Ronald & Christina first to arrive last week are first to leave this week. Their clue sends them to Anchoage, Alaska, the final destination city. They must make their way to 6th avenue outfitters when they land where they will pick up some gear for their upcoming journey as well as their next clue. Ronald & Christina, TK & Rachel and Nicolas & Donald all get tickets on the same flight to Anchorage. Ronald & Christina aks for a free upgrade to use the China Air Lounge and get it. They run in there and quickly get online to find out the address of their destination in Alaska. Good thinking!

All of the teams run to the taxis to get to the store and their next clue. The clue tells them to make their way to the waterfront and find Ship Creek Boat Launch. Here they must search for their next clue. Donald & Nicolas in their haste to get the clue, forget they are also supposed to pick up a bag of tools and supplies. Oops.

The clue that is at the boat launch is a DETOUR. Teams must choose between Cut the Cod or Grab the Crab (but Jennifer was eliminated last week!). In Cut the Cod, teams must cut through several 50 lb cod to find a miniature clue hidden in one fish. In Grab the Crab, teams must jump into a fishing boat's crab hold (Deadliest Catch, anyone?) teeming with 500 live crabs to find the one that is marked with TAR colors. Yikes. Ronald & Christina choose Cut the Cod, TK & Rachel choose Grab the Crab (and get quite a few nasty pinches), and Nicoals & Donald read their clue and find their error in not taking the gear from the store. They head back to get it so that they can finish the task. Is this it for them? We shall see.

This crabby/fishy clue tells them to travel 60 miles by taxi to a boat landing where they will take a high-speed ride to 20 mile glacier. Phil tells us that the teams don't know they are going to have to climb the face of the glacier to find their next clue. Dun dun dun! I msut stop to say that Alaska looks just beautiful. I would love to visit there someday. But, I digress, back to the race. Ronald & Christina arrive at the glacier first and start climbing. Christina has some trouble getting up the first big step. TK & Rachel are having major taxi trouble. Their driver does not seem to know where anything is. That can be deadly in this game.

The glacial clue sends the teams on a helicopter ride to Merrill Field, upon landing they will travel by taxi to Goose Lake Park where their next clue is waiting for them. It is a ROADBLOCK. This is probably one of the most complicated roadblocks in memory (well that safe one last time was pretty hard too). OK, here goes, in this roadblock one team member has been given 15 recognizable objects from each leg of the race. They must place on the stage 10 specific items that match two different requirements (confused yet?). 1. Only one item from each of the 10 legs. 2. Three items must be animals or animal by-products. 3. one must be a U-Turn 4. two must be objects either at or brought to a Pit Stop 5. 2 must be items of transportation with wheels, one of which was used as a detour 6. One must be an item of transportation resembling the shape of a stick. Phew. Once the 10 correct items are on the stage, the clue box will open and give them their next clue.

This will definitely give the other teams to catch up. Christina, Rachel and Nicolas take this task on. They spend lots of time trying to get the right set of items. After much frustration, the first one done is Rachel. You go girl! Christina is next with Nicolas trailing behind. They must figure out that their clue is telling them to get to the Captain Cook Statue where they will find their next clue. Tk & Rachel arrive first. This clue tells them to travel into Anchorage on foot and find the statue of the salmon hooker, where their next clue awaits.

The salmon hooker tells them to take a taxi to Girdwood Airport and run to the finish line. GO! GO! GO!. Tk & Rachel are the first to leave the hooker, with Ronald & Christina not far behind. And now, the moment you have all been waiting for......the first team to arrive and win the million dollars is :

TK & RACHEL!!!!! CONGRATS! (eat that Jennifer!)

Great job on a race well run.

The clue found in the garden tells the teams to fly to Taipei, Taiwan. Nathan is thrilled because he loves Thai food and has some Thai friends. Too bad they are going to Taiwan and not Thailand. The teams race to the airport to find that there is a 1:00 flight to Taiwan. Ronald & Christina manage to get on the 1:00 flight and they ask the ticket agent to tell everyone else that there are no seats left. NO! It actually worked! They told Nathan & Jennifer that there were no seats left. Whether or not that is accurate, I don't know. But it is pretty cool. Nathan & Jennifer and Nicolas & Donald get on a 1:15 flight to Taiwan. TK & Rachel get on a later flight.

Upon arrival in Taiwan, teams head to the Main Station to search for their next clue. Unless you are Nathan & Jennifer, they stop to change money. This delay allows Tk & Rachel tocatch up with them and even get ahead of them in the immigration line. Ronald & Christina find the clue first, it tells them to travel to the town of Tiachung via high speed rail. They must then travel by taxi to the town of Jiji and find Acrobatics Jeep, where their next clue is. Ronald & Christina get on a rail first, the other three teams are all on the next one together. TK & Rachel manage to get into a taxi first, much to Jennifer's chagrin.

Ronald & Christina open their next clue, a ROADBLOCK. It asks them who is up for a tricky ride. In this roadblock, one team member must become a passenger in a stunt car. First they will be rocked back and forth 25 feet in the air, then switch into an amphibious vehicle. This car will take them underwater for 17 seconds. They must hold their breath for that ride. They are not allowed to exit the car or let go. When they have made it out, they will get their next clue. Ronald takes a tricky ride and gets through it very well. Rachel also does well. Nathan takes one for the team and Donald does too. One problem for TK & Rachel. Their speed bump is here. They must travel a mile, don safety suits and dash through fireworks, then be doused with water. When they finish, they can continue the race.

Teams must now travel back to Taipei via high speed rail and make their way to the GK Teahouse. They must order and drink a cup of tea, the clue will be revealed after they have drunk the tea (it is written on the bottom of the mug). Ronald & Christina drink their tea first and find out they should go to Gong Guan Night Market, where they need to find a clown. The clown on a unicycle gives them their next clue. It is a DETOUR. Fire or Earth. In Fire, teams must make their way to the park where they will participate in a mystical Chinese ritual. They must write messages of luck, good or bad on the lanterns then light the spirit money in the lantern to let it rise into the sky. Once they have sent away 20 lanterns, they will get their next clue. In Earth, teams must travel to another park. Here they must travel down a 220 foot path of jagged stones barefoot. Then turn around and walk back. When both team members have finished, they will get their next clue.

Ronald & Christina choose Earth. Donald & Nicolas shoose Earth. Tk & Rachel choose Earth. Nathan & Jennifer choose Earth. Everyone wants to walk on the stones. OUCH.

Teams must now travel by taxi to the next Pit Stop Chiang Kai-Shek Plaza. Teams arrive in the following order:

1. Ronald & Christina who win a 5 night trip to the Antilles. Sounds like fun.

2. Tk & Rachel

3. Nicoals & Donald

4. Nathan & Jennifer, who are eliminated from the race. YES! They were fighting and yelling at each other the whole leg. I spared you the gory details. Ok, just one, they both end up in tears.

