Adventurace 2006

Today was Trek #1 of the Adventurace 2006. The Adventurace is like the Amazing Race and Trek #1 and #2 are like some kind of audition. The top 3 winners from each Trek who will join another 6 finalists in the Final of Adventurace 2006, a race from KL to Langkawi. Since there's no hunt this weekend, I decided last minute that I should go try my luck. There were only 65 participants in today's Trek, and I thought I might have a good chance of making top 45 qualifiers who will win at least RM100 petrol vouchers.

The race started at the Malaysian Tourist Centre at around 10 am (I was there by 8 am to register, mind you). There are a series of 9 checkpoints we are supposed to get to within an allocated time to obtain stamps on our answer sheet. Missing any one of these checkpoints will effectively end your race! The checkpoint clues are pictorial. For example, a picture of Ronald (McDonald) should tell you to look for a McDonalds fastfood store. But of course, some of the other pictures were not so 'kind'.

Checkpoint 1 showed a picture of the Petronas Sains Centre (KLCC), so off we went on foot, solving some pictorial questions along the way. But it was upon reaching KLCC that we already encountered our first challenge... finding the darn checkpoint. Our first thought was to go straight into KLCC to the top floor where the Sains Centre actually is. But it was no where to be found! It was only much later that we realised the checkpoint is supposed to be OUTSIDE KLCC. Arrghh... So on we ran down to the other exit/entrance, and the checkpoint was actually at a bus-stop.

Next, we were told to take Rapid KL (bus) to Terminal Titiwangsa (Checkpoint 2), and the next picture clue given was a man sitting on a river bank fishing. We thought they wanted us to go to Taman Tasik Titiwangsa! But luckily it was just by the river bank at the bus station itself. After getting the stamp there, the next clue told us to take the Rapid KL again to Kompleks Pertama on Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman. By then, I was already panting and sweating like mad! My shirt was already soaked with sweat (eeewww...!!!).

Onto Pertama we went. Finding the Pertama foodcourt (Checkpoint 3) there also took us awhile (coz the checkpoint station was not open when we got there, so we went walking one big round around the foodcourt! More panting and sweating! :P ). Next we had to walk down Jln Tunku Abdul Rahman towards Jalan Tun Perak, while solving another 4 pictorial questions.

At the end of Jalan Tun Perak, we had to find the next checkpoint where a picture of a burger is shown. We went to Burger King, but no one was there, and in the end we found it in McDonalds instead (Checkpoint 4). After getting our stamp, the next clue told us to take the Putra LRT to KL Sentral to find the next checkpoint, this time a picture of Ronald McDonald is shown. When we arrived at KL Sentral McDonalds (Checkpoint 5), the checkpoint was not yet opened! Which meant that it allowed a lot of latecomers to catch up to us. Sigh... Not good, not good at all. :(

Next, the instruction told us to either walk or take the monorail to Jln Tun Sambanthan where a picture of Ray Charles was our next clue. Since we were way ahead of time, we decided to take the monorail to at least rest our poor legs and possible save some energy for the final part of the race. The clue took us to the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB, Checkpoint 6) and there we were to make our donation and get a 'treasure' in return.

The next checkpoint was back to KL Sentral where a picture of a chicken is shown. There we made our first mistake, where we were waiting at the wrong checkpoint (The Chicken Rice Shop). By the time we found the correct checkpoint (Kenny Rogers, Checkpoint 7), we were already behind quite a lot of other racers. :(

We then headed on to the Putra LRT again and onward to Kelana Jaya LRT Station we went. By the time we got to Checkpoint 8 (7-Eleven), there was already a long queue waiting. That caused us to miss out on the free shuttle service to the final checkpoint. In the end we had to take the feeder bus to Sunway, which took about half hour.

Upon arrival at Sunway Pyramid (Checkpoint 9), we ran down to look for the final pictorial clue, which was just a picture of a box of Pharmaton Multi-Vitamin Capsules. My initial thought was that it must be at a pharmacy, so straight into the mall we went. We looked into Watsons, GNC and Guardian, but the checkpoint was still eluding us. We must've been running around the mall for like 20 min (too long!), and still could not find the location. Eventually, I resorted to asking a fellow hunter, and he told me that it was OUTSIDE the building, next to the lion's head. ARRRGGGHHH!!! NOT AGAIN!!! So off we went, and by the time we got to the checkpoint, we were clocked in at 47th & 48th position respectively, thus missing the qualifying cut. :'( I mean, the Pharmaton sign was actually put up by them on that day itself! How the hell should I know to look outside first?!?! :(

I was so, so, so disappointed. All that work for nothing in the end. Sigh... All because of one silly mistake and bad luck. Sigh... But I guess all in all, it was a good day. I haven't run so much since... don't know when! That's my exercise enough for a whole week!! And also now I know what bus to take to Kompleks Pertama, Terminal Titiwangsa and Sunway Pyramid!!! Hahaha...

There's still Trek #2 to go on 9th July (which I will miss since I'm going for another hunt that weekend). Anyone who's been dying to try the Amazing Race phenomenon should give it a go. It really is not as easy as it looks on TV!! :P

Check out the following website for more details: "Adventurace - Advance Dreams"