Here We Go...Episode One

A tlast, the second season of The Amazing Race Asia is off and racing.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to catch the live telecast last night, but I hope you did.  If so, what'd you think??

Starting off the race for the second season was as crazy and exciting as the first.  All the teams were totally amped to get the race on the road.  With how well the first season did, we knew this first episode really had to "pop."  Little did we know teams like Henri/Terry and Monica/Ed would already be "poppin" off at each other so soon.  They'll really need to patch things up and work together if they plan on making it all the way through the entire race.

I was really happy to have "Start City" in Singapore because I wouldn't have to travel anywhere...yet.  Of course, we threw the teams a curveball when they found out they had to fly out to Manila, Philippines, so soon.  Right after I landed at the international airport in Manila, I had a police escort take me directly to the first Pit Stop.  Now, that was pretty cool.  If you've ever been to Manila, the traffic there can be pretty crazy so we didn't want to risk the teams somehow showing up at the mat before me.  I had a few really close calls in the first season so we weren't going to take any chances this time around.

For me, the very first episode was a telling sign of how different the second season could be.  In the first season, I recall we only had one "night" Pit Stop and the weather was really good.  Right in the very first ep of this new season, we experienced some pouring rain in addition to teams arriving in the dark to the Pit Stop.  Believe me...night Pit Stops are a lot more complex when you have to factor in all the lights, cords, electrical outlets, etc.  On top of it, the rain didn't make matters any easier.  On top of it, we're all in a rush to get everything set up before the teams suddenly show up.  Just from all of that I knew this season would be a lot more intense and demanding for the racers and everyone on production. 

Although I didn't get to spend too much time in my hotel room, it did have a nice view:

Here's a colorful public transport (I think it's called a Tuk Tuk) that takes people throughout the bustling city of Manila:

Well, that's my two cents worth for the very first episode of season two.  Stay tuned to the next episode as teams get down n' dirty to stay ahead!