

We've just come from the mountains and here it's so flat, already.

Yeah. We're going so fast.

Leaving the checkpoint four hours after Brian and Melvyn,

Elizabeth and Letitia are also arriving in Amritsar.

Oh! Careful, don't do that.

No, it's better.

After two back-to-back buses, they're searching for their

third connection to drive them south to the pilgrimage town of Pushkar.

Hello, we have a bus ticket.

OK. OK.

Is this it? Must be.

I don't know, you need to ask.

SHE GASPS

We should go and say hi.

Shall... Shall I make them jump?

No! No, no, no, I won't, I won't.

There's the girls. 'Ey up, guys.

Are you all right? Where are you off?

Hello! We've had the day here. Did you go to the temple?

Yeah. It's a beautiful place, but he ain't feeling very well, so...

No, I've got... I've got Delhi belly. Oh, even me. Oh, Delhi belly.

Are you going into the desert, then, I presume?

Oh, no, no, not desert. Well, we're going to Jodhpur.

Ah, Jodhpur. It's a competition. We've just had...

It doesn't matter, does it?! Right, we've got to go. Right.

OK, good luck. Ta-ra, guys.

I wasn't even expecting to see anybody.

It's good seeing someone ahead, rather than someone behind.

They're very smart, the girls are, they're smart cookies.

They're in competition mode. We need to lie,

cheat and steal. Well, not steal, but lie and cheat.

Thank you.

I don't think we've done anything wrong on the leg so far.

We managed to book a bus out tonight,

I don't think we could have done anything else.

Brian and Melvyn are living the luxury life.

The Exclusively Luxurious life.

Ha! Look at ours! SHE LAUGHS

Look, it's got tape on the front!

Oh, gosh. Oish!

All right? Yeah. OK.

Wave to the girls, Bri.

Yeah, she's waving.

BURPS

Being ill in India is not fun, but Tom and Caroline have

overtaken us, so we need to try and catch up and get first.

I would say I'm very ambitious. I want to succeed. Agree.

We both have that ability to... to push ourselves, haven't we? Yeah.

I don't think I've ever given up on anything I've ever tried.

No, we don't give up.

It's probably THE most important leg for us.

A lot of catching up to do, so... Yeah.

The last team to depart the checkpoint, Fin and Sioned,

needing to close the 33-hour gap on the race leaders.

Shall we do that, I'm thinking? Yeah.

Quickest route is an in-and-out job.

We get to the places we need to go, short stops, and go again.

All the other teams know we're so far behind.

But hopefully their luck runs out now and ours kicks in.

Well, I think we need to go to places that are very well connected.

I know it's through big cities and I'm not going to like that,

but it's probably better to stick on these well-travelled routes.

The couple's plan - back-to-back transport along the tourist trail.

We want to find, maybe like an overnight transport that'll get

us as far as we can today. That'd be... That'd be best-case scenario.

Bus service. Whoo!

Do buses go from Chandigarh to Jaipur?

What is the furthest we can get tonight towards Jaipur?

Is there a bus tonight?

We book.

Thank you very much.

We're moving, which is a very good start.

We have onwards transport out, we are going. I think we'll catch up.

850km south, Jodhpur.

Called the Blue City for its houses

decorated by the priestly Brahmin caste,

to distinguish their social superiority.

On its outskirts...

..Salawas village, where Caroline and Tom have arrived.

Namaste. Namaste.

Oh, wow! Oh, thank you.

They will work and stay with the Prajapats

and their cooperative of 48 families.

This is so cool!

Do you guys live here? It's our home.

We are 21 members in a house.

21 members? You will meet all of them.

This is my father's turban, ten metres long.

And why do you wear a turban?

My father is the boss of the house.

This is very much a working village. I'm very nervous to try

and not break one, cos I can imagine they're very brittle.

You need to be very careful.

This whole village is like an arty village

and all the families help to make everything. Like, this -

this is a pottery family, so they're making water jugs, and then

you've got other, like, carpenter families, and it's just a really

nice community, everyone...who works together and helps each other out.

I've been a labourer on a building site.

That means that you are actually hard worker.

I prefer being outside and working, like, with my hands,

rather than in an office or... Yeah, that's true.

Probably similar to everyone in this village.

They are connecting with the nature, more interesting,

and it's good for the health, as well.

Yes, yeah, yeah, yeah. Cos the whole body is moving.

For me, my hobby comes in my job.