Next time: Season Finale!

Tk & Rachel get on a flight that leaves at 6:30 while the other teams get on a flight leaving around 8:00. Logically, Tk & Rachel should arrive first, but they have two lay overs where the other teams only have one. Actually it turns out that the other teams get in WAY ahread of them. We don't see much of Tk & Rachel this episode.

When the teams arrive in Japan, the first ones to get out of the airport are Nathan & Jennifer who grab a taxi to their destination. In a surprising turn of events, Christina spent 6 months in Japan learning the language, so she is at a slight advantage here. It does not take a long time for the teams to reach the castle and find their next clue that tells them to take a taxi to JR Noda Station where they must find the cleaning man to get their next clue.

Nathan & Jennifer are the first to arrive at Noda station, the cleaning man's clue is a ROADBLOCK. In this roadblock, one team member must be a Japanese taxi driver. They make them wear a cap and gloves and have them take a Japanese couple to a destination. The couple is not allowed to give them directions and they are not allowed to pay someone else and follow them. Did I mention that the couple gives them a set of instructions in Japanese? Christina is in luck because she doesn't need to find someone to translate, she just needs to get directions. As it turns out, all of the team members are headed to the post office. Once they get there, the couple hands them the next clue and they have to navigate their way back to their partner.

Believe it or not, Nicolas is the one that has the most trouble here. He can't seem to find his way back to Donald. I have never been to Japan, but it seemed to me that there was a lot of "I can see where I need to go, but I can't get there from here because the streets don't go that way". Anyone who is not native to Seattle and has tried to drive anywhere there, can relate to that statement. Nathan & Jennifer finish the task first. Can I just say now, that I was so pleased last week when they were on the bottom. I thought for sure that they would be behind and get eliminated this week, but no such luck!

The clue the teams received from the passenger tells them to travel by taxi to Kita-Mido Temple a 16th century Buddhist temple, where they will find their next clue. Jennifer is under the impression that no one in Japan speaks English, I have to break it to her, but they ALL have to study it in school. They can speak it they just do not want to speak it to YOU. Probably because she does things like trying to get the taxi driver to look at her when he is driving so that she can mime running to him in an effort to get him to understand that they are in a race. Smooth move. Yet, still, they manage to get to the temple first. The clue they open here is a DETOUR. In this detour, teams choose between Sense of Touch or Sense of Smell. In Sense of Touch, teams must travel to a robotics company where they will play a game of robotic soccer against two defenders. They must each score a goal and they can only use the cell phones and written instructions to move their robots. In Sense of Smell, teams travel to a silk flower shop and using only their sense of smell must find the real flowers hidden among the fake. They are not allowed to touch them before they make a choice.

Ronald & Christina and Nathan & Jennifer choose to smell it out. While Donald & Nicolas touch the robots. Tk & Rachel? Who knows they just got to Japan and have not even made it to the first destination yet. (actually they smell it out too) Jennifer manages to sniff out a real flower as does Christina. All in all, Donald did a pretty good job working his robot. Once they finished, the clues they receive tells them to travel by taxi to the next Pit Stop, Tempozan Park, named for the lowest mountain in Japan. The teams arrived at the Pit Stop in the following order:

1. Ronald & Christina who each win an electric vehicle that seats four. Cool!

2. Nathan & Jennifer (still upset that they didn't get a chance to come in first)

3. Donald & Nicolas

4. TK & Rachel, who are NOT eliminated from the race as this is a non-elimination leg. Woo Hoo, but they are 3 hours behind the other teams.

Tune in next week to see Tk & Rachel face their Speedbump.

The first clue tells teams to fly to Mumbai, India where they will make their way by rickshaw to a newspaper stand where they must prucase a paper and find the clue hidden inside. I actually think this is a pretty slick way to hide a clue. There are a few different flights to Mumbai, but it all does not matter because the newspaper stand doesn't open until 6:00, so all the teams are effectively caught up. The funny thing is that Kynt & Vyxsin, last to leave, arrived at the stand first. Hmm...

Nathan & Jennifer have a terrible time trying to find the clue. They are way to busy arguing, go figure, to find the clue. Kynt & Vyxsin find it first. Teams must now travel by rickshaw to Chauhan Alteration Tailors where the shop owner will hand them the next clue. Unfortunately for Kynt & Vyxsin, they find the clue first and leave first, but end up getting to the store last. The first ones to arrive at the tailor are Nicolas & Donald. The clue from the tailor is a DETOUR.

In this detour teams must choose bewteen Paste 'em or Thread 'em. In Paste 'em teams must make their way to a marked underpass where they must paste a six-panelled Bollywood movie poster. Once a supervisor has approved of their work, they will be given their next clue. In Thread 'em, teams must travel to a marked flower shop and thread 108 flowers in a wedding garland pattern. When the judge likes their finished product, they must wander around and find a bridegroom to whom they must give the flowers. He will then hand them the next clue.

Teams that chose to Thread 'em are Tk & Rachel, Nathan & Jennifer and Kynt & Vyxsin. Teams that chose Paste 'em are Nicoals & Donald and Ronald & Christina. Let me just say that Ronald is as ever-effusive with his comments to Christina as ever. Seriously, she needs help. I really hope that this race does wake Ronald up and makes him see how poorly he treats his own daughter. Good Luck Christina.

Meanwhile, Kynt & Vyxsin run into their SPEEDBUMP right before the task begins. They must travel to a yoga master and perform a series of yoga positions before they can go on. I am hoping that this will help relax them enough to make up some time. They are acutally both quite limber, maybe they practice yoga at home too.

The clue after the detour, sends the teams to Kabutar Khana where a U-Turn awaits. They must travel by taxi to a propane gase depot where they will find their next clue. I was half expecting to see Hank Hill wander out to try and sell propane and propane accessories, ah well, wrong network. The teams find a ROADBLOCK at the propane station. In this roadblock, one team member needs to assume the duties of a propane delivery person and make two deliveries of three tanks each on bicycle. The important thing they are supposed to remember is that they need to retun with the original delivery ticket AND a confirmation ticket from the patron. The team members that attemot this task are: TK, Ronald, Nicolas, Jennifer and Kynt. It was quite a heavy task, as most of the deliveries were not on the first floor and were in buildings without elevators. Just in case you were wondering about the U-turn, Kynt & Vyxsin used it in an attempt to slow down Nicolas & Donald. The only problem with that was that Nicoals & Donald were WAY ahead of them. If Kynt was a little smarter, they would have U-turned Nathan & Jennifer who were (or so it appeared) neck and neck with them. Ah, well, hindsight is 20/20.

