taxi

Previously on the Amazing Exclusive Race, due to the bad weather, the team was not required to complete the main tasks whilst at Caye Caulker. Instead they boarded a water taxi and raced to Belize City. They were provided with a new clue on the water taxi that required them to leave Belize and head to Guatemala by the fastest way possible.

Arriving in Belize City, they avoided the touts and walked straight to the bus terminal, about 2 kms away. The team were accompanied by team Ireland on this walk. Once they arrived there, they were told conflicting information that seemed to indicate there were no express buses leaving from the station. And they discovered that the cost of a taxi ride to the border was expensive. Remembering there were signs for direct transfers to Flores from the water taxi back at the dock, both Simon and Tarun walked back to the water taxi terminal.

Belize City Marina

Walking back to the dock, without their bags, Simon and Tarun soon arrived at the terminal and found out they had just missed the only shuttle bus for the day. This meant their options were solely local bus or a taxi. They returned to the other team members and given the late hour, decided to pay for a taxi heading west.

The drive was quickly completed with only a few moments of terror in the heavy rain. As the light was quickly fading, the teams decided to take the clue’s suggested option to overnight just before the border in San Ignacio and cross in the morning. The two teams were dropped in the town of San Ignacio where they quickly found accommodation in the Tropicool.

Dat classic from Cantinental Catt… Wah Be Mi Friend?

After returning to main road into town to watch the new bridge go under water, the teams enquired about tours to nearby Cayo attractions. Unfortunately these were closed due to flooding, so the teams headed up the hill in town to check out the view and to have a drink. Returning to the centre of town, the Australian Team had Sri Lankan curry and changed most of their remaining Belize cash into USD.


The road into town…	Shopping for breakfast

The view of town

The team retired for the night, to get ready for another day of racing…

… to be continued

Previously on the Amazing Exclusive race, one team of two raced to the town of Viñales. There they were unlucky enough to get not one but three flat tires whilst attempting to push their bikes through the jungle to reach the nearby village. Overcoming this obstacle, through torrential rain and thunder the team visit the remaining local attractions and sample a variety of Cuban fare, before leaving the town to head back east to Havana.

A moment of calm before racing resumes

In order to get back to Havana quickly to enjoy their last day in Cuba, the team travelled by taxi back to the city early the next morning. There they walked around the unique streets, visited the Museum of the Revolucion, saw Fidel’s motor yacht, the Granma, went inside but did not drink a mojito at La Bodeguita Del Medio, had a meal at their favourite Chinese Cuban place and walked along the Malecón.


Havana square	Coco taxis


Coco taxi pilots waiting for fares	LAZZER… need more be said?


Roof of the muesum of the Revolucion	One of the saloons in the museum


Cuban anti-imperialistic satire	Inside the original La Bodeguita Del Medio


Simon completes the “find a statue with your name on it” challenge	Ang completes the “find a school that has been named after you” challenge


Cuban street	Cuban street complete with bridge

Cuban building


Another Cuban classic	Note the modified fuel tank


The chinese restaurant all to themselves	Moonrise over a Malecón building


Dusk, Malecón	Sunset, Malecón

Waking at a reasonable hour for once, the team headed back to José Martí Airport where they spent the very last of their Cuban currency and waited for their Yak flight. Soon they were winging their way to Cancun and after a very long landing approach, which annoyed Ang greatly, they landed.


Mystery black jet (not a Yak)	Waiting for our flight


Yak getting ready for take-off	Simon about to enter the Yak


Terror as only a Yak can provide	Normal cabin smoke


All it is missing are some strobes and a disco ball	Fully reclined chairs in the extreme forward position

A marvel of aviation technology, the Yak-42D

Whilst waiting for the bus they met a Silvia and Tom, who had come north from South America. The teams traded stories about Cuba and gave tips about the other countries that they each had visited. Soon they were on the bus back to Playa Del Carmen. Having failed to complete the salsa lesson challenge (as set by Callan), the team incurred a 30 minute time penalty. They waited out this penalty then were checked into the pit stop for this leg of the race.

In the post leg interview, the team said that they were both glad to have visited Cuba. Ang in particular was glad because “the country is rapidly changing and becoming more commercial. I’m glad we saw it when we did, Cubans have such a very relaxed pace of life”. Simon thought “it was surprisingly easy to travel about in the country. I enjoyed just being there, and I’m only a little disappointed that we had to travel on such a restricted budget. I wish we could have confirmed if we could access funds via ATMs. Perhaps we would have been able to complete the salsa lesson challenge, but that is just how the exclusive race is”.

Amazing Exclusive Race

Belize 2: Belize City to San Ignacio

Cuba 5: Havana to Cancún