Ah, that's what I'm looking to find, hopefully, one day.

For generations, Mr Prajapat's family have specialised in crafting

daris - traditional cotton rugs.

Once supplying the palaces of Maharajas,

today, their traditional manufacturing method prevails.

Oh, my golly, Thomas.

Wow! Gorgeous.

Sit. This one.

There.

God, you can't even get one strand wrong, can you?

It looks so difficult.

Can I do left?

Oh. Oh, I don't know if I can do that.

Hmm! TOM LAUGHS

I struggle with my right hand.

In this work, you need to be both-handed.

Must use this hand.

Ah, I... I... I was born with cerebral palsy.

That's fine.

Um, I... I'd love to try and use the right, I'll just do a bad job.

I don't want to mess it up, and it's a nice carpet, that's all.

I mean, if we are doing them well in the other hand, then it's fine.

Am, am I doing well? HE TRANSLATES

He's doing so-so. So-so.

He's very strict teacher, eh? Yeah. That's good. He has to be.

That's genuinely the first time that I've openly said that

I've got cerebral palsy and his reaction was so

anti-climactic in such a good way.

He was just like, "Oh, OK."

And it turned out that it didn't really matter.

You're getting the hang of it.

I think so. He... He's a really good teacher.

I guess it's the start of breaking down a barrier in my own head

and it's nice to...to see that finally happening.

No, I'm really enjoying it, it's... It's... Yes, that's important.

It's great. I'm loving it.

It was quite a revelation. He actually came out and said to

a total stranger, "I've got cerebral palsy."

I'm really proud of him.

How long does it take to know exactly how to do this?

Three to four years. Three to four years.

Thomas seems to have rediscovered a driving force.

He seems to be more mature. How lovely that he is

finding his feet.

It's just lovely to be around him at the moment.

You are doing a good job.

I might get into carpet-making at home.

Just 19km north...

Feeling any better? HE SNORES GENTLY

..Brian and Melvyn are closing in on the Blue City.

Still a bit of stomach-ache. I'm more concerned with getting

onto the next part of the... of the journey.

Landscape's changed to green fields, trees.

It is flat. A bit like Lincolnshire in the sun.

190km to the east...

This is cows on a mission. Ah!

Oh, look at all the colours - it's quite colourful here, too. Mm.

..Elizabeth and Letitia have stopped off in Pushkar -

one of India's oldest towns.

Tomorrow, we want to go to Jodhpur.

4,500.

Can we do, like, 3,500?

3,800 and we can shake hands.

Ahh, lovely!

THEY LAUGH

OK, bye-bye.

Securing a direct transfer tomorrow...

Look at that lake.

They can also just see the mountains at the back, too. Yeah.

..provides them with an opportunity to explore Pushkar's sacred lake.

Maybe we're meant to take our shoes off here.

Gosh, I haven't even painted my toenails.

It is said it was formed by Lord Brahma, the Hindu god

of creation. During a battle, petals from a lotus flower fell

from his hand, and as they touched the ground, holy water rose up.

Every day, religious ceremonies are held on the banks of the lake,

including puja rituals - a chance to honour family

and loved ones by making offerings to deities and ancestors.

Om.

Namah.

Shiva God.

Grandfather puja.

Grandmother puja.

Grandfamily puja.

Letitia.

My mother.

My father.

My sister. My brother.

It was nice to share a little spiritual moment.

It gave me time to reflect, um, about my family.

Happiness. Charity.

Health.

My sister, she tries to talk about emotions, which is

not my speciality. I don't like it at all.

A lot of things are unsaid - on my part, anyway.

Namaste.

How did you find the ceremony?

Er, it definitely made me reflect on family, I feel.

And I am actually very grateful, I think,

we're always kind of there for each other.

Yeah, I feel like now, but I feel like there was a moment where

support wasn't present, really...

..when we lost the family house.

I just remember being in the car, driving somewhere,

seeing if we can stay there. We just had either one or two bags,

and had to part with a lot of stuff.

Yeah, I remember feeling so bad, how sudden the move was for you.

I had some kind of inkling there was something going on.

I didn't think it was going to be losing the house, but in 2008,

with the whole economic crisis,

my dad went out of work in construction.

In 2012, we had to pack our things

and...see where we were going to go, basically.

I just felt ashamed about it, and embarrassed.

Yeah. I think that's what I feel, like, bad about.

I kind of ran away.

I didn't experience the hardest times that you guys felt.