Once delivery of the propane is completed, the last clue tells the teams to make their way to the Bandra Fort, the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. They are to travel once again by rickshaw. They are motorized rickshaws, just in case you were wondering. The teams arrived at the Pit Stop in the following order:

1. TK & Rachel who win a trip to St. Martin

2. Nicolas & Donald

3. Ronald & Christina

4. Nathan & Jennifer

5. Kynt & Vyxsin, who are elimiated from the race. Bummer.

The only glimmer of light I have is that Nathan & Jennifer are at the end of the pack, and I can hope they will be eliminated next week, because I am so sick of them it is not even funny. One last word, sorry for the lateness of the reviews these two weeks, but the holidays and my new job are killing me. Next week will be on time. Promise!

Photo: © 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc./Chris Castallo

Teams arrive at the bus station to find that the first bus leaves at 5:00, which surprisingly leaves Ron, Christina, Kynt, Vyxsin, Nathan and Jennifer in good stead, seeing as how the other teams will not be able to catch that bus. TK & Rachel are all on their own bus, and Nicolas & Donald further behind yet. However, all the teams make it on the same ferry to Ancona. Can I just say that Kynt's Boy George hat takes me right back to school dances in the early 80's. I LOVED my chartreuse dress! No, really. Anyway, the teams take off running when they get off the ferry and everyone but TK & Rachel run right past the clue.

Teams now must drive themselves to the town of Empoli in the heart of Tuscany, where they will make their way to an airfield to find their next clue. To add to the fun, teams have been given a Blackberry. Phil tells us that sometime during their 200 mile drive, they will receive a message. But, they are not allowed to use it for any other purpose. I love watching them leave all together in cars. It always reminds me of Mario Cart gone haywire. At least in Mario cart, you know where you are supposed to be going (well most of the time).

Everyone then realizes they have no idea where they are going and accordingly stops for directions. Nathan & Jennifer get directions from someone that tells them a "short-cut" that they should avoid Bologna and go through Forli. TK & Rachel are told to get their via Rome then Florence, and all the other teams are told to head for Bologna then Florence then Empoli. TK & Rachel freak out because they cannot find their clue (they left it at the cafe where they got directions) and pull over to search the car. Die-hard race fans will remember that they have to have each clue when they check in at the Pit Stop, or they have to go back and get it. Well, they back track and find it at the cafe. Although, I think it would have been more interesting if they would not have been able to find it.

While on the trip the message they get on the Blackberry is an exciting side trip opportunity with a secret leg up. No, not true. It is just the mushy I miss you notes from family and friends. We do however, find out that TK stands for Thomas Kyle.

The road to Bologna reveals lots of traffic and a detour that has nothing to do with the race. The teams are detoured off the highway one exit before the stop they wanted. Meanwhile, Nathan & Jennifer arrive at the airfield in Empoil and grab the #1 marker. Tk & Rachel grab #2.

The clue they pick up here is a Roadblock (with a Fast Forward tucked in). In this roadblock, one team member must soar in an ultralight over the tuscan countryside looking for the name of their next destination. When they think they see it, they must motion to their pilot to bring them back down. Once on the ground, they tell the pilot the word and if they are correct, the pilot will hande them their next clue. There is a 30 minute flight time limit, so if they have not found it by then, they must land to refuel. The password is Vinci.

The Fast Forward is the only of its kind in this race. The first team to find and complete a Fast Forward can skip all the tasks laying ahead and go directly to the Pit Stop. But beware, if you finish the task, but are not the first team to do so, you will have go go back and do all the other tasks you were hoping to skip. This FF takes the teams to Fabio studio for a seafaring tradition. This tradition happens to be tatooing. They must each get a premanant tatoo of the letters ff in order to get the clue. Now, I have always wanted a tatoo, but I would prefer it to be one of my choosing, not CBS'.

Ronald & Christina argue about the task, Donald & Jonahtan decide to try the Fast Forward, and Kynt & Vyxsin are still lost in Italy. Nathan manages to find Vinci first, and they get their next clue. Teams must now drive themselves to Vinci, home of you guessed it, Leonardo DaVinci. Nathan & Jennifer arrive at the DaVinci estate where they search for their next clue. Meanwhile, Donald & Jonathan get their matching tatoos and head for the Pit Stop. I am not going to tell you where it is just yet, or if they come in first, you will just have to keep reading to find out. Back to Vinci...Nathan & Jennifer find a Detour. In this Detour, teams must choose between Invention or Tradition. In invention, teams travel to a courtyard where they must assemble a crane designed by DaVinci and lift a huge stone 1 foot off the ground. Once this is done, they can place a mirror under the rock to find the name of their next destination. In tradition, teams must find a Piazza where they will learn a traditional flag routine. When they have executed the routine correctly, they will be handed a flag with the name of their next destination.

Kynt & Vyxsin catch up to Tk & Rachel who are still searching for Vinci. Nathan & Jennifer attempt to learn the flag routine. Let's just say that Nathan was not a member of his high school flag team. But they do manage to get it after a few tries. The flag says Boboli Gardens, Florence and they head off. Ronald & Christina also try their hand at flag throwing and are succesful. Kynt & Vyxsin want to try invention, but change their mind and go to Tradition. There is a little tiff on the way to the next detour and have car trouble. They have to leave their car and jog to the next place because they do not want to waste time waiting for a replacement car. TK & Rachel manage to finish the invention and get going, only to blow a tire along the way. Meanwhile, Kynt & Vyxsin's replacement car is ready when they return from finishing the flag task.

The Pit Stop is indeed the Boboli Gardens in Florence. The teams arrive in the following order:

1. Donald & Jonathan who win a trip to Cancun

2. Nathan & Jennifer who still have not had a chance to come in first

3. Ronald & Christina

4. Tk & Rachel

5. Kynt & Vyxsin who are NOT eliminated from the race. Woo Hoo!
But there is a catch.

Phil tells them that sometime in the next leg they will hit a Speedbump. It will be a task that only they will be required to complete while the other teams keep racing. They will not be forewarned and may have to work extra hard to catch up. We shall see next week.

As is also the custom on this show, teams start worrying and second-guessing themselves when they see another team doing something else. Ronald & Christina shared the secret of the Pol Air flight they are already reserved on with Azaria & Hendekea. So, Azaria & Hendekea head off to find a phone to Pol Air. Kynt & Vyxsin head to an open travel agent, and unwittingly cause consternation to the other teams. The only teams that do not get out of line to check up on what they are doing are Tk & Rachel and Nicolas & Donald. (who instead of being the last ones in line are now the second -- smart move).

