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“Souvlaki” Episode Description: Teams travel to Halkidiki, Greece, where they are tested on their spelling and memory skills.
Episode Airdate: Wednesday, February 16th, 2022 on CBS
After experiencing two episodes worth of various picturesque locations in Corsica, FRANCE, teams flew eastward to another picturesque destination: northeastern GREECE. Episode 8 of the The Amazing Race mostly centered around the Halkidikí (Chalkidikí) Peninsula. Once they arrived at Peraía Beach in the town of Peraía near the city of Thessaloníki…
● Teams drove to the Konstantinos Olive Grove in the village of Néa Gonía and were tasked with finding a clue high up in an olive tree. Cayla and Raquel made use of the shoulder-stepping method — which displayed their dependable teamwork — to reach the clue. Unfortunately, they did not have to resort to the clever but shoulder-hurting maneuver because The Amazing Race showed a ladder close by! Teams traveled to Marianna’s Vineyard and encountered the episode’s first…
● Roadblock (“Who Likes to Wrap?”): Marianna’s Vineyard typically grows grapes to harvest the fruit’s leaves and not necessarily to make wine. One member on each team combined a mixture of rice, vegetables, and spices and filled grape leaves to make 60 dolmades, which are essentially “leaf burritos” as Dusty said. Kim successfully prepared her wraps first, maintaining Team Kim and Penn’s longstanding lead in the competition. Meanwhile, Raquel had difficulty in wrapping the dolmades to the satisfaction of the vineyard’s proprietor but finally found success after some trial and error.
● Teams visited Mamo’s Kantina Stand near Heraklia Beach about 13.4 miles and 21.6 kilometers east of Mount Olympus (Olympos). They asked the food cart vendor about the Dish of the Day and were instructed to spell the name of this cuisine: souvlaki. Teams then had to make a decision that would make some vegan and vegetarian viewers cringe or change the channel: choosing whether to eat a chicken souvlaki or a pork souvlaki. While clues for the next stop are typically found in an iconic black-and-yellow envelope, this clue was simply a place name (Saint George Church) printed on the souvlaki’s wrapper. Many teams did not notice the clue at first, including Lala and Lulu who ate several souvlaki servings and were puzzled about not receiving a traditional clue envelope in hand.
● Roadblock (“Who Wants to be Iconic?”): Néa Irákleia’s Saint George Orthodox Church is a circular and three-tiered structure featuring an octagonal bell tower. Outside in the church’s plaza, one member on each team took about ten minutes to listen to a priest as he taught them about Saint Anastasia (of Sirmium), Saint Christopher, Saint David (the Dendrite), Saint George, Saint Irene, Saint John the Apostle, Saint John the Theologian, Saint Mercurius, Saint Nicholas (of Myra), and several other saints. He or she had to correctly identify the illustrations of five saints — St. Anastasia, St. Christopher, St. David, St. Irene, and St. Mercurius — based on a vendor’s variety of quiz questions. Penn successfully completed this task first.
● Pit Stop: Néa Kallikráteia — a fishing port overlooking the Thermaic Gulf (Thermaïkós Kólpos) which is a component of the Aegean Sea
● An extra GeoFact: the Aegean Sea is home to over 1,400 islands.
● Before arriving at the souvlaki task(s) mentioned above and consuming way more souvlaki then they would’ve liked, Lala and Lulu somehow found the Pit Stop and show host Phil Keoghan before finding the souvlaki stand! While having the “advantage” of knowing the Pit Stop location ahead of time, this sneak peek ultimately did not help them since they ended up in last place and were eliminated from the competition. In this season, the twin duo occasionally argued with each other but quickly became one of my favorite teams as they tried to make the most out of their traveling mishaps — especially when they attempted to eat not-so-yummy meals! Their Amazing Race journey seems relatable; for me, traveling is not 100% enjoyable but I try to make positive memories nevertheless!