They went to temporary accommodation.

I was already over 18,

so they weren't going to, you know, house me,

so I went to Italy.

I was only, like, 14,

so I felt like I was just going through it by myself, really.

I definitely needed someone to talk to.

For me, I felt like you just suddenly left. Hmm.

It was hard for me to hear

that she didn't really have anybody to talk to.

My reaction to hearing that is guilt, but I kind of just

tried to do, like, what I could at the mo...at that time.

Was that your decision to leave?

Well...I felt like there was no space for me any more.

My space in England wasn't - yeah, there any more.

And, yeah, I didn't really know how you felt anyway, you know.

Feeling like you didn't have a place when you came back.

This is probably the most I've actually...

..just said anything. Yeah! Oh! My insides! I'm really trying!

I feel so good talking about this. So good.

I've opened up emotionally today, I think, more than ever.

Some weight has been lifted off my shoulders and...

And I do feel a lot lighter, I do feel... Hmm. ..you know.

I'm glad we are talking about it

and it is - it is overdue, really, you know.

We are getting past the hard bit.

I feel like it will be one of many conversations

we'll probably have, you know?

As three teams continue to head south through Rajasthan...

Let's get on our way.

Oh!

..Caroline and Tom are the first to cross into Gujarat...

I think I've worked out my single favourite thing to do in India...

What's that? Wave at tuk-tuk... ..and it's just to wave at people.

..making a connection in Ahmedabad.

We've seen an experience, possibly with some work as well,

at a desert lodge.

Neither of us have ever been to a proper desert.

Oh, what's happening there?

What?

He just got out and had a little prayer and then got back in,

and we're now back on our way. I mean, you've got to respect it.

I do, but I've never seen it. Yeah, yeah, it's amazing.

I like that.

And 650km behind...

I think today's aim is to get to Udaipur, by bus or train -

whatever's faster.

..Fin and Sioned have reached Rajasthan's capital,

the pink city of Jaipur...

We need to go to Udaipur. 10.30.

..and are on the hunt for another long-distance bus

to propel them forward.

Double sleeper? Yeah. Cheapest one.

When does it arrive? 5.30pm.

Two tickets, yeah? 1,800, double sleeper.

1,800. Perfect. We've literally arrived and we're leaving.

That one, she'd like.

I hope she'll like it.

Little pre-bus cake...date.

SIONED GASPS Oh, my gosh, cake!

Thanks.

I've been cake-deprived.

I love cake for breakfast.

You've nearly scoffed it all down already.

You good? Wow!

This cake's worked. This is a magic cake. Honestly, it is, isn't it?

What's got... You OK?

There's been many points where I've thought

I could not handle India. It is already a big thing for me,

to just even still be here, but I think if we were able to catch up

with three more teams now, it'd be surprising for a lot of people.

Whilst the young couple refuel...

Yum!

..two teams have made it to the largest desert in India...

..the Thar.

Crikey! Some of them are big, aren't they?

Absolutely, er, ideal.

I mean, the view now is absolutely beautiful.

It's just beautiful.

Whoa!

Stretching for 200,000 square kilometres

across the sub-continent...

Look. Thomas, this is amazing.

..it's a haven for bio-diversity,

including 141 species of bird,

and human settlements dating back tens of thousands of years.

Today, with over 16 million inhabitants,

it's the most densely populated desert in the world.

Ah, I can see one, yeah. Where? Yeah. Where? Got them, there.

Oh, I've got 'em! Yeah, I've got 'em.

Amazing place.

They're gorgeous animals.

Oh, Thomas, that is lovely, actually,

to see that in that setting.

So silent.

Within the desert, a salt marsh known as the Little Rann of Kutch -

home to the critically endangered Indian wild ass.

How many do they think are left?

Is that all?

Yeah. And you will not see this animal anywhere in the world.

They can go over 70km an hour.

Oh, my golly! Really?

They're extremely fast, much faster than a horse. Yes!

Special moment. Magical. To think they're just truly,

truly wild, and here we are, in their life and it's just beautiful.

Hello.

Aren't you beautiful?

It's an amazing sight, innit?

WHISPERS:Hello.

430km north of them,

in the desert village of Rajpura...

Well, you don't get it any fresher than that, mate, do you?

..Brian and Melvyn are on hand at a camel dairy farm.

Oh, that's lovely!

Pull, squeeze, pull, squeeze, yeah? Pull, squeeze.

