Celebrity Race Across the World series 2
Having been delayed for a day due to poor transport links, Kelly & Jeremy reassessed their strategy and decided to divert inland to Teresina, a destination that Jeff & Freddy and Scott & Sam were also headed towards.
At the bus terminus in Fortaleza, Scott & Sam immediately took a taxi whilst Jeff & Freddy tried to hitch a lift, a decision which would cost the latter team an hour and a race position.
The race restarted on day 6 and the finish point of the second leg was revealed to be Lençóis, gateway to the Chapada Diamantina National Park, in the Brazilian state of Bahia, some 1,550 kilometres (960 mi) away.
Jeff & Freddy, the only team to opt to make their way through the interior, headed first to Quixadá where they worked alongside Alpacas at a glamping site in the Caatinga, after which they left for Juazeiro do Norte on an overnight bus.
There, they visited the monumental statue of the city's patron saint, Padre Cícero Romão Batista, before pressing onward to Brejo Santo where they caught a bus to Seabra, within striking distance of the checkpoint in Lençóis.
The latter duo, having lost another four hours searching for a place to change currency in Natal, eventually proceeded to João Pessoa and then back up the coast on an unpaved road to a hostel in Barra do Mamanguape.
That evening they bumped into Scott & Sam who were just arriving at Recife coach station as they were departing towards Petrolândia in the interior where they had arranged to top up funds working in a local restaurant.
The race recommenced on day 11 with a leg that started from tranquil Lençóis but finished in the bustling megalopolis of São Paulo, 2,400 kilometres (1,500 mi) away to the south west.
[10] Kola & Mary Ellen left the checkpoint in the late evening, but with no overnight buses found themselves stranded for another night in Lençóis until the next day when they chose to head to Porto Seguro to work as a waiter and an Axé dancer respectively, at a famous beach bar.
Last to depart, Scott & Sam took a chance and requisitioned a taxi to Itaberaba, 140 kilometres (87 mi) away, for an opportunity to top up their funds, but having underestimated the journey time, arrived too late both for work and any onward travel.
Also continuing to top up funds were Scott & Sam (serving drinks in a bar in Goiânia) and Kola & Mary Ellen (working in a coffee shop in Belo Horizonte).
When the teams arrived in the city they were instructed to take the Metro to the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) in the Jardins district and then given directions to the checkpoint at the Hotel Unique.
The race recommenced on day 17 from São Paulo in Brazil and finished in Tigre on the Parana River Delta, just north of the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires, a distance of approximately 2,250 kilometres (1,400 mi).
Kola & Mary Ellen wanted to attend a Saint Patrick's Day festival to celebrate their Irish roots in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre which also dictated that they use Uruguay as a stepping stone to Argentina.
The penultimate leg started on day 22 from Tigre just north of the Argentinian capital Buenos Aires and finished in Tilcara, approximately 1,800 kilometres (1,100 mi) north-west in Jujuy province of the same country.
When Kelly & Jeremy departed some six hours later they spotted a job opportunity near Córdoba at a vineyard in the town of Villa Giardino and made their way there as it promised both good pay and free bed & board.
Kola & Mary Ellen, desperately short of funds, pressed onward to Gaucho country and the town of Esquina to work with the livestock on a ranch and tried their hand at sheep shearing and horse riding.
When Jeff & Freddy left at almost midnight on day 22 they had few transport options, so they caught a taxi to El Talar and managed to find seats on an overnight bus to Córdoba.
With almost three times the funds as Kola & Mary Ellen and twice as much as the other two teams, Jeff & Freddy backtracked to San Salvador de Jujuy and planned for a 21-hour bus journey to Mendoza.
Rather than wait for the bus, Kelly & Jeremy made a rare budgetary error by splashing out on a taxi for the initial part of the journey which cost five times as much as public transport.
Having gained absolutely no advantage, they were reunited with Jeff & Freddy less than 90 minutes later at the bus terminal in San Salvador de Jujuy, where they were joined by Scott & Sam not long after.
Jeff & Freddy took some time out to rest and recuperate at the nearby thermal springs in Chacheuta, but having missed the bus back to the city they had to hitch a lift from some passing motorists who advised them it would be faster to reach Frutillar via Santiago.
They needn't have worried though as the onward bus through Patagonia was also several hours late, but on arrival in San Carlos de Bariloche the border crossing had shut for the night necessitating an overnight stay.
When Scott & Sam and Kola & Mary Ellen arrived in Frutillar they were first directed to the Teatro del Lago and then instructed to make their way a further 25 miles (40 km) to Ensenada.
Daisy Jones of The Guardian awarded the opening episode 4 stars out of 5, stating "It's utterly, wonderfully captivating TV,"[13] as did Vicky Jessop of the Evening Standard who opined "it's still got the magic.