Finally, the Czech Air worker shows up to open shop. TK & Rachel get on the flight without a problem. Kynt & Vyxsin book the flight with Pol Air, seeing as how it leaves later and arrives at the same time. On the Czech Air flight is also Nicolas & Donald. Nathan & Jennifer freak out when the Czech Air agent tells them that she cannot book a flight for them because it is too late and the flight is closed. Whoops! Guess you should have stayed in line. On the Pol Air flight is also Nathan & Jennifer. Azaria & Hendekea's first set of tickets were Business Class, FYI, teams are not allowed to fly anything but economy. Their run back to the ticket agent does not help them though, the flight leaves without them and they catch a flight through Frankfurt that will get them there supposedly later.

The first flight out was super-duper late arriving for their next flight, so TK & Rachel and Nicolas & Donald miss their connecting flight to Croatia. TK & Rachel manage to get on a flight through Vienna, but Nicolas & Donald are not so lucky. They catch a flight through Zagreb. The original second flight arrives just on time at 11:20 in Croatia. Teams start arriving and searching for their next clue. When found, it contains a ROADBLOCK that asks "Who has a builder's eye?". In this task, one team member must help with the renovation of Dubrovnik's city walls that have been damaged by repeated bombings in the 90's. They must search through a pile of 150 stones for one of 8 stones that will fit a specific groove in the wall. Once found and placed, a stone mason will hand them their next clue.

Nathan & Jennifer and Kynt & Vyxsin are having much trouble finding the first clue. Ronald & Christina are the first ones to arrive and Ronald finishes this task in a relatively short period of time. Kynt and Nathan finally arrive and start trying to fit in pieces. Nathan finishes first. Rachel arrives next and makes short work of it. Donald is the mason of his team and takes his time completing this task. Azaria finds the right rock for their team.

The next clue sends the teams to the roof of the Fort of St. Lawrence where they will ride a tandem zip line across the water to the top of another tower where they will get their next clue. Ronald & Christina zip their way over and get their DETOUR. In this detour, teams must choose between Long and Short or Short and Long. In Short and Long, teams must repel down to the base of the fort and must follow a marked path to a rope ladder that they must use to scale the wall. Once at the top, they must travel on foot through Dubrovnik's streets to a plaza where they will find their next clue. The hard physical task is relatively short, but they will have a long and possibly somewhat confusing walk to the plaza. In Long and Short, teams must use another zip line to plunge into the waters below. Once at the bottom, they will swim to a floating platform where they will choose a small fishing boat that they must then row around the harbor to get to the same plaza and find the next clue. So, this one has a long physical ordeal, but a short find once the task is done.

Ronald & Christina choose Long & Short. I am not sure how good that is for his hernia. Guess I'm gonna find out. Nathan & Jennifer also choose Long & Short. It must seem even longer since they are fighting the entire ride around the harbor. Kynt & Vyxsin choose Short & Long. TK & Rachel choose Short & Long. Donald & Christina choose Long & Short. Hendekea and Rachel choose Long & Short.

Nathan & Jennifer find their way to the clue first and learn that they must mow travel by taxi 4 miles away to the Stone Cross which is the pit stop for this leg of the race. Ronald & Christina are right behind them, but manage to sneak ahead as Nathan & Jennifer are denied a taxi ride because they are wet. HA! Here we go again, more whining about fairness. It's a RACE! Deal with it. They manage to get a ride from a kind Samaritan (well, Croatian).

The first team to arrive at the Pit Stop is: 1. Ronald & Christina who have won a catamaran.

Now this is interesting, Nathan & Jennifer get to the Cross second, but Phil tells them that they did not take legal transportation to get here. They have to go back and get a taxi to take them like the clue says before they can be checked in. Again, HA!

2. Kynt & Vyxsin

3. Nathan & Jennifer

4. TK & Rachel

5. Nicolas & Donald

6. Azaria & Hendekea who are eliminated from the race.

Now this is something that has been the talk on a few blogs, there has not been a non-elimination round yet. Phil did say in the first episode that there would be the standard 3 non-elimination rounds, but they have not shown up yet. There is a rumor that there are no elimination rounds this time around. It may be so seeing as how we are down to 5 teams. Hm. Any opinions? Thoughts? See ya in TWO weeks, according to the preview of next week. ]]> tag:www.tvfodder.com,2007:/amazing_race//15.2902 2007-12-03T03:34:20Z 2007-12-03T16:43:21Z

I must say that I thought this week was fairly uneventful. Ah, well, they can't all be gems.

Here we go....the first clue of this leg sends the teams racing off to the airport trying to find flights to Vilnius, Lithuania. Once here they must get in a marked car and drive themselves to Saint Anne's church, where they will find their next clue. They are told that they can only purchase tickets through a ticket agent, and are sad to see that the agents are not yet open when they arrive at the airport. Some head off to the internet to do research. (yawn)

Ronald & Christina are the first to leave the mob at the internet place in search of an open ticket agent. They actually find one that is open and book a flight to Paris then to Lithuania. The kindest thing I can say about that, is I feel for Christina. Everyone flies into Paris, but there are multiple connecting flights to Vilnius. They go via Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Prague. Now, Nicolas is a pilot, right? Then why is he so brainless when it comes to air travel? He claims that his trouble came from a language barrier, but I think it is his lack of patience. Hm. Shana & Jennifer are bickering over the previous U-turn and trying to be secretive around the other teams. Now, the question here is, are they paranoid because they are have an impending sense of karma-doom? Or are they paranoid because it is part of their nature? You be the judge.

Teams on the Amsterdam flight are Azaria & Hendekea and Nathan & Jennifer. Flying through Frankfurt are Kynt & Vyxsin, TK & Rachel and Nicolas & Douglas. Flying through Prague are Ron & Christina. The first flight to arrive is the one from Amsterdam. Frankfurt comes in next, and Prague last. Teams look for their cars and maps to be able to find the church. I love it when people drive without checking (much less knowing) where they are going. Ron & Christina hire a taxi to preceed them, but Nicoals & Douglas get there first to find a ROADBLOCK that asks " Who is a good listener?"

In this roadblock , one team member must become a Lithuanian messenger. They choose a woman working out doors, she hands them a package and tells them where to take it. Travelling on foot, they must find and deliver their package to the person they were told. When found, this person will give them another package that must be delivered to one of four destinations. Upon reaching the destination, they will get their next clue.

Remember how I said Nicolas & Donald got there first? Well, they left last.Nicolas was having difficulty finding the second destination. To be fair, so does Hendekea. It seems that no one knows where their place is. Kynt & Vyxsin were the first to get the next clue. They must drive themselves to the Lithuanian museum in Rumsiskes. It is an outdoor lithographic museum. They will find their next clue here.

The museum clue is gnomes, gnomes everywhere. According to Phil, Lithuania is the land of gnomes. Here is the blatant sponsor advertisement. Teams must scour this village to find the roaming Travelocity gnome and bring him along for the rest of the leg to the Pit Stop. On the upside, Vyxsin says it is easier to transport the gnome than the live chicken they had in Africa. The gnome clue leads them to a DETOUR.