Squeeze, pull.

No, pull, squeeze, I think.

I think you're getting me, Mel.

I'm not! I'm getting some in the pot. I'm not doing it as well

as the other gentleman, but we're getting some.

The region is home to a community of Raikas - nomadic herders

who have been shepherding camels for centuries.

A duty believed to have been assigned to them

by the Hindu god Lord Shiva.

I'll show you how to do it properly.

Go on, then. Not as easy as it looks, is it?

Ah! It's easy! Look at this.

Come on, come on.

There you go, look. There's a technique.

I got twice as much as you did. Well, I don't think you did.

That's a big turban.

Thank you, my friend.

That's good. That's good.

Thank you.

These camel herders, they are hard to keep up with.

Some of them are probably older than us,

they do look well-weathered.

They're very fit.

It's a very simplistic life, isn't it?

However, they all have mobile phones. I noticed that.

We need to catch them up, Melv. I know.

We're coming! Coming!

With a flock of 150 camels, each with unique footprints,

the Raikas can recognise their own animals

from just the marks left in the sand.

Come on, then! Come on! Do you find they listen to you, Bri?

Well, they're moving, aren't they?

WHISTLES Come on, then.

I'd been poorly, and doing the race when you're ill

is even tougher. You have to keep on going.

Come on.

This adventure, it's been...

..the most uncomfortable adventure of my life,

but it has been the most rewarding

in that I'm still here

and I'm still talking about it,

cos many a times, I-I want to give up and go home, but I haven't.

Right, guys, are we moving?

Come on! Come on!

WHISTLING Come on, girls!

When we were kids, we did promise ourselves an adventure and, yeah,

it's probably happened a little bit later than

we anticipated, but just because you're a little bit older,

it doesn't mean you can't do these sort of things.

I'm on statins, I take something for my prostate, but...

..is what it is, isn't it? I'm still here. Look what I've got to enjoy!

Yo! Click, click, click, click, click!

Go for it, guys.

I think it'd be a lot easier to sit on one.

Growing older does worry me.

When I look in the mirror and I look at myself, I don't... I ca...

I don't actually recognise me.

I still think I'm 14, 15, 16.

I still think I've got a full head of hair.

There you go, Bri, that's how you do it. Don't leave none behind.

Good job.

THEY SING

Eee! Eee!

I think there might be the odd one or two adventures

that Melv and I will do again.

You know...I'm actually thinking that I'd want to share

a nursing home with my brother.

We'd probably cause a bit of mayhem. HE CHUCKLES

Yeah, we... We'd probably do silly things,

because we could get away with it.

THEY CONTINUE SINGING

We're going that way. That way.

OK, great.

So long. Thank you very much. So long.

Thank you. Thank you! Thank you.

Bye, camels!

Journey starts all over again. It does.

We know that other teams are pretty close to us.

Melvyn and I aren't runners,

so we need to try and maintain touching distance of everyone.

As Brian and Melvyn resume their journey...

# Racing across the world... #

..150km from the brothers,

Elizabeth and Letitia are continuing their march south.

# Started in China... #

I definitely feel like there's a change, there's like a shift,

and I feel like we're very much more open,

and it's just easier just travelling, actually, together.

We've come a long way. I'm loving it.

# Heading to Sasan Gir

# On a bus! #

Having left Jaipur...

I want a shower, brush my teeth.

..Fin and Sioned are making swift progress by taking their third

long-distance bus in two days, aiming for Udaipur -

the White City.

I'm feeling absolutely disgusting.

I feel so filthy. Same.

I changed my underwear... Be honest.

..yesterday, before the bus. Three days ago.

The whole outfit, I've been wearing it for three days.

Yeah. Not my underwear!

I'm not THAT gross.

I don't think we could have done it any quicker.

Two ten-hour buses in 24 hours.

We've just been go, go, go.

Er, we're going to be very tired.

We've seen a home stay that's on the way.

A bit of work for a reduced rate at the ranch.

Ready, then, to restart tomorrow

and do the final push towards checkpoint.

Still in the Little Rann of Kutch...

I'm going to take my feet off. Oh, nice!

..Caroline and Tom.

It's absolutely just like another planet.

Once part of the Arabian Sea -

until it became isolated following a series of earthquakes -

it is now one of the largest salt deserts in the world.

Every year, it floods with the monsoon,

before drying out to leave an expanse of salty, cracked earth.

There is families who are producing salt here. OK.