● On the next episode of The Amazing Race and even closer to the $1 million finale, “Teams leave no stone unturned”…
Season 33, Episode 8 Results
1st — Kim and Penn [same as previous episode]
1st place prize — $7,500 each
2nd — Cayla and Raquel [same as previous episode]
3rd — Dusty and Ryan [same as previous episode]
4th — Arun and Natalia
5th — Lala and Lulu
Eliminated from the competition
As you may know, peninsulas are landforms typically surrounded on three sides by a waterbody such as a lake, sea, or ocean. Encyclopædia Britannica's website provides a list of peninsulas (↗) around the world. Of course, this is not a complete list as there are likely thousands of additional peninsulas that are not listed, but this is an ideal reference as it conveniently sorts major peninsulas by continent. Posts about some more peninsulas (↗) can be found on the GeoFact of the Day Blog!
Located in northern Wisconsin (UNITED STATES of AMERICA), Chequamegon Point is a thin, heavily forested peninsula in northern Ashland County — south of Lake Superior and northeast of Chequamegon Bay. Its width varies from almost 1,000 feet near the tip to only about 250 feet in the southern part. The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians officially owns this peninsular land, since Chequamegon Point is within the Bad River Reservation boundaries. Labeled on the Bing map above, Long Island has been connected to the peninsula's sandspit since about 30 years ago due to increased sedimentation piling up. This island features three lighthouses, which are unfortunately not opened to the public but are, of course, visible to visitors exploring Long Island. These lighthouses are LaPointe Lighthouse, Long Island Chequamegon Light, and Long Island Light Tower. The original LaPointe Lighthouse was truly a house-like structure with a slightly taller rectangular area for the light on the roof.
Sharing part of its name with a country in southeast Africa, Mozambique Point is the tip at the end of a peninsula in southeastern Louisiana, UNITED STATES of AMERICA. Mozambique Point is located in Plaquemines Parish, and the peninsula is shared by both Plaquemines and Saint Bernard parishes. The point is northwest of Breton Sound in the Gulf of Mexico and about 45 miles southeast of New Orleans. Marsh land areas on the peninsula and near Mozambique are no stranger to hurricanes in the autumn season. Nevertheless, the general area is a refuge for various animals. Natural resources such as sulfur, petroleum, and aquatic food sources such as oysters and crabs are extracted and harvested nearby Mozambique Point.
The location of a World War II campaign, rainforests, and coconut groves, Huon Peninsula is a mountainous landmass in central PAPUA NEW GUINEA shaped almost like a semicircle. It is north of the Huon Gulf, west of the Solomon Sea, and south of Vitiaz Strait. The peninsula is one of the easternmost extensions of New Guinea island. Some of Huon Peninsula's capes and points include Cape Cretin, Cape Gerhards, Kitumala Point, and Scharnhorst Point. Mount Bangeta stands 4,121 meters tall inland in Huon Peninsula's western area. The mountain is part of the Sarawaget Range, which stretches westward. Huon Peninsula is located in the northern part of Morobe province. Towns on and near the peninsula include Boana, Finschhafen (port city established by Germany), Lae, Pindiu, Sattleberg, Sialum, and Wasu.
In the Huon Peninsula campaign within Operation Postern (1943-44), allied Australian and American military forces teamed together to eschew the Japanese military away from the Vitiaz Strait and New Guinea island. These military activities resulted in an Allied victory.
At the top of northeastern AUSTRALIA, Cape York Peninsula extends northward towards Papua New Guinea and is surrounded by water bodies at the confluence of the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean. This peninsula in Queensland state is east of the Gulf of Carpentaria, south of Endeavour Strait and the larger Torres Strait, and west of the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef.
Preserving Nature and Native Culture in Northeastern Australia
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park attempts to preserve the habitats of coral reefs and aquatic species. The park extends from Cape York at the very top of Cape York Peninsula to the south at a distance of over 1,500 kilometers, stopping north of Bundaberg city. Back to land, Cape York Peninsula boasts plenty of national parks, such as Archer Bend NP, Iron Range NP, Jardine NP, and Rokeby-Croll Creek NP. The Aborigine natives mainly live in several reserves including Aurukun Aboriginal Land, Cape York Abor. Reserve, Lockhart River AL, Mapoon AR, and Weipa AR.