In this Detour, teams must choose between two Lithuanian activities played out during a mid summer festival. The choices: Count Down or Step Up. In Count Down, teams must find a huge section of picket fence, count each slat and report it to a villager. If they are correct, they will get their next clue. In Step Up, teams must travel along a relatively short distance while on stilts. If they fall off, they must start over again at the beginnig. The most fun of this was watching the villagers all dressed in costumes trying to make the counters miscount. Well, maybe watching people fall off the stils too. I dunno I am conflicted.

Counting Down: Jennifer & Nathan (who switch and step up), Azaria & Hendekea, Nicolas & Donald and Shana & Jennifer. Stepping Up: Kynt & Vyxsin (who gave up and ended up counting), TK & Rachel (who should seriously consider a pant fabric OTHER than spandex), Ronald & Christina. I need to take a moment to let you all know that Jennifer seriously needs to chill out. I think she still isn't over Arazria & Hendekea beating them on the precious leg. Breathe girl.

TK & Rachel are the first to complete the task and get the next clue which tells them to travel on foot to the next Pit Stop the Aukstaitija Windmill. It is a working mill from the 1800's. Teams arrive at the Pit Stop in the following order:

1. TK & Rachel who win a trip from (guess who) Travelocity to Japan

2. Kynt & Vyxsin

3. Ronald & Christina

4. Nathan & Jennifer

5. Nicolas & Donald

6. Shana & Jennifer who are eliminated from the race (thank you)

All in all, I thought it was a pretty ho-hum leg. The challenges seemed easy, granted, I didn't have to DO any of them, but I guess I expected more. Maybe next week will be better.

Photo: © 2007 CBS/Robert Voets

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The taxi rides are pretty uneventful. I neglected to mention that it is a 100 mile ride. Teams are searching a large open area for the clue box. Nathan & Jennifer find it first. This clue contains a DETOUR. In this detour, teams choose between "Shake Your Pan" or "Shake Your Booty". In Shake Your Pan, teams must choose a gold mining pit where they must mine at least one ounce of gold to take to their next destination. In Shake Your Booty, teams must learn a traditional local dance. They will perform it for a panel of local celebrities, as they add their own flair to the dance. If the judges like the dance, they will get their next clue, if not, they will incur a 10 minute penalty.

Teams that Shook their booty: Nathan & Jennifer -- lots of stomping and kicking. The judges were not impressed. Penalty incurred. Azaria & Hendekea -- more stomping, with more originality. Judges approved, and get their next clue. Ronald & Christina -- incorporated more uh, modern (maybe) jumping and butt bopping. Judges did not like their free creativity. Penalty incurred. Kynt & Vyxsin -- lots of stick waving and stomping. Judges were very impressed, clue received. Shana & Jennifer -- someone should have told them that they really looked like strippers on a runway, crawling, head rolling. Judges were actually impressed, I guess they don't get to strip clubs much. Jason & Lorena -- lot's of shaking and jumping and sick waving. Judges were impressed clue received.

Teams that Shook their pan: TK & Rachel, Nicolas & Donald who got through it pretty well.

The next clue sends the teams walking back to the Pelegtanga Market to find their next clue. They are warned that there is a U-Turn ahead. The new concept is quite evil. You all remember a Yield will stop a team for a certain period of time. In a U-Turn, a team can choose to send another team back to the Detour where they have to complete the task that they did not choose before they can go on. Evil I say evil! I LOVE IT! Phil tells us that there are only two U-Turns in the race. Like a Yield, you can only use one per race, so they must choose wisely. Shana & Jennifer decide to U-Turn Jason & Lorena since they mistook TK & Rachel for Jason & Lorena. Lucky for TK & Rachel. It is a game people, don't get all bent out of shape. Lorena & Jason were pretty bummed out about going back, but they did it.

After choosing whether or not to U-Turn a team, the clue sends to teams back by taxi to the Ouagadougou market where they will find their next clue at the Tampouy Goat Market. Once at the goat market, the teams find out that they have a ROADBLOCK that asks "Who's ready for a juggling act?" In this roadblock, one team member must load a bicycle with a ton of supplies including a live goat and they must ride the bike like a traditional delivery person to a specified vendor where they deliver the supplies in exchange for thier next clue. These poor little kids (baby goats, that is) are tied into baskets so they don't fall out. It is bulky but not too bad. Well, except for Ronald bugging Christina the whole time she is loading up her bike, Vyxsin who had trouble loading her bike, and Rachel who had lots of trouble finding her way around. No street signs to let you know where you are going.

Upon reaching their vendor, the clue they get sends them via taxi to the Hotel De Ville, which is the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. This is the City Hall and Mayor's Seat. It was a foot race for first place. And the winners were:
1. Azaria & Hendekea -- who won motorscooters.

2. Jennifer & Nathan -- with Jennfier screaming at them "come on, you've already won first the last two times" YOU WHINER! Let me tell you a secret: It's a race dumba$$!

3. Ronald & Christina

4. Nicolas & Donald

5. Kyn & Vyxsin

6. Shana & Jennifer

7. TK & Rachel

8. Lorena & Jason who were elimiated from the race.

I wonder if they will get out of Africa next week? See ya then!

Photo: © 2007 CBS/Robert Voets

Ronald & Christina and Pat & Kate stop at an inn to use the Internet to see if they can get some flight information. It seems like a good idea, especially when the other teams arrive at the airport and find that Aer Lingus doesn't open until 6:00, but I am not sure if it did them any good. There is a flight to Dublin with a layover to Amsterdam. Lots of seats on the Dublin flight, not many on the Amsterdam flight. Technically Donald & Nicolas are in line and helped before Jennifer and Nathan, but their ticket agent is slower, so Jennifer & Nathan manage to get on both flights, leaving Donald & Nicolas out. Ouch. Teams that made it on both flights: Azaria & Hendekea, Tk & Rachel, Kynt & Vyxsin, Lorena & Jason and Nathan & Jennifer. Mariana & Julia took the long way to the airport and are not able to get on the first flight to Dublin with the rest of the teams. They have to wait for the next flight.

Ronald & Christina and Donald & Nicolas are trying to get to be the first standby name called for the Amsterdam flight. Nicolas was being rather pushy and rude, which for those of you in the service industry, is not endearing. I know when I have a rude pushy person that I am helping, I purposely go slower. Yes, I know, but passive-aggressive can work sometimes. Ronald gave Nicolas quite a talking too for being rude. It was interesting too see Ronald get so upset. Hmm...poor Christina. Unfortunately, Donald & Nicolas were the ones able to get on the flight. The rest of the teams, including Mariana & Julia are on the second flight.

At the train station, Azaria & Hendekea just get on the train assuming to pay as it is in motion. The other teams stop to purchase tickets at the counter, and do not make it to the train. The next clue they find is a DETOUR. In this detour, teams have to choose between Hoist It or Hunt It. In Hoist It, teams must use a traditional rope and pulley system to hoist 5 pieces of furniture up to an Amsterdam loft. Once all the items are inside, they will get their next clue. In Hunt It, teams must teams make their way on foot to a parking lot where they will search through hundreds of bicycles to find the two that match the color scheme they have been given. Hoisting It : Kynt & Vyxsin (hoister), Lorena & Jason (hoister), Shana (hoister) & Jennifer, Nathan & Jennifer (eventual hoister), TK (hoister) & Rachel (eventual hoister) Hunting It: Azaria & Hendekea, Nicolas & Donald, Ronald & Christina, Kate & Pat, and Mariana & Julia. Lots of teams have trouble hoisting and it almost lets other teams from the second flight catch up. The only team that really was in trouble was Tk & Rachel, well they didn't have so much trouble after Rachel started to do the hoisting. You go girl! Actually, all the girls that hoisted did great. Girl Power!

First ones done hoisting were Lorena & Jason. The clue they got told them to travel by bus to to village or Ransdorp. Once there, they have to search the marked field for their next clue. Once opened, this clue was a ROADBLOCK. In this roadblock, one team member must master the skill of ditch vaulting. It involves using a pole to hurl yourself over a water filled ditch. They must complete a singe vault, without falling in the water and touching both feet to the grass on the other side. Once across, they can get their next clue and return to their teammate any way they like. I foresee lots and lots of muddy contestants. Vaulters are Jason, Shana, Jennifer, Hendekea, Kynt, Donald (and I must say it takes quite a nerve to strip down to your speedo -- no really -- to attempt this jump), Christina, Mariana ( I think, I am having trouble telling them apart), and Kate.

The next clue has them take a dutch cargo bike also called a bakfiets and ride it through the countryside in search of a marked drop off point at the Pit Stop for this leg, the Durgerdam Yacht Club. The teams arrived in the following order:

1. Lorena & Jason who won all terrain sports bikes.

2. Nathan & Jennifer

3. Shana & Jennifer

4. Kynt & Vyxsin

5. Azaria & Hendekea

6. TK & Rachel

7. Mariana & Julia

8. Nicolas & Donald

9. Ronald & Christina

10. Kate & Pat -- who are eliminated from the race

Best quote from one of the sisters "Mister Miyagi runs like the wind, so we better watch out." Loved it! Almost makes me want to watch Karate Kid again. I said ALMOST! But there is a close second with Kynt's "I'm kinda prissy." On a more serious note, I feel for Christina. Saying that Ronald is intense is being very mild. He was so incensed at Nicolas' treatment of the airline worker, yet he has no problem taking Christina down a few pegs.

There will be 11 legs to this race. 8 of them are elimination rounds where the last team to check in will be eliminated. As Phil drops his arm and says GO, the teams race to their backpacks in search of their first clue. It tells them to fly to Shannon, Ireland. They hop in the provided SUV's to get to LAX. Nicolas & Donald jumped in the first car, effectively blocking everyone else from leaving the drive. Rather than just taking off, they waited, counted their money and then left only after the rest of the teams bombarded them with honks.

As usual, teams drive off pell-mell without thinking about where they are going. Azaria & Hendekea manage to turn the correct way, but get worried later and turn back. Lorena & Jason are familiar with LA and LAX and know exactly how to get to the airport. They are followed by Nathan & Jennifer, Kate & Pat, Ronald & Christina and Shana & Jennifer. The rest go the wrong way and take longer to get there, which they think puts them at a disadvantage.

Teams on the first flight are Lorena & Jason, Shana & Jennifer, Kate & Pat, Mariana & Julia and Nathan & Jennifer. All of the rest end up on the second flight. Before departure, there is a small alliance formed already between Ronald & Christina and Azaria & Hendekea. They find someone to lend them use of their lap top and call ahead for two taxis to meet them at the airport when they arrive.

Remember how bummed out the people on the second flight were? Well, they ended up arriving first due to a delay in the other flight's lay-over. See, sometimes it is Ok to catch a later flight.

Now, for the treachery! Ari & Staella stole Ronald & Christina's taxi right out from under them. It was only after they had been driving for a while that the driver realized that he had the wrong people. At least he felt bad. Ari was gleeful in their "coup". I even recall him saying something to the effect of -- I'm not worried about Karma. Well, OK.

Teams arrived at Rossaveal Ferry Port to board a ferry to Inis Mor Island, where they need to find Teampall Bheanain, the world's smallest church. Upon arrival they had to sign up for one of three ferry times 8:00. 8:30 and 9:30. 8:00 had Lorena & Jason, Kynt & Vyxsin and TK & Rachel. 8:30 had Ari & Staella, Nathan & Jennifer and Azaria & Hendekea. 9:30 had Ronald & Christina, Shana & Jennifer, Kate & Pat, Nicolas & Donald and Mariana & Julia. On the run to sign up for ferry times, Donald tripped and ended up being the first blood vicitim. Don't worry he's OK. Jennifer & Nathan argue because she is not a "long-distance sprinter" (her words not mine), and freaks out when Nathan starts to say to her "All the other girls..." Yeah, I think I see this couple going places.

The next clue teams recieved told them they had to drive 42 miles to Cleggan Farm where they would ride a tandem bike to get to their next clue. The first three teams got directions from locals (I LOVE Irish accents!). Now, here is why Jason annoys me: They all have the same directions and he turns the wrong way. Lorena tells him the other teams are not with them, and he ignores her. She tells them they are going the wrong way, he says no we're not the other teams are just far away. Don't worry Lorena you have directions too! She retorts with Yes, and they say we should be going the OTHER WAY! Does he turn around? Nope. And here I thought you were smart up until now.

TK & Rachel get ahead of Kynt & Vyxsin as their tandem bike breaks down. Once the teams get their next clue, they find a ROADBLOCK. In this Roadblock, one team member must pedal a high-wire bicycle over 200 feet int he air, while their teammate hangs suspended below for the ride. Yikes!

The teams receive their next clue which tells them to pick a donkey and load it up with 15 pieces of peat and lead the donkey back to the farm entrance to receive their next clue. It was readily apparent that teams with animal lovers that were kind to their donkeys made the best progress. Ari threatening to eat his donkey if it wouldn't move, did not endear me to him in the least.

The new clue told teams to drive themselves 13 miles to the Pit Stop for this leg of the race at Connemara Heritage Center, a tribute to the agricultural roots of Ireland.