In return for discounted accommodation,

Caroline and Tom are kept busy.

Whole pan needs to be done. What?! Yes!

So could you not have a machine that does it?

Machinery kills labour. People need jobs.

The local Agariya people use a process of compressing

the ground to minimise water and release the salt.

They say you do it very well.

Can he give a 100 kilos of salt to your son and keep you, please?

That's the second marriage proposal I've had since I've been out here.

It has a therapeutic quality about it. I'm just in my own little

world here, yet in the most enormous expanse,

and it just brings you back

to how unimportant we really are. Nature will win every time.

I'm feeling conflicted, because on one hand,

I'm worried that we're taking a long time to get to the checkpoint,

and on the other hand, I'm really enjoying what rural India is

showing us. I'm slowly falling in love with it.

It's just as important that you enjoy

the journey as much as you enjoy the destination.

I'm enjoying the experiences enormously

and I'm allowing myself to enjoy them more than I thought I would.

I think I'm being, er,

quite different from the person I am at home - more emotional,

generally a lot happier, easy-going, which isn't like me at all.

Does it make you question your competitive side?

In an answer, no.

I'm afraid my competitive side is still at the fore. Yeah.

So I actually want to combine the two.

I would have thought by this point you'd probably be

pulling your own hair out. What, wanting to race? Yeah, yeah.

I would be a really selfish person to not want to do this with you.

Yes, yeah, of course. But then...

Cos these are just the most special memories we're making.

But then, equally, I'd be selfish to try

and take away your competitive side, cos that's what makes you tick.

Hey, we're finding a balance.

Thomas, don't fall over.

I-I... I'll start slow first.

THEY LAUGH

5km outside of Udaipur...

It's hard work.

..Fin and Sioned are working at Krishna Ranch,

as make way towards last night's accommodation.

Steal some, quick! Take some! Quick!

Oh, shit! Ooh!

These are the times I'm like, "Wow," and I'm really,

really grateful for being in India, really.

Yay! Whoo!

Although we have just prioritised speed,

I'm finding this leg very, very enjoyable.

I'm absolutely loving it.

Just an absolutely beautiful place.

I genuinely would not want to be anywhere else right now.

There's chipmunks, there's horses, there's cows,

there's chickens just running around, there's birds.

Do you want some food? Come on, then. Head in, good girl.

Please be good. Put your... Oh!

Shit, you're strong! Oh, shit!

It's been very important for me to have Fin with me in India,

because he manages to keep things a bit more positive

and keep the boat floating, really.

He's the most resilient person I know.

I don't think he understands, like...

..how much he has actually gone through.

Hello.

Look.

There are bits in India where I do find it hard,

but I think if Sioned finds it hard, I just try and stay positive,

and I do definitely think I'm a little bit more resilient.

I think, just growing up, for me, I've... I've realised, like...

I mean, life isn't perfect, and things happen.

When I was 11, um, I think I was on the sofa,

I just wasn't really moving.

My mum, was like, "OK, something's wrong."

She just thought, "Right... I'm taking you to the doctors."

And it's good that she did - very good that she did.

I was type one diabetes.

It was a week in intensive care,

then it was a week in just children's ward.

Quite a lot for 11, I think.

Being diabetic, there's a lot of complications that can come with it,

you know, in your eyes, and I think my eyes are already going a little

bit, and obviously, only being 18, it's...

..not something you really want to...

..think about, I don't think,

but it's something you've got to think about.

About two years after, I had a tumour in my head.

I had surgery then, in my head, cos they found out what it was,

but that was horrific.

Being rushed up to a bigger hospital, this is not good.

Obviously you think you're going to...you're going to die.

I'm fine now.

Um...

Look.

This is the cutest little horse ever.

Now I don't take anything for granted.

And this race is hard, but I'm just trying to enjoy it, really,

and so far I am, because it is something

I'll look back to and think, I'm...

I'm so proud that I did that.

Which I am.

HORSE BLUSTERS And someone else agrees.

Goodbye. Bye-bye.

Thank you. Thank you. This is your ticket...

Oh, wow. ..to Rajkot.

I've had such a good time. And not only that,

but we've also sorted our onwards travel.

3,500. You can count it, as well. Thank you.

Our bus is booked for ten o'clock.

Thank you, bye-bye. Thank you, bye. Thank you, bye.

And we've got a sleeper, so hopefully we can just sleep

all night, wake up and be in Rajkot.

