10:26 PM. Chipsters. Man, does Reichen ever get out of those yellow shorts? I feel like I've seen more of those shorts than any article of clothing since The Hat. They rip and read, and the clue tells them to get to what Phil explains is "the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysian Borneo." There, they will find lots of Buddha figurines on a rotating stand that looks like a supersize earring display carousel at Target, and they'll need to find the one with their names on it. Behind that figurine, they'll find a key to a rattan bag, and in the bag will be their next clue. It's not tricky, exactly, but at least it's not a pure "go here, nitwit" kind of clue. With the secret purse and everything, it's kind of like a scavenger hunt at the Golden Path Senior Center. Really, though, the best thing about that sequence is having multiple opportunities to hear Phil pronounce "Buddha," a word to which he gives a particular Kiwi-esque punch, using a very "pudding"-like "ud" in the middle. As the Chipsters leave the mat, Reichen voices over that the race is really on now, so they have to "watch every little thing [they] do." "If there's one mistake made," he continues, "it's all over." I think we can rest assured that isn't true, or none of these teams would make it across the street, let alone all the way back to the United States. They get in their taxi (helpfully labeled "Teksi"), and it appears that the driver knows how to find the temple.
When the Chipsters arrive at the temple, they walk in and are immediately impressed. "I like everything I know about Buddhism," Reichen says, making a statement that would be deceptively difficult to disprove. After all, I like everything I know about your mom. He goes on to explain that the temple was beautiful and he felt a lot of peace inside. They make their way to the set of little figurines, and it doesn't seem to take them too long to find one labeled "Reichen & Chip." They pull it out and retrieve the key, then they head to the bag and fetch their clue. It tells them to fly to Seoul, South Korea, and get to Namsan Park and then to Seoul Tower to get their next clue. You know, every time I see footage of countries other than my own, one of my primary thoughts is that maybe I should be carrying more things on my head. Phil explains that vans will arrive at the temple to take teams to the airport every thirty minutes beginning at midnight, and each van can carry only one team. It's only 11:15 when the Chipsters get this clue, so they have some time to, as Chip says, "chill and enjoy this." Chip cannot believe how beautiful the statues and other temple doodads are, while Reichen takes a moment to "say a prayer for the rest of the race." God...well, you know. Plastic boats, "vroom-vroom" noises, that sort of thing. Reichen explains that this was "the first time since [he] was a very small child that [he] felt this protective, spiritual feeling." Lucky for him it happened while he's on television! At midnight, the van arrives and the Chipsters snag it.













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