The teams arrived at the Pit Stop in the following order:

1. Azaria & Hendekea who won a trip to Canada (eh)

2. Kynt & Vyxsin

3. TK & Rachel

4. Jason & Lorena

5. Nicolas & Donald

6. Shana & Jennifer

7. Ronald & Christina

8. Kate & Pat

9. Mariana & Julia

10. Nathan & Jennifer

11. Ari & Staella -- eliminated from the race.

Well, I cannot say that I am sorry to see this team go. I doubt I would have lasted a whole race listening to Ari. Guess you should have been worried about Karma, huh? Tune in next week for more exciting race and exotic locations! ]]> tag:www.tvfodder.com,2007:/amazing_race//15.2749 2007-11-01T14:54:46Z 2007-11-02T16:17:59Z

CBS has just announced the teams for The Amazing Race 12! There are 11 teams to start this race. All of this information comes from the CBS Amazing Race page. The teams are (in no particular order)

1. Kynt & Vyxsin -- Dating Goths (no I am not making this up) from Louisville, Kentucky. They have been an on again, off again couple for a few years.

2. Jennifer & Nathan -- Dating (not goths) from Huntington Beach and Fountain Valley, California. They met in college and have been on again off again for a couple of years.

3. Ronald & Christina -- Father/Daughter team from Tacoma, Washington and Washington, D.C. They have been together for 26 years (Christina's age).

4. Shana & Jennifer -- friends from Los Angeles, California. They are an actress and legal assistant, respectively and have been friends for 6 years.

5. Azaria & Hendekea -- Brother/Sister team from New Orleans. Louisiana and Torrance, California. They describe each other as confrontational and irrational -- hmmm wonder when the first blow up will be.

6. Lorena & Jason -- Dating Couple from Sherman Oaks, California. They have been dating for three years and also live together.

7. Nicolas & Donald -- Grandson/Grandfather team from Chicago, Illinois (GO CHICAGO) and Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Nicolas is a pilot and thinks that will give them an edge. Guess he doesn't think his 68 year old Grandpa will slow him down.

8. Ari & Staella -- Best Friends from Long Beach and Fountain Valley, California. Hmm, I wonder if they know Jennifer and Nathan. Ari says he's mean and rude. Should be interesting.

9. Mariana & Julia -- Sisters from Miami, Florida. Are they best friends or worst enemies? Both! Good for us.

10. Rachel & TK -- Dating Couple from Huntington Beach, California. They are the newbies on the dating scene as they have only been dating about a year.

11. Kate & Pat -- Married ministers from Thousand Oaks, California. They have been married for three years, but together for 10.

It never ceases to amaze me how couples like to go on this show to "test their relationship". Does is really ever turn out the way they expect? At least it makes for fun television! Also, it seems to me that we have a LOT of teams from California. There are six and a half in total. Big odds in favor of a California team winning. It looks like a ton of fun this season. Can't wait!

The Amazing Race 12 premieres this Sunday, November 4th! Check your local listings for times -- and don't forget about fall back!

Photo: © 2007 CBS Broadcasting Inc./Robert Voets

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The final leg of The Amazing Race All Stars was much less than amazing. I actually think that this was one of the more boring legs of the race. Too bad. So, teams left in the order they arrived. Dustin & Kandice get their clue first. It sends them to Honolulu, Hawaii. They race to the airport and find a flight via Tokyo that will get them in at 7:40 the next day. Eric & Danielle and Charla & Mirna get on a later flight out of Guam, but all the teams are booked on the same flight to Honolulu. Now, here’s where things get interesting. Charla & Mirna read the departure board and see a different flight to Honolulu. They beg their way onto the flight that will get them to Honolulu 40 minutes earlier than the other two teams.

Meanwhile on the other plane, Dustin, Kandice, Eric and Danielle are all wondering where Charla & Mirna are. They marvel at how they manage to get flights that no one else knows about. Duh! They read the boards and take the time to find out. If you took more time, you would be just as smart.

Charla & Mirna arrive in Honolulu and take a taxi to the Kamaka Air Hanger where they must sign up for charter helicopter flights leaving 10 minutes apart. Needless to say, Charla & Mirna arrive first, Eric & Danielle second and Dustin & Kandice third.

The charter flight takes them to the island of Lanai where they will find a jeep and drive themselves to Kaumalapau harbor where they will get their next clue from a man in ceremonial Hawaiian dress. The clue they receive here is a Detour. In this Detour teams choose between Under and Over. In Under teams must go to an underwater cave and time their entrance to dive underneath and grab the clue. In Over, teams must stand on paddleboards and paddle themselves to a buoy with a clue on it. Charla & Mirna chose Over. The other two teams chose Under. It took a while for Dustin & Kandice to complete this task. They were having difficulty timing their dive.

Charla & Mirna get to their clue first and see that they must now travel to Shipwreck Beach which has a WWII cargo vessel beached not too far off shore. The terrain at this beach makes it easy for Eric & Danielle and Dustin& Kandice to catch up and surpass Charla & Mirna. Upon arriving here, teams get their next clue which tells them to get in a kayak and paddle out to a buoy near the shipwreck. Their next clue is attached to the buoy. Eric & Danielle seem to have little trouble getting to the buoy, while Dustin & Kandice and Charla & Mirna have a much harder time. Dustin & Kandice cannot agree on how to approach the target and end up fighting. Once they finish the task they even have some harsh words for each other. Boo Hoo. See the sympathy?

The next clue sends the teams back to the airport. They must catch a flight to their final destination (hey isn’t that a movie?) city of San Francisco. Once here they must find the Old Mint to get their next clue.

The task at the Old Mint was rather clever. One team member went into a room and answered four questions that gave them a numerical answer. They then used this answer to input a code into a safe. The other member then must go into the same room and guess what answers the previous teammate provided. If they can’t guess within 10 minutes, then the safe opens on its own. If they can guess correctly, it would give them a great advantage. The questions asked are about the 12 teams that began the race.

The questions were: 1. Who is the least trustworthy? 2. Has the best sense of humor? 3. The most over-rated? 4. The ones you would want to stay in touch with? It is pointless to tell you who chose what, as none of the other teammates were able to guess the answers. Once the 10 minutes was up the vaults opened.

This clue told the teams to get to the San Francisco Botanic Garden which is the end of the race. The first team to arrive here will win the race and the 1 million dollars. The teams finished in the following order:
1. Eric & Danielle Congratulations!
2. Dustin & Kandice
3. Charla & Mirna
Well, this is the end of TAR All Stars! I can’t wait to meet new teams and obstacles when TAR starts up again.

Dustin & Kandice manage to get on the 3 am ferry to Hong Kong. Charla & Mirna and Eric & Danielle manage to get on the 4 am ferry. Danny & Oswald get on the 6 am ferry. The first three teams manage to get on the same flight to Tokyo where they will have a layover to Guam. Danny & Oswald miss that flight, but get on another flight to Tokyo that will get them on the same connecting flight, assuming that they will be able to make the connection. Luckily for them, they do manage to barely make the connecting flight, much to the dismay of all the other teams.