Yeah. That's the plan.

As Fin and Sioned get back on the road...

..two teams are gaining ground...

It's really important that we try and get there today,

cos I think we're third.

Looking on the map, it is...

..another 300km.

..making a beeline for the checkpoint.

I'm glad we're finally on our way to the checkpoint,

cos I feel like it was a long time coming. Mm-hm.

This is where, you know,

we need to be go, go, go.

This is our longest journey.

How long is it? 15 to 16 hours.

Ahhh!

At their home stay in the rural village of Zainabad...

How far away is Sasan Gir from here?

300km, I think.

..Caroline and Tom weigh up their next move.

Where's the closest place that we could get to tonight?

Junagadh.

Let's just get a taxi there now.

If you could help us, that would be great.

Yeah, this is India, anything can happen. Absolutely anything.

I am a little bit concerned that our position might have dropped.

We've idled for quite a few hours.

And I'm just thinking at the back of my mind, we're standing still,

and I think the other teams might be moving on and overtaking us.

I do actually still need to race.

Vehicle arrives in ten, 15 minutes

and it is about 7,200 rupees.

Obviously a bit expensive for us, but is there a bus available?

There is one directly to Junagadh. Do you know what time it gets in?

Six, seven hours.

You don't know roughly how much the bus is?

Maximum 150 rupees.

Oh, we're in such a dilemma. It's up to you.

What do you want to do? We have both options available.

Back, back at you. I've told you, I'd rather get a taxi, I think,

but I need your opinion.

So, I don't mind. That's not good enough, I'm sorry.

You need to be able to make a decision. We do have the budget.

Well, go with it, then, if that's what you want, let's go with that.

OK. Thank you.

It's all just about saving time, but when I ask Mum,

she puts all the pressure on me.

Mum's saying she's feeling all liberated.

She needs to be able to make a decision,

because that's part of racing.

It's a lot of money to spend, but it might well be worth it.

But I really don't want to take responsibility, and I will

try my hardest not to say "I told you so" if it all goes wrong!

He's here.

Thank you so much. One day we'll go to Wetherspoons together.

Oh, I love it! Thank you.

Ready? Yeah.

All four teams have made it to Gujarat.

Platform ten, Sasan Gir.

As Brian and Melvyn take a 5am bus

for the final 40km to checkpoint...

There's nobody else on the bus from the race, so...could be good news.

The adrenalin's building, isn't it?

How much? How much?

2,500. We need to... Ooh!

We're in a race.

We need to vamos!

..Caroline and Tom opt for

another private taxi.

This car? Lovely. Thank you.

Having arrived overnight from Jodhpur...

One way, from here, Sasan Gir and stop.

4,500? Yeah, yeah.

..Elizabeth and Letitia secure their final transfer...

How much would it be to get to Sasan Gir? 5,000.

Thank you very much, thank you.

..whilst Fin and Sioned continue to keep their pace.

Very expensive. Still extortionate, but...

Very, but we need to save

as much time as we can.

My head's on the roof.

Off to Sasan Gir.

I'd be pretty gutted to find out that we haven't gained any time.

If we haven't, it's probably game over.

My heart's going like, "Ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum!"

This is when the nerves start to kick in.

I still can't help feeling we've dropped a couple of places.

Can we go fast, fast, fast?

Yeah.

Lion? Yeah. Ah!

I am hoping we're not going to be running alongside a lion.

That'll make us run to checkpoint, that's for sure!

Sitting on the boundary to Gir National Park,

the village is home to the Maldhari and Siddi communities,

who live side by side with free-roaming lions,

crocodiles and hyenas.

Oh, wow!

This could be actually pretty bloody cool.

Thank you.

All done.

My friend, thank you so much. Thank you.

BEEPING Here we go.

"Find the main road and travel 1km by foot...

"..or by chakdu...

"Cha, chakadu... Chakdu...

"..Chikadu...

"..to the Hiran River Bridge."

We have to find the main road.

It's either that way, or that way.

We can either go left... Ooh! Main road, left, left.

Left or right?

Keep looking, Thomas. This is mental.

Oh, gosh! Oh, there's the main road.

The main road there. Lovely, well done. Let's go straight.

What's it called? A chak...chakdu.

Chakadu?

Chakdu? Chakdu? Chakadu?

Oh, Mum, this, this might be a chakadu, whatever it's called!

Must be another name for a rikshaw.

Is this is a chakadu?

This a chakadu?

