The premiere of The Amazing Race 9, in which teams race and complete challenges from Denver to São Paulo, Brazil, airs Tuesday 28, 2006 on CBS with a two hour premiere.
"This season, the 11 teams, which include a Pizza Hut manager, a science teacher, a dentist, a valet and a retired physician, race across 97,000 km in just 29 days.
That is the longest distance travelled in the shortest amount of time throughout the show's eight cycle history," says host Phil Keoghan. 'Amazing Race' going back to basics(Calgary Sun) as the race spans five continents and the teams stop in places such as the Middle East, Moscow and Sicily. During the race, "the teams will be all over the map, and sometimes each other, in pursuit of the $1-million U.S. grand prize, and each week one unlucky duo will be unceremoniously dismissed from the competition.THE AMAZING RACE 9(Globe and Mail).
We don't know yet how long the teams will stay in South America, but we'll find out! Other rumored locations include Australia.
Get a sneak preview and a look at the contestants at The Amazing Race 9.
What's the first stop?
São Paulo, Brazil!
São Paulo is a huge city, the largest in South America and the third largest in the world. Seen from space the city spreads out from the historical founding into the surrounding hillsides covering approximately 1500 square kilometers, two-thirds is urbanised and the rest rural. These two areas together are known as Grande São Paulo (Greater São Paulo) and, with more than 15 million people, have the largest population of any city in South America. See this map map of São Paulo showing some of the neighborhoods and landmarks.
This is not an easy city for a group of strangers landing here for their first stop in a race that pits team against team against travel conditions and hardships. In addition to jet lag, there is culture shock, a language barrier and the city itself. The easiest way to get around São Paulo is by subway, and all the tourist spots have subway stations. See the large subway sysytem map.
See if you recognize any of the places the teams go to from these photos.
First Episode: Denver Red Rock Amphiteatre to Pacaembu Stadium in São Paulo:
With only $141 in cash, but their flights paid for, the eleven teams drove to the airport with a choice of three flights, each leaving and arriving at different times the next morning at São Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) airport, located 19 miles (26 kilometers) northeast of São Paulo center. (One of South America's prime airports, São Paulo-Guarulhos is used by a large number of airlines flying to and from many international locations.) From there, the teams took taxis to the Hotel Unique (pronounced ooneekee). The hotel is a famous landmark, designed by Brazilian architect Ruy Ohtake with the facade looking like the side of a ship with round windows as portholes. See photo. The teams took the elevator to the roof for their first clue. The roof offers one of the best views of São Paulo, but very few of the teams stopped to admire it.
From the hotel, the first clue took the teams to the Viaduto Santa Efigênia , originally a bridge over Anhangabaú valley providing a link between Largo São Bento and Largo Santa Efigània, on the north of the old town. Now it is an overhead pedestrian walkway over the busy street. Traffic snarls, slow taxi drivers and langauge impediments slowed down the teams, with the exception of Wanda and Desiree the mother/daughter team. Wanda's Spanish served her well, even though Spanish and Brazilian are different langauages, as the sister team of Lisa and Joni found out.
Friends John and Scott were stopped in traffic and decided to walk, which proved to be a time-consuming mistake. The team they call the "Frosties", long married Barry and Fran, were on the viaduct but as many times as they walked right past it, did not spot the clue box while others came, got their clue and moved on.
The second clue was a detour: the choice between rotors, a helicopter ride, or rotors, assembling a motorcycle, to get their next clue. Most opted immediately for rotors, which involved a taxi ride to Campo de Marte on Avenida Santos Dumont, named for Alberto Santos Dumont, the Brazilian aviation pioneer called the Pai da Aviação, Father of Aviation. This small airport serves small airplanes and helicopters, one of São Paulo's modes of transportation.
At Campo de Marte, the teams had to consult a flight directory and find a landmark by photos. The choices were all high-rise buildings with rooftop heliports:
The teams fly in, race down some steps, and retrieve the next clue (next page).