The long Great Dividing Range stretches south of Cape York Peninsula, and several peaks on the peninsula include Mount Carter (~670 meters), Mt. Ryan (518 m), and Mt. Tozer (545 m). The Endeavour Strait north of the peninsula is south of Prince of Wales island and several smaller islands. North of these islands and south of the Torres Strait near Papua New Guinea are dozens more islands – the largest being Badu and Moa. Finally, towns and communities on Cape York Peninsula include Cape York, Coen, Iron Range, Lockhart River aboriginal community, Mapoon Mission Station, Weipa, and Weipa South.
Peninsulas on Japan's northernmost large island, Hokkaido, include Oshima in the south, Shakotan in the northwest, a unicorn horn-shaped Shiretoko peninsula in the northeast, and Nemuro in the east with Nosappu-misaki (Cape Nosappu) as Hokkaido's easternmost tip. Known in the English language as Cape Soya, Sōya-misaki is the northernmost point of Hokkaido and serves as the tip of “Kitami” peninsula. I have Kitami surrounded by quotation marks because it does not have an official name, but the Kitami Mountains are located on this peninsula. The city of Kitami is located just southeast of the namesake peninsula. “Erimo” peninsula is also in quotation marks; several research papers call this southeasterly peninsula Erimo and there is an Erimo town, but maps and atlases do not usually show the word Erimo.
Japan's largest island, Honshu boasts many small and large projections and peninsulas jutting out into the Pacific Ocean to the east and Sea of Japan to the west. Honshu's peninsulas include Atsumi, Bōsō (Boso), Chita, Izu, Kii, Miura, Noto, Oga, Oshika, Shimokita, and Tsugaru. Bōsō and Miura are near Yokohama city, while Atsumi and Chita are near Nagoya city. More specifically, Atsumi is west of Toyohashi city and includes communities such as Akabane, Atsumi (of course), and Tahara.
Southwest of Honshu island, Shikoku boasts multiple peninsulas, but many of them do not have official names. Sadamisaki is a narrow peninsula jutting from Shikoku's western area. Capes include Ashizuri-misaki and Muroto-misaki to the east, both on the southern coast. Muroto-misaki and the larger “Muroto Peninsula” boast shrines and temples such as Hotsumisaki-ji, created by the founder of Shingon Buddhism: Kūkai (Kōbō Daishi).
Finally, Kyushu island in southwestern Japan has a relatively jagged coast with small peninsulas. Ōsumi and Satsuma are two peninsulas on the southern coast. Nagasaki, Nishisonogi, and Shimabara are three neighboring peninsulas attached to a larger southward extension, located in the northwestern area of Kyushu. Nagasaki city is located at the junction of Nagasaki and Nishisonogi peninsulas, west of isahaya city and the Shimabara peninsula.
Smaller than the large South West Peninsula in England and the peninsula in the Pembrokeshire county of southwest Wales, Lleyn Peninsula (Llŷn Peninsula) juts westward into the Saint George’s Channel in northwestern Wales. Caernarfon Bay, the larger Irish Sea, and the Isle of Anglesey are north of Lleyn. Cardigan Bay and the Celtic Sea are south, while Tremadog Bay is west. While much of Wales is covered north to south by the Cambrian Mountains, Lleyn is generally lower in elevation. Some areas on the peninsula have elevations at or below sea level, while others stand above 300 meters or 1,000 feet. At 564 meters or about 1850 feet tall, Yr Eifl is located near the northern coast next to Caernarfon Bay. Bardsey Sound separates Bardsey Island from the southwest coast of Lleyn. Capes and points include Braich-y-Pwll, Carreg Ddu, Penrhyn Mawr, and Trwyn Cilan. Meanwhile, there are several ports around the peninsula. For example, there is Porth Neigwl which is known as Hell’s Mouth in the English language! Towns and villages on the peninsula include Aberdaron, Abersoch, Criccieth, Llanllyfni, Nefyn, and Pwllheli.
Bordering the world's largest ocean, Oshima Peninsula is located west of the Pacific Ocean in northern JAPAN. More specifically, Oshima Peninsula is the southwestern extension of Hokkaidō, Japan's second-largest island after Honshū (south of Hokkaidō). Two smaller peninsulas - Matumae Peninsula to the southwest and Kameda Peninsula to the southeast - are part of Oshima; together, these peninsulas form an upside-down Y shape jutting southward from Hokkaidō. Oshima Peninsula is surrounded by water on its west, east, and south coastlines. Sea of Japan is west of Oshima, the Uchiura Bay in the Pacific Ocean is east, and Tsugaru Strait is south. Connecting the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean, Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō and Honshū islands. Small islands such as Okushiri-tō and Ō-shima are found in the Sea of Japan, west of the peninsula. Esachi, Kaniisco, Matsumae, Minamikayabe, Mori, Nanae, and Shikabe are some communities on Oshima Peninsula. A word you may recognize from a notorious event several years ago - Fukushima - is a town on the peninsula southern coast. This town is not the location of 2011's Japanese nuclear disaster. Instead, the town of Ōkuma in Fukushima Prefecture on Honshū island is where an earthquake and tsunami led to explosions and meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
Surrounded to the south by the Caribbean Sea, Portland Point is the southernmost feature of JAMAICA island. While Portland Point is the southern point of the island of Jamaica, the Pedro Cays about 150 kilometers south of Jamaica are the country's southernmost extent since the Pedro Cays are a Jamaican territory. Portland Point is the southern point of a larger unnamed peninsula. A lighthouse and towns such as Mahoe Gardens, Portland Cave, Portland Cottage, and Rocky Point are on the peninsula. To the east of Portland Point and the peninsula is Portland Bight, a water body designated by the Jamaican government as part of the Portland Bight Protected Area, created to preserve and protect marine but also land-based species.
At the northern tip of IRELAND in northwestern Europe, Inishowen Peninsula (called Inis Eoghain in the Irish language) juts northward into the North Atlantic Ocean and is east of Lough Foyle. Malin Head (Cionn Mhálanna) is the northernmost point on Inishowen Peninsula and Ireland while Inishowen Head is one of the peninsula's easternmost points. Inishowen is surrounded by multiple small islands, including the Isle of Doagh. These islands are small enough that they are not visible above.
Inishowen sits in County Donegal, which is located in Ulster province. As shown in the Hammond World Atlas (Sixth Edition, 2010) map above, the peninsula's highest point - Slieve Snaght - is about 615 meters and more than 2,000 feet tall. Like the rest of Ireland, Inishowen has a Humid Temperate Climate. There are various festivals and activities held throughout the peninsula. Sites of interest include Aughlish Stone Circle Complex, Bocan Stone Circle, Crummies Bay, Dunree Military Museum, Fort Dunree, Grianan Of Aileach, Malin Well, and multiple churches and castles. In addition to communities shown above, other ones include Burt, Fahan, Inch, Iskaheen, and Lecamy.
Just like the Liaodong Peninsula I posted about previously, you will find Shandong Peninsula (山東半島) in northeast CHINA and is partly surrounded by Bo Hai and Korea Bay. This peninsula is part of Shandong Province. With several million residents, Qingdao lies at the southern part of Shandong Peninsula and is the largest city in the area. Other large cities on and near the peninsula include Laiyang, Longkou, Pingdu, Rongcheng, Weifang, Weihai, Wendeng, and Yantai. In the southern part of Bo Hai lies the Laizhou Bay, located north of the peninsula; the famous and important Yellow River (Huang) flows west of Shandong. Several peaks on Shandong include Kunyu Shan (923 meters) and Ai Shan (818 meters).
Situated in northeast CHINA, Liaodong Peninsula (遼東半島) juts southward into two water bodies: Bo Hai (formerly called the Gulf of Chihli) to the west and the Korea Bay to the east. Korea Bay, located west of North Korea, is a northern extension of the Yellow Sea. Being the southern extent of Liaoning Province, Liaodong Peninsula is also the southern extent of Qian Mountains; standing over 1,130 meters, the peninsula's highest peak is Buyun Shan. Dalian is the largest city, and other cities include Gai Xian, Jiangjunshi, Langjiadian, Xinjin, Zhuanghe, and Wafangdian. Bays including Dalian Bay, Jinzhou Bay, and Pulandian Bay and islands such as the Changshan Archipelago (which includes Guanglu, Shicheng, and Zhangzi islands), Changxing, and Xizhong surround Liaodong Peninsula.
Situated in southeast FRANCE, the Giens Peninsula - which is called Presqu'île de Giens in the French language - sticks out southward from mainland France into the Mediterranean Sea. The peninsula is in the Var region (région) in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur department (départmente). Presqu'île de Giens is northwest of the Îles d'Hyères (Hyeres Islands) and 20 kilometers east of Toulon, a small city which is about 40 kilometers east of Marseille. Giens, La Capte, La Madrague, La Tour-Fondue, and Port du Niel are some towns on Presqu'île de Giens. The peninsula is connected to the mainland by two vertical and skinny isthmuses; between them is a small water body called Etangs des Pasquiers. Some areas are under sea level elevation.
On the west coast of Southern PERU in the Ica region, the Paracas Peninsula juts westward into the Pacific Ocean about 130 miles (~210 kilometers) south of Peru's capital, Lima. The scenic peninsula offers spectacular views of the ocean and sand dunes, ridges, and cliffs in a desert landscape. Ridges along the peninsula's west coast rise more than 1,000 feet and 300 meters. Paracas Bay is east of the peninsula's northern part. The entire peninsula and areas south of it are protected by the Paracas National Reserve, which protects a 1,293 sq. mile (3,350 sq. km) area of the ocean and land. Ballestas Islands, Blanca, Chincha Islands, and Sangayán are some islands surrounding the Paracas Peninsula. Finally, Puerto Pejerrey is the peninsula's largest community and is accessible by Peru's Highway 28.
Sticking out into the Atlantic Ocean, Kaloum Peninsula (a.k.a. Camayenne Peninsula) forms part of the coastline of GUINEA, a West African country that speaks French as an official language and local languages. The peninsula is known as Presqu'ile de Kaloum in French and is located northeast of a group of islands, Îles de Los. The Atlantic coastline is in the southwest part of the country. Tombo is technically a small, circular island located southwest of the Kaloum Peninsula, but a roadway and additional manmade development connects both pieces of land. Therefore, satellite images show that the island is attached to the peninsula and the mainland of Guinea. Guinea's capital and largest city, Conakry, is found on the island and peninsula. As seen on satellite images, the Kaloum Peninsula is heavily urbanized and developed.
North of Guatemala and Belize in the easternmost part of MEXICO, the Yucatán Peninsula is notable for successful tourism industries in cities like Cancún and Chetumal. The three Mexican states on the peninsula are Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Yucatán. A plethora of ancient pyramids and other structures built by the Aztecs and Mayans are scattered across the peninsula. One of the most famous pyramids in the area is Chichen Itzá, located in the center of the peninsula in the state of Yucatán. The Gulf of Mexico lies north and west of the Yucatan Peninsula while the Caribbean Sea is off the eastern coast. Off the northern coast of the Yucatan, the large Campeche Bank in the Gulf of Mexico features small islands, shoals, and reefs.
The Burica Peninsula in Central America is interesting because it is a rather skinny piece of land that is nevertheless shared by two countries. COSTA RICA is the western side of the Burica Peninsula which drops down into the Pacific Ocean. West of the Bahía de Charco Azul, the peninsula's eastern side is PANAMA. It is partially forested and has several cities, most notably Puerto Armuelles, Panama on the northeast shoreline of the peninsula. Other communities include Clarida and Las Penas in Costa Rica and Limones, Puerto Armuelles, Quebrada del Medio, and San Vicente in Panama.
The Paria Peninsula, known as Península de Paria in Spanish, is a skinny peninsula jutting horizontally into the Caribbean Sea from VENEZUELA's mainland. It is in Northeast Venezuela to be exact and part of the state of Sucre. It is south of the Caribbean Sea and north of the Gulf of Paria. The peninsula is also west of Trinidad and Tobago; between the two countries, there is an interestingly named water body called Dragon's Mouths. The easternmost tip of Paria Peninsula is Punta Peñas. Communities on the peninsula include Irapa, Guiria, Macuro, Puerto de Hierro, and Yoco. For your information, there is another major peninsula in Venezuela, called Paraguaná.
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