Are you a chakdu? OK, OK, yes. Is this this? What this is? Yes.

Do you want to give it a go?

Aye, it's going to be quicker than walking.

I thought tuk-tuks weren't very secure, but this is something else.

Hiran River Bridge. How much?

50 rupees.Ah, good. 40?

We're in a race, get on. 40? Thank you. 40.

I guess, just climb in. Take your bag off first. I can't!

Now we know what a chakdu is. I knew it.

It's a cross between a Harley Davison and truck.

Ooh! # Chakadu, chakadu, chakadu Go, go!

# Chakadu, chakadu, chakadu Go, go! #

This is awesome, here in a chakdu. In lion country.

This is so much fun!

Hiran bridge.

Watch out for wildlife.

To the bridge, please, yeah.

Look for crocodiles as you go over the river.

BEEPING

"Continue on foot across the bridge...

"..and find the checkpoint hotel, The Fern Gir Forest Resort." OK.

Ready? Go.

Let's go!

Oh, careful of lions crossing!

So cool!

I wonder if there's crocodiles in the lake.

Got a wet bum sitting in that chaka, chaka-van.

Yeah, I'm always a bit damp.

Oh, beautiful. Oh, look at this, Mum.

It won't be far, Mel.

Thomas, walk! OK, OK, OK.

Oh, gosh.

I can see it on the left, Melv.

Fern Gir Forest Resort!

Come on, Mum, we're nearly there.

I've got a funny feeling we're going to be bloody last, you know.

Oi, oi, oi, oi!

Morning.

Namaskar.

"Congratulations. You have successfully

"reached your sixth checkpoint. Please sign in overleaf."

I don't believe that!

How have we done that?! I don't know.

Having...

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

Well done, mate. I don't.

So first place, didn't expect it, delighted that we've come in

in first, that's the third time I think we've been first.

We figured we wanted to keep pace with Tom and Caroline,

and we've actually leapfrogged them, which is great.

Oh, oh, oh! Oh, brilliant! OK. Hello. Ready?

Oh! Oh, my God. We're second!

By two hours! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

It's so much better than I thought!

We've only dropped two hours and that is a big relief to us,

because we had a fantastic leg with wonderful experiences.

That's a... That's a good sigh of relief.

It's nice to know that we had amazing experiences without

sacrificing too much, and it's all paid off.

Hello!

Namaskar.Namaste. Welcome to The Fern Gir Forest Resort.

Ready?

Ohhh!

Good! Oh, that's good.

That's good. That's good. Oh, wow.

Feeling great!

Got two legs to go so we can catch up.

Yeah, we can. Cos we're actually closer.

Five hours from Brian and Melvyn.

Wow! That's crazy.

Let's go. # She's running! #

There it is. Oh, no.

Oh, no. Very nervous to open this book.

Oh, wow.

Hello. Namaste. Namaskar.

Are you ready? No. Oh, please.

"Congratulations. You have successfully

"reached your sixth checkpoint. Please sign in overleaf."

Oh, my gosh!

Oh, wow! We're an hour behind.

Ah! Oh, my God.

Ahh! Well done, Sioned. Well done. Oh, wow. How have we done that?

Don't think I've ever been that excited to be last,

cos we've caught up the time.

Oh, that's amazing, that's absolutely amazing.

We've caught up with Tom and Caroline,

who were first by 26 hours.

We've caught up 26 hours.

Only six hours from first - that's, like, easily doable now for the

next leg, to come first or second. That one leg has...has saved us.

It's going to be a close one now, definitely.

For the first time since leaving the Great Wall of China,

all teams are within seven hours of each other as they head

into the penultimate leg.

But whilst the time gap tightens, the budget divide grows,

as Fin and Sioned trail behind with

only 21% of their funds remaining.

Wow. So if we could do what we've just did then, next leg...

Ah! And again... And then we win, we're winners. Winners!

Tom, I can't scramble with this lot.

Oh, well, fuck it, let's go!

This is a totally different side to India. So different!

The closer to the finale, the more competitive I'm getting.

Like, there's no room for error.

Ahh!

This race has pulled something out of me.

Whoo! Ah!

I do just want to see more of the world.

I feel like any minute, I'm going to get run over by a motorcycle.

Run over by a motorbike!

Coming, coming, coming, coming, coming! God, it's massive!

The race is ON!

All to play for. It's a bit risky.

It's a bit spicy! Brian and Melvyn.