When they arrive at their destination, it is closed. Big surprise. All the teams return in the morning and choose an escort. No, not THAT kind of escort you naughty beast. They must then climb up like 7,000 stairs to the top of this tower to get their next clue. (OK, maybe not 7,000). The clue they get is a Detour. The teams can choose between Care Package and Engine Care. In Care package teams must fill up a drop box with 500 pounds of supplies like those that would be dropped off in an aid mission. Once the box is filled, they will take place in an air drop drill sending the package. Not a lot of muscle, but the mission takes at least 30 minutes. In Engine Care teams choose an engine on a bomber and scrub the thing clean. Spotless. Like Military clean. Whew.

Charla & Mirna are the only ones that choose Care Package. The other teams have quite a hard time scrubbing the engines to perfection. Even Dustin & Kandice are not able to work their charm on the Sergeant. Ha Ha. It is dirty hard work but all of them are finished before Charla & Mirna are done with their training exercise. Once they complete this task, the teams find out that they must then drive 20 miles to the US Naval base where a naval escort will take them to their next destination.

Dustin & Kandice are the first to arrive at the Naval Base. Here they are taken to a location where they find a Roadblock that asks them “Who is ready to search far and wide?” In this roadblock one team member must take part in a naval search and rescue operation. Using the provided GPS tracking device, they must find one of four training officers. The office then programs new information into their unit, giving them a new course to follow. Upon reaching this new destination, the team member must call in a helicopter using a radio and smoke grenade to ask for extraction. They will then be airlifted to their teammate and get their next clue.

Dustin actually did a great job on this task. Danielle, on the other hand was less than spectacular. But she just shone compared with Charla. The funniest thing was as she is leaving to go do the task, Mirna tells her. Follow the instructions, you should not press any buttons. Now, this may seem like an obvious statement, but Mirna definitely knows Charla. Charla either can’t help but press the big candy-like buttons, or doesn’t realize that touching the screen IS touching the buttons. Her escort tells her many many many times “Ma’am, I told you not to touch the screen” and has to re-set it all for her. Duh!

Dustin gets back to Kandice first and they get the next clue that tells them to drive 11 miles to the Fort Soledad, the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. The last team to check in here WILL be eliminated. So, obviously they arrive at the Pit Stop and win ATV’s. Woo Hoo.

Back to the rest of the race: Danny & Oswald manage to catch up and start running this leg too. Oswald takes off and does pretty well. He manages to get in the area he is looking for but takes a while to find the instructor hiding in the bushes. Charla also finally finds an instructor, and Danielle manages to get airlifted. Charla finally finds her way back ahead of Oswald. It looks like a real race to the finish.

The teams arrived in the following order:
1. Dustin & Kandice
2. Eric & Danielle
3. Charla & Mirna
4. Danny & Oswald
So, Danny & Oswald are really eliminated this time and not able to finish the race. I wonder what will happen next week. They are hoping that Charla & Mirna will win. I wonder if they will get their wish.

Danny & Oswald spent all of their extra cash on the last leg of the race and are worried that they might run out for this leg, but they manage to get on the ferry without any confusion or delay (I must have been watching too much Thomas the Tank Engine with my daughter today). Dustin & Kandice are off next.

The rickshaw clue tells them to take a taxi to the tallest structure in Macau. They must figure out that it is the Macau Tower, get there and search for their next clue. Caution: there is a Yield ahead. Uh, oh could be trouble. Dustin & Kandice could be in big trouble. Unless, day Danny & Oswald are so desperate for money that they offer to yield whomever Dustin & Kandice want in exchange for some extra cash. Ho ho ho things just got a bit dirtier. They pay $45 to have Danny & Oswald yield Eric & Danielle. (insert appropriate music here).

The doors to the tower open and three teams rush in. Eric & Danielle are still behind. Now, here’s the kicker: Charla offers Danny & Oswald money for free because she knows they are low on cash. Can you hear the bomb dropping? Well, they say it would have been great if they had gotten that offer earlier, but they have made other arrangements for money. Oh, well, Eric & Danielle didn’t really want to win anyway.

The tower itself opens up at 11:00 and when the 3 teams are let in they travel to the 61st floor. Danny & Oswald choose to yield Eric & Danielle, much to the surprise of Charla & Mirna. The next clue is a roadblock. Only one team member can complete this task. They must first step outside and walk the entire perimeter of the observation deck. Then they must attempt the tallest TAR jump ever from the tower. 660 feet. Wow.

The clue they receive when they get to the bottom sends them to the Lo Lim Ioc Garden to search for their next clue. Poor Eric & Danielle were not worried about being yielded. Such a shame! They were not happy to say the least.

Once the teams arrive at the gardens, they find a Detour. The choices, Noodle or Dragon. In Noodle teams must travel 2 miles to a building where they are required to use traditional methods to make 2 bundles of noodles. In Dragon, teams travel 1 mile to a warehouse and choose a Dragon head and drum. They must then carry the items through the town to a shipyard where they will attach the head to a boat to get their next clue.

Danny & Oswald choose Dragon. Dustin & Kandice and Charla & Mirna and Eric & Danielle choose Noodle. Yup, they have caught up. Maybe that Karma is going to bite Danny & Oswald in the butt. Their driver takes them to the end of the task rather than the beginning. Oops!

The Noodle task is not as easy as you might think. They have to straddle and jump on these poles to flatten out the noodles. Then roll them and cut them. Eric & Danielle catch up to the other teams at the noodle factory. Dustin & Kandice are leaving just as they arrive. Eric & Danielle actually manage to finish ahead of Charla & Mirna who have cut their first batch of noodles too thick. Meanwhile Danny & Oswald have gotten themselves lost trying to find the dock again. Karma…it’ll get you every time.

The clue from the Noodle factory sends the teams 1 mile to another street. They must figure out that they are looking for a mini moke. They will choose one to get their next clue. They must drive themselves to the island of Taipa and find Triho De Taipa Pequena 2000. It is the Pit Stop for this leg of the race. The last team to check in here, may be eliminated.

Dustin & Kandice get their mini moke first and try to get to the Pit Stop. Eric & Danielle don’t have any trouble driving, but Charla & Mirna are having much difficulty getting the car to work. Eric mentioned that it was a reverse stick, I assume that means that the gears are in a different place than they normally would be, perhaps that is the problem.

The teams arrive at the Pit Stop in the following order:
1. Dustin & Kandice
2. Eric & Danielle, but they have a 30 minute penalty
3. Charla & Mirna who are really team 2
4. Danny & Oswald who remain team 4 and are NOT eliminated from the race as this is the last elimination round.

I wonder what will happen next week. Will Eric & Danielle get their revenge? Will Danny & Oswald come from behind? We shall see.

I can’t wait to see who wins next week.