The Amazing Race 12 Destination Recap

The twelfth edition of The Amazing Race is in the books with TK and Rachel claiming the million dollar championship. It was the most satisfying conclusion to TAR in quite some time since none of the three final teams were particularly objectionable. Here's my rundown of the destinations they visited:

Los Angeles - It seems like LA is a popular spot for TAR departures. I suppose that having a major international airport right there helps the producers find flights, but I prefer when teams have to find their way to and fly out of airports in secondary cities (Las Vegas, Seattle, Miami, etc.).

Ireland - Great that TAR finally made it to Ireland. The race did a great job showing off the Irish countryside, though I didn't learn all that much about the culture. I enjoyed the challenge of hauling donkeys along a path, though such a challenge could have been performed in just about any agricultural region.

Netherlands - Not the first time that TAR visited Amsterdam, but as a pedestrian and bike-friendly country, the Netherlands offers a great departure from the usual taxi riding. It was also neat to get away from the city and check out what the Dutch countryside is like.

Burkina Faso - Mad props to TAR for visiting an African country with limited tourist infrastructure and ultra mad props for sending teams into the middle of nowhere to visit tribal villages. One of the most fascinating parts of the show is watching how contestants interact with locals when forcibly removed from their comfort zones. Predictably, the flower children and Goths did fine while the shrewish blonds didn't.

Lithuania and Croatia - It's about time that TAR made it to these increasingly popular tourist destinations on the wrong side of the former Iron Curtain. Despite being a few hundred miles from familiar European destinations, Lithuania and Croatia and their Baltic and Balkan brethren are still largely shrouded in mystery. TAR provided some much-needed exposure.

Italy - Italy is one of those countries that has various regions, each with its own identity. TAR has visited Rome, Sicily, Venice, Milan, and the Dolomites, so why not pass through Tuscany this time?

India - India has become a nearly-obligatory stop on each season of TAR and each visit ensures that contestants will be thrust into a strange land and a strange culture. It does help that most of the locals speak at least some English, but still, the throngs of people and the undeveloped infrastructure provide a significant challenge. This season's trip to India certainly didn't disappoint.

Japan - It was great that TAR visited a Japanese city besides Tokyo. However, as long as the contestants flew into Osaka, I would have preferred that they spend an additional 45 minutes on the train and go all the way to Kyoto. Osaka is primarily an industrial city while Kyoto offers much more by way of historical and cultural attractions. Contestants were certainly challenged by having to navigate the streets and markets of Japan, but I think that Kyoto would have been more educational.

Taiwan - People tend to forget that Taiwan even exists since the word "China" only evokes the mainland country. Therefore, TAR's stop on the island made for an intriguing look at Taiwanese culture. I wish we could have scene even more of this unfamiliar land, since the automobile stuntyard didn't seem intrinsically Taiwanese and the teahouse and park struck me as generically Asian. (Who knew that Taiwan had a bullet train? I sure didn't.)

Anchorage - TAR regularly has a penultimate stop in Alaska, Hawaii, or Canada. These destinations tend to offer some of the most exciting outdoor activity challenges and the glacier climb on this season was no exception. It was also interesting to see what an Alaskan city looks like (basically like any other American city). However, it was strange for the race to end in Alaska. I was half expecting the teams to reboard airplanes and return to the mainland for a race to the final pit stop.