Stonight at 9.35pm on TV8 the fourth episode of Beijing Express 2023. The stage, 504 kilometers long, takes place from Mysore to Kumarakom and it is the last stretch that the competing couples must cover before leaving India. Afterwards they will move to Malaysian Borneo, and then reach Cambodia, where the finish line of this edition is marked, not surprisingly renamed The way to the Indies.
Beijing Express 2023fourth episode
Last week, travelers traveled 438 kilometres, from Hampi to Mysore. Also, the cast started to shrink. After the elimination of the Hypochondriacs Dario Vergassola and his daughter Caterina, the turn of the Educated has arrivedor the couple formed by Maria Rosa Petolicchio and the former collegiate Andrea Di Piero.
Now the other 7 competing couples leave Mysore and head south towards Kumarakum. There are three missions that they are called upon to overcome. Once the starting whistle has been given, they have to leave Mysore to reach Nanjangud Suruchi. Here waiting for them is Enzo Miccio, who instructs them on the test to face.
They each have to eat a bowl of chutney before they can continue their journey. The chutney is quite spicy and perhaps not everyone will prove strong enough to succeed. Whoever gives up the challenge suffers a penalty that slows down the movement of the couple. That is, the two components must mix a large pot of chutney for 15 minutes. An infinite amount of time for those who must reach the finish line as soon as possible and beat the competition.
The cast of “Beijing Express 2023”, broadcast free-to-air on TV8. (Sky)
Couples in kathakali class
Once you get over the spice adventure, Beijing Express 2023 continues with another mission, of a different nature. This time travelers must reach the kathakali theater school, one of India’s oldest dance forms. The challenge for every couple is learn the names and expressions of the discipline and correctly reproduce at least three of them. It is the only pass towards the next step: the Red Book, i.e. the intermediate stage finish line and gives the first two couples to arrive the opportunity to challenge each other in the immunity test.
In the fourth episode they compete in the elephant game. Travelers must pick some fruit, place it on a tray and take it to their destination. All in 20 minutes. In between, they have to face a long obstacle course, carefully avoiding that from the beginning of the test to the finish line, the food is not targeted by the elephants. At the end of the test, it is emptied into a basket. The couple who collected the largest amount of fruit wins.
Beijing Express 2023visit to the backwaters of Kerala as a bonus
Like every week, bonuses and penalties are added to the immunity testwhich the winning couple can assign to their adventure companions. The bonus of the fourth episode consists of a trip to the enchanting backwaters of Kerala, aboard a luxury boat. As regards the penalty, the opposing pair must start last, together with the tiger flag. In the company, that is, of a rather corpulent tiger-man, who will try to slow them down. Furthermore, they have to work on his makeup.
Martina Colombari and her son Achille Costacurta. (Sky)
Once it has been established who the winning couple of the immunity test is, we are preparing for the conclusion of the fourth stage. The travelers are in Kochi. Here they reach the Dhoby Khana public laundry, where they have to wash a basket of towels. That’s not all, because the laundry must be done to perfection. So, they hang the garments following a local technique and, once done, they focus on a second basket, of which they must iron all the clothes contained inside.
After that they follow some precious indications to reach the port of Chellanam and deliver the clothes to a person who is waiting for them. The test doesn’t end here. They receive 15 fish which they have to carry all the way to the red carpetobviously with the means that I am able to find, from the classic hitchhiking to various makeshift means.
The couples currently competing are: The lawyers Alessandra De Michelis and Lara Picardi, Italian Americans Joe Bastianich and Andrea Belfiore, The newlyweds Federica Pellegrini and Matteo Giunta, The Sicilians Salvatore Schillaci and Barbara Lombardo, The activists Giorgia Soleri and Federippi, The Mediterranean ones Carolina Stramare and Barbara Prezja, Mother and son Martina Colombari and Achille Costacurta.
iO Donna © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED