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Amazing Race: Week 5 - Chennai, Crocodiles and Cows

This week, teams finally get to leave Vietnam! Now, don't get me wrong, Vietnam was a lovely place to visit, and I loved seeing the countryside. But two episodes worth, and I was chomping at the bit to see some new sights. This week's episode took the teams out of Vietnam and to India.

The teams left, of course, in the order they arrived. The clue The received told them they would be travelling over 3,000 miles to Chennai, India for the next leg of the race. Teams were instructed to take a train back to Hanoi where they would depart for India. As is usual in TAR, all of the teams were caught up at the train station because it did not open until 5 am. While they rode on the train to Hanoi, Tyler & James were reminiscing while they watched some junkies shooting heroin in an alley. Huh? Well, at least it wasn't fond reminiscing.

For some reason, in Vietnam, you cannot purchase an airplane ticket at the airport, so they had to find a travel agent in order to buy tickets. There have been a few alliances formed for this leg. Erwin & Godwin, Mary & Dave and Lyn & Karlyn have teamed up to share information. Well, maybe not so much to share information as to keep information from Peter & Sarah and Dustin & Kandice.

As a side note on the Cho brothers, they were wearing matching t-shirts that say LOST at the top. Now at t first glance, I thought they were fans of the Lost television show (FYI our sister site filmfodder has a fantastic Lost blog) but looking closer, there was a picture of Phil on the shirts with the phrase "Reward: Bushel of Kiwis". Personally, I think the shirts should have said "if you help me find this man and win the game, I'll give you money", but that is just me.

As the rebel alliance discusses their strategy for finding a travel agent, Peter walks by and says " I can tell you how to get to the closest travel agent." and keeps on walking by. They half-heartedly look up at him and go right back to their planning. Darth Peter goes to turn the Beauty queens to the Dark Side -- to bad Peter was too naive to realize that they didn't need any coaxing. On his way back, he says the same thing to the rebels. They speak up and say something to the effect of "Well, then tell us and stop telling us you're going to tell us" which of course he ignores. Needless to say they don't believe him anyway.

Now, I find it interesting that when he leaves to go talk with the Beauty Queens, he tells Sarah he is going to the bathroom. They don't show him sharing any information with Sarah, but it all could be "clever editing". Yeah, right. The Beauty Queens think that he has a crush on one of them, and I think that is not such a crazy idea.

The trickster Cho brothers (remember the water guns from the first show?), take out a fake cell phone and pretend to book tickets to Chennai. Of course, this kind of backfires when Darth Peter "overhears" and goes running back to Dustin & Kandice to "tattle" again. They are sitting by someone that lets them borrow a real cell phone and call an agent to get tickets held for their two teams. Uh oh.

The teams arrive in Hanoi and jump into taxis to get to their respective travel agencies. Unfortunately, Dave & Mary and Erwin & Godwin arrive separately at Hanspan travel agency to find out that it has moved. They both manage to find other agencies phew.

After the first round of ticket buying, they teams are scheduled to arrive in two shifts 9:20am and noon. Only the Cho brothers of the rebel alliance manage to book themselves on the 9:20 flight. When the rest of the alliance is informed, they try desperately to change their flights. Don't forget that they are not supposed to be able to get tickets at the airport, but Mary does not want to believe that. She actually managed to get them confirmed seats on the earlier flight to Delhi, but only reservations on the flight to Chennai. Big risk.

The Cho brothers tell Darth & Sarah and Dustin & Kandice about the earlier flight, but that not all had confirmed flights to Chennai. So, when their connection lands, they find an earlier flight that gets them into Chennai at 7:50. Lyn & Karlyn manage to get on the earlier flight that now has Rob & Kimberly, Tyler & James and Erwin & Godwin. Mary & Dave however, are not able to get on that flight and must take a later one.

When the teams finally arrive in Chennai, teams must find a bus station and travel more than 40 miles to the town of Mamallapuram and find Valluvar Arts & Crafts to get their next clue. The Beauty Queens are the first ones to arrive at the bus station and get to the arts and craft store, only to find a sign that says "back at 11:30". So, their lead gets smaller. While they are waiting for it to open Darth Peter & Sarah arrive.

The clue they get is a DETOUR. In this task they have to choose between Wild Things or Wild Rice. In Wild Things, the teams must make their way 9 miles to the Madras Crocodile Bank and locate pit 16. Here they will help two wranglers secure a large crocodile and transport it to another pit. In Wild Rice, teams must go 200 yards to the Sthala Sayana Perumal Temple where they will choose a traditional chalk outline and fill it with various colored powders made from rice to match a traditional pattern they are given.

Four teams chose Wild Rice, but only two stuck with it. Tyler & James and Mary & David stuck it out and made some nice artwork.

The other teams chose Wild Things. I am sad to report that no one was injured in the making of this segment. Not even a scratch or scrape. Bummer. Now, I am not usually a proponent for enjoying the misery of others, oh, who am I kidding! I would have jumped for joy if Peter lost a limb. I would have felt bad about it afterwards, but done it anyway.

The next clues they received sent them back to Chennai via bus and look for the Karthik Driving School to get their next clue. This clue is a ROADBLOCK. This Roadblock asks "who is the driving force that is behind this team? One team member must be schooled in the local laws and and must go through the proper process of getting an Indian driver's license.

Now this was funny stuff. The driving instructor was just hilarious! He had this big old horn that he would honk at them to let them know when they should honk the horn. (particularly at animals and children -- no I am not making this up) Told them repeatedly not to drink and drive. Showed them with vigor how to use hand turning signals, and pointed to all of his charts with a ruler. I never actually saw him hit anyone with it, but we do only get to see the edited version. It was like real live Mario Kart on Speed. Buses, cows, bikes, cars, pedestrians everywhere. I cannot even believe that no one got into an accident.

Upon obtaining their license the next clue told them to drive a car with their instructor in it to the next PIT STOP. They will travel 10 miles to Chettinad House, a royal palace is where they will find the Pit Stop. The rides to the pit stop were uneventful as they did not broadcast much of them. The Pit Stop arrival order was

1. Peter & Sarah they each won a home gym system with lots of equipment.
2. Dustin & Kandice
3. Rob & Kimberly
4. Erwin & Godwin
5. Lyn & Karlyn
6. Tyler & James
7. Dave & Mary

Yes, my new favorite team came in last. However, this was not an elimination round and they are still in the race! Yipee! In yet another new twist, they were not required to turn over all of their belongings or money. There is a new twist. They are now marked for elimination and must come in first at the next pit stop or they will incur a 30 minute penalty in which time any number of teams could check in ahead of them. I think this is a great new twist. Much more fair than taking all their clothing and money in a foreign country.

So Woo Hoo Kentucky -- Keep On Truckin'

Wendy


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