Amazing Race 11

Yes! We'll be back, blogging all the action of Amazing Race All Stars on our Amazing Race 11 Blog. Check it out!

From Spain to New York (E13 - Season Finale)

Teams set out from the last pit stop looking for a local church that has been under construction for the past 124 years. Once there, they had to search the park for their next clue. In the dark, teams had problems finding & searching the right park but all teams eventually located the clue, a black & white of the Eiffel Tower. Teams raced for the airport, where they had to wait until the ticket counters opened at 4am. Rob & Kim got the first flight out at 6am but there was only one seat left, which left the models & Bama to scramble for another flight: the models via Air France @ 7:05am & Bama via Iberia at 7:25am. The saving grace for Bama was that they landed in Orly, which was closer to the Eiffel Tower than the Charles de Gaulle airport, and after a quick taxi ride, they reached the clue box on the third level of the Eiffel Tower first.

Next, teams raced to the train station to take a train to Caen, where they had to locate the airport. All teams were on the 12:25pm train. Once at the Caen Airport, teams found themselves up against a RoadBlock - Who's ready to storm the beach? One team member had to tandem skydive 13,000 ft to Omaha Beach while their partner was taken into an aerial nosedive. Then both team members had to make their way to the Bayeux train station: one on their own by taxi and the other being driven after landing at the beach. Rob bitched and moaned because Kim volunteered to take on the challenge before they found out it was skydiving. But Lynn's face when the pilot took her into the nosedive was priceless!

Once at the train station, teams then had to take a train back into Paris, find the Place de la Concorde and search for their clue. All the teams bought tickets on the 5:23pm train. Trying to think ahead, Rob & Kim decided to go to the local Post Office to change some of their USD to Euros. While they were away from the station, another train pulled in for Caen at 5:10pm. Rob & Kim had a mini panic attack when they got back and both the other teams were gone. Luckily for them, they caught up at Caen for their connecting train to Paris. Once in Paris, the models had problems getting a taxi, while Bama and Rob & Kim raced off for the next clue.

Teams found themselves with a choice as the route marker revealed a Detour. In this Detour, teams had a choice between Art and Fashion. In Art, teams had to pick up a painting and transport it through the streets of Paris to a specific artist in order to get their next clue. In Fashion, teams had to Anatomy Fashions, where they had to create a jacket by cutting & pinning the pieces together in order to get their next clue. Drawing on their "fitting" experience, the models excelled and finished the task before the other teams, who found the designer's "no" to be annoying.

The teams then raced to the airport to catch flights to their final destination..... NEW YORK!! Bama hoped that their luck would hold with Orlay Airport but found out that there were no flights to New York from there and the ticketing agents couldn't help them reserve anything for the other airport. After arriving at the airport first, the models find that the earliest flight is at 8:25am but it's already full. They put themselves on the waitlist but booked seats for a 9:35am flight with another airline. After laying on a sob story, Rob & Kim were able to get tickets for the 8:25am Air France flight. The next morning, Bama & the models wait impatiently to find out if they can get seats on the same flight. Unfortunately for Bama, the models manage to get tickets and join Rob & Kim on the flight. Bama is out of the race before they even get back to the US.

Once in New York, the models and Rob & Kim race to find the Daily News building and the giant globe housed inside. Due to the lack of an EZ pass, the models' taxi zips passed Rob & Kim at the toll. Once they found the building and their next clue, the teams had to locate a sculpture, The Alamo, in the East Village and the young woman in a yellow cap to receive their next and final clue. After some running around, the models reached the sculpture first. Their final clue/task: convince a NY cabbie to drive them to Garrison in Putnam County. Once there, they had to find St. Basil Academy, where they would find their Final Pit Stop. Without much suspense, the models raced to the mat first and won both the race & the million dollars. In a mini twist, Phil had a cell phone that they were allowed to use to call their family members at home to tell them the good news right away.

It was a close race up until the end. The three teams jockeyed for position throughout the entire leg. Each team came in first to one of the clue boxes at least once but in the end it was travel arrangements that spelled the downfall for the two teams that didn't win. Through no fault of their own, too. It could have just as easily been the models who got the taxi that didn't have a toll pass.

Congratulations, Tyler & James!

On the Finale of the Amazing Race....

While trying to confirm whether or not the season finale would be an hour or two hours long, I came across two previews for next Sunday's episode:

Warning!! Spoilers following!!

From the CBS official AR10 website:

Next on the Amazing Race
Sunday, December 10, 8pm ET/PT

One team gets left behind at the train station.
Could this be the end of the race for this duo?

One team struggles to find a route marker. Will
they be able to catch up?

Teams battle it out in the final city. Who will
win "The Amazing Race" and take home the million dollar prize?

From the CTV AR10 website:

Sunday Dec. 10 @ 8pm ET - Race to the Finish -
The final three teams dash to the finish, with the winning pair claiming the $1
million first-place prize.

The duos begin in Alaska and race a team of sled dogs to reach a clue. Next, one member of each team dives into frigid water to claim a clue that tells them to fly to New York City. The final destination is in Flushing Meadows.

I'm not sure how accurate the CTV one is since it kind of reminds me of a previous season.... The one where one team was still in Alaska when the winning team crossed the finish line. Maybe season 1? Yeah, definitely Season 1. It was Team Guido who was still finishing tasks from the previous leg while the other two teams (Rob & Brennan and Frank & Margarita) started on the tasks for the final leg. I can still picture them being tossed up into the air to find their next clue. Now THAT was a great season! Hmmm, wonder if Rob & Brennan will be in the All-Star Season?

Return of the Racers Blog - Amazing Race 10 Blog Mention

I usually post a little excerpt here from the Return of the Racers' Blog on the official Amazing Race site. The blurb this week is rather exciting (not meaning to toot our own horn or anything but it's pretty freaking cool!)

Chip A.
11/24/06 2:55pm

From Gus, Canada
Comment: “Hey Chip, Feel free to stop by our personal Blog on the Amazing Race anytime. We like to give highlights of what has happened, give our “Canadian” insite, and preview other items. It would be an honour to have you comment on any of the posts! http://amazing-race10.blogspot.com/.

Response: Wow! Thanks Gus for the offer and we love Canada..or at least I love Canada. Vancouver and Montreal and Quebec City are my favorites…Toronto is wonderful too.

As for posting on your site, please feel free to take my comments from this site what you may, if CBS says no I will let you know but for now I don’t see that it can hurt and maybe will help build a bigger fan base in Canada so eventually some Canucks will be allowed to compete. I frankly only have limited time to blog here…so cut and paste away and please feel free to have you readers ask questions on this site = increased traffic for all!

Nice email Gus!

For Gus' blog, head to the sidebar, you'll find all the authors' projects listed there. And if you're here via the official Amazing Race site, please leave us a comment we'd love to hear from you!

From Morocco to Spain (E12)

Starting with the models leaving at sunrise, teams race off to Casablanca to locate a local open air market. Everyone seems to be gunning to get the marked for elmination BQs out this leg since they don't see Bama as a threat for the final three. The BQs have noticed the cold shoulder but are happy to have each other. Teams were apprehensive about driving on the winding mountain road because there were no safety guard rails. Along the drive, Kim mistook the goats along the roadside for dogs and then for lambs.

Arriving in Casablanca, teams get help from locals to locate the market. Running into the market, the models find the clue in a small grassy courtyard. The clue is a Roadblock - Who has a tase for the unusual? In this Roadblock, one team member has to locate the Bouchier and get just under a pound of camel meat. They then have to find Cafe 11 then prepare the meat (grind it, season it, skewer it & give to Mohamed to grill) and then eat it to get their next clue. According the the models, it's "like a really good burger". With the help of their guide, the BQs jump passed Rob & Kim and Bama and are just finishing the task when they arrive to search for the clue. None of the teams are happy to see the girls there already. Rob & Kim and Bama had problems find the clue box but seemed to power through the task once they finally did. Karlynn & Rob were feeling the pressure of coming in behind the BQs and heckled Lynn & Kim to eat faster. "Took you long enough" Karlynn to Lynn when she finished. After eating all their camel meat, teams were told to catch a flight to Barcelona, Spain!

At the airport, all teams booked a 4:30pm flight through a travel agency. At the counter, the BQs asked the boys: "If it's a foot race to the mat, could you pretend to trip to let us get to the mat first? Wouldn't you rather have us in the final three than Rob & Kim?" The models didn't reply to them from what I saw but as they were walking away, they said no way. Once in Barcelona, teams raced to catch a taxi to take them to the Parc del Laberinf d'Horta. Unfortunately it was closed and wouldn't reopen until 10am the next day. All teams raced through the high hedge maze to its center to receive their next clue, a Detour. Bama was the first team out of the maze but the BQs, who'd ordered a taxi, and Rob & Kim were the only ones who caught a taxi right away.

For this Detour, teams had a choice between Lug it and Lob it. In Lug it, the models & the BQs had to take a taxi to a local street 4 miles away and find the bridge located along it. Once there, they had to choose a giant costume and put it on. From there, they had to search for a lady in a giant costume at the Carrer de Sant Felip Neri. Both teams arrived at approximately the same time and received their clue minutes apart. In Lob it, Bama and Rob & Kim had to travel 9 miles to the town square and search through a pile of tomatoes for a tiny clue hidden inside one of the tomatoes while locals pelted them with tomatoes. Apparently the tomatoes really hurt on impact because Kim started freaking out, screaming & crying at Rob that she wanted to quit and do the other task. After finding out that the other location was 20 miles away, Rob vetoed that plan and they found their clue shortly after. Teams were then directed to the next Pit Stop.

Teams then raced towards the Palau Nacional of Mont Juic to locate the fountain where the final three would be decided. Keeping in mind that the BQs were marked for elimination, teams raced aggressively for the mat & Phil. On the way to their taxi to head for the pit stop, Karlynn apologized to Lynn for being so moody: "I don't deal with stress well." Rob & Kim were the first team to arrive at the mat where Rob promptly gushed & cried to Phil that "it would just mean a lot to me to win." Bama was next and Phil congratulated them on being the first all female team to make the final three in the history of the Amazing Race (like Rebecca's been pointing out all along). After arriving virtually in each other's pockets, the models raced up the stairs to come in third while the BQs, after following some bad directions, came in last.

Yes, people, it has finally happened. The BQs are gone. For all those that thought I'd be dancing around my apartment after seeing this, you might be surprised. I'm actually a little sorry to see them go. They made the race interesting. I may not have liked their raceplay but they engaged me in an otherwise boring season. Though, I was a little stunned that they'd ask the boys to let them come in first if they tied for the mat. They know that they're a strong team so, why would they think the other teams would want them in the final three. I doubt that if the shoe had been on the other foot, they'd have let the models hit the mat first.

Here's the order I think the teams will hit the final mat:
1st - the models
2nd - Bama
3rd - Rob & Kim

Bama had it right when they said that their ability to stay calm was their strength. The other teams are too emotional and by "other teams" I mean Rob & Kim. The models make dumb decisions. If they think things through, they could win it. But it's almost inevitable that Rob & Kim will freak out at each other and that if they have to drive themselves anywhere, Rob will either get lost or break the car.

So, put it on your calendars, folks! Season Finale next week on Sunday; it's normally two hours so be prepared. Depending on schedules, I'll probably be watching with Gus, one of my co-contributors.

Model Undies

Just read about this on dingorue's site, a post about our favourite lost-in-space, cutie, recovering druggie, Tyler.

When it comes to male models, few are as prolific as those that appear on The Amazing Race. There's Freddy (of Freddy and Kendra), who wound up frolicking in the water for many a Club Med ad. Then there was Brandon, the curly-haired Christian, who's modeled for various and sundry outfitters. And now we have a new spotting. Which Amazing Racer can presently be seen adorning Hanes tighty-whitey packages across the country [TVGasm]

Nice! I'm waiting to see more of the Hippies but I'm sure we'll all get a heavy dose of the old favourites (and not-so-favourites) when the All Star season approaches.

Return of the Racers Blog

Got any questions for past contestants? Chip A., being very active on the Return of the Racers Blog (and very amusing as well) put the call out for fans to contact them so they can answer some FAQ:

Hey fans...Andrew is going to help out and answer some questions...All if you want to as well please email me at chip@arndtstrategies.com.

We have some great new questions...please see past blogs before asking your questions as we are now getting a lot of repeats and we don't want to be rude and not answer you, but if we don't answer you in a few days it is probably a repeat!

Also...for some reason CBS has not turned on this week's episode's blog so our entries will continue to come udnder this week until they fix it. Sorry about that.

Keep the questions coming to either
Andrew at xracerandrew@aol.com or
Chip at chip@merchantadvantage.com

PS. Yes to one question Rob and Kimberly have the worst luck with cars...or is that another kharma thing???? :-)

Amazing Race Episode 11 Recap (From Finland to Morocco)

Live Blogged from the Eastern Feed (5:00pm PT/8:00pm ET)

The Models are the first out of the gate, reading the clue they discover they need to drive to the airport then fly from Kiev, Ukraine to Morocco.

The BQs beat the Models to the ticket booth and book the first flight to Casablanca, then later book the remaining trip to their actual city destination. The Models are a little miffed because they are told the flight the BQs just booked, is full.

Rob & Kimberly discover another flight to Casablanca via Paris and the other teams book as well, all being on the same flight, behind the BQs who need to make their connection although they arrived late at the airport.

Bama is now on a 3 hour layover in Paris, Rob & Kimberly and the Models are on their way to their destination. The BQs are still stuck.

They finally arrive at the airport where the other teams are waiting and hop on the plane. They other teams are upset that their risk, taking different connecting flights, didn't pay off since they're ALL (including the BQs) are all on the same flight.

Seems like the "trick" this season is to pay to follow a taxi. Since the instructions are very specific about driving yourself, following a taxi (if you have enough money) seems to really pay off. In this leg, however, the BQ's driver is now looking for directions. Meanwhile, Bama got themselve a map earlier on and are the first to get to the clue where they all pick up a "good luck charm" to carry to the mat at the end of this leg.

They're now on their way to Atlas Studios and are warned that there is a yield ahead.

Models are parked behind the BQ's - watching them AND their cab driver get directions. Bama breezes past them all and picks up a local to help with directions.

The BQ's are soon mobbed by local mean who swarm their vehicle while they're asking everyone for directions. Harmless, really but everyone seems a lil scared. Nevertheless the BQ's have taken in a passenger to help with directions.

Rob & Kimberly, and the Models get to the clue and since there's only one clue left they all think the BQ's are ahead. They're wrong, it's Bama who's way out in front while the BQ's are getting lost even with their passenger.

Racing toward the yield, the BQ's finally get to the clue and are puzzled as to how Bama took the lead.... "What goes around comes around".

(Commercial Break)

"I can't believe that the BAMA beat us, that's a curveball," the teams are puzzled but they all seem kinda giddy. The Models have expressed how "evil" they think the BQ's are - just because they're fierce competitors. All teams are in line with each other since the gate to the studio doesn't open til morning.

There's a footrace through the gates first thing in the morning and Bama arrives last - the BQ's chose to YIELD them. "They're gonna hate us!"

ROADBLOCK : Who wants to be a gladiator?

One team member must ride a chariot through a course. "We already hated them," Bama discussed their feelings about the BQ's. Rob, Dustin and James all take to their chariots, where the horses seem to be less than cooperative.

Along the course, there were screaming crowds and flags that they needed to grab. With two of them they would complete the task. Dustin grabbed two flags first and stopped racing. Rob and James kept racing their chariots because they both still needed a flag.

Bama is still waiting at the yield as the BQ's leave, and they flip them off as them pass.

They now need to drive to a nearby town and find a cafe for their next clue. BQ's ask Rob and Kim if they want to work together as they both leave the Road Block - "The Beauty Queens are not to be trusted, but we CAN use them from time to time," says Rob as they pair up.

The Models complete the task and take off in their car, passing Rob & Kim and the BQ's since they were stopped, asking for directions. Bama flies through the Road Block with ease and hits the road. The Models are now in the lead and the BQ's decide to follow them instead.

Rob and Kim are driving on a flat tire, which the BQ's notice but don't tell them. Do they not have the WORST luck with cars?

"Bama is good with directions," so the BQ's want to make sure they beat them to the next challenge.

"We're not evil blonds, we're just competitive," while they're passing them on the highway, the BQ's finally lean out the window and alert Rob and Kim of their tire situation. The car they're in has no jack - Bama breeze by them on the road. They comment on how Rob and Kim always have car trouble. Rob throws his hands in the air (as he usually does, maybe he thinks that helps?) and we cut to commercial.

(Commercial Break)

There is a jack but Rob can't get it out. A car stops to help. The Models and BQ's make it to the cafe and grab the next clue: DETOUR.

Throw it or Grind it.

Throw it: Throw two pots on a potter's wheel at a local artisan's shop.

Grind it: The North Africa horse farm. Crush olives and fill pressing sleeves.

At both places, there are only 3 workstations so that means if everyone decides to do the same task, someone will have to wait.

"We have to make the pots dude, it's not actually throwing them," say the Models. Bama arrives at the clue box and the Models decide to head to the detour the BQ's chose - Grow it (the olive task).

Bama decides to do the olive task at the detour as well, "I used to be an art major, that's gonna be tough."

The BQ's just drove by Rob and Kim on their way out of town "we cannot trust these girls," Rob reacts as the BQ's pass RIGHT by. