If you haven’t had a moment to enjoy the premiere of The Amazing Race Season 32, what are you waiting for? Now is your chance to curl up with your favorite snack or beverage to watch 11 new teams of two, travel to the picturesque islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
Parlatuvier Bay Tobago
It’s no secret that it was a dream of ours to compete on this adventure of a lifetime and to finally hear the host with the most, Phil Keoghan, say “the world is waiting,” was a surreal moment to say the least! The first leg of our journey consisted of a physically demanding night challenge that ended with a vibrant Carnival party, swimming in Nylon Pool in search of wooden fish with a specific color combination, steel drum musical lessons at Swallow’s Beach and running with goats to the pit stop at The Buccoo Integrated Facility! *SPOILER ALERT* After arriving in 4th Place, Phil proceeded to share the news that the remaining ten teams will keep on racing to Bogotá, Colombia!
As with any trip we take, we knew the importance of doing research whether that be about landmarks, language or currency. Colombia was no different and we did our best to gain knowledge about the country prior to traveling there. The first thing we noticed was that the country has rich ecosystems ranging from Andean mountain terrain to Amazonian Rainforests, so there was no telling what adventures awaited us. We discovered that the official language was Spanish, a language both of us practiced in preparation for the race, and the currency is the Colombian Peso. Another thing we were amazed to learn was that Colombia supplies 70-90 percent of the globe’s emerald market and is one of the top coffee producing countries in the world. Needless to say, our quick research session got our adrenaline pumping for the adventures that awaited us in Bogotá.
Bogotá, Colombia
Despite the mental fatigue and exhaustion, we weren’t going to let anything prevent us from soaking up the beautiful sights this high altitude city had to offer. Once we landed at El Dorado International Airport, we were off and running to the small town of Nemocón, located an hour outside of Bogotá. It’s known for being home to Mina de Sal, the second largest salt mine in Colombia. Visitors can experience guided tours of the tunnels 196 feet below the earth’s surface! Our trek into this historic mine was truly remarkable. We were mesmerized by the effects of the lighting playing on the enormous salt formations found throughout the mine. Once inside the main cavern, we discovered the “waterfall” of salt, a wishing well, memorabilia from the film The 33 (which starred Antonio Banderas as one of the Chilean miners who were rescued after 69 days trapped in a collapsed mine), plus a chapel that regularly hosts concerts, choirs and church services.
Salt Cathedral in Mina de Sal Zipaquira, Colombia
Natural wonders like Mina de Sal can easily take your breath away and we were fortunate to have been able to visit for The Amazing Race. Enjoy this exclusive sneak peek where an old twist makes a comeback!
When you’re running around the world on The Amazing Race, you can sometimes be laser focused on the objective of staying in the competition so that you don’t soak up your surroundings. We took full advantage of our taxi ride from Nemocón back to Bogotá, enjoying the beautiful scenery surrounding us: gorgeous mountains, dense vegetation, and exquisite architecture. It’s safe to say we were fully in awe of Colombia.
Not only do we appreciate experiencing natural wonders or soaking up our surroundings, we equally love immersing ourselves into the culture wherever we are. In Bogotá we were able to participate in activities that showcased the beautiful spirit of this country, including clowning around at a “circus for everyone.”
In keeping with The Amazing Race’s infamous mantra of “always read your clue,” one cultural challenge threw teams for a loop when we were tasked with decorating a volqueta (dump truck) before receiving our next clue. Watch us dive right into this “arts and crafts” challenge, as Will called it, in this exclusive sneak peek:
Columbia is a place that both of us look forward to visiting again one day. There is so much more to see and we’re beyond grateful to have visited while competing on The Amazing Race. Be sure to get a glimpse of this incredible country through the eyes of the ten remaining teams by tuning in on Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at 9PM /8C on CBS for Episode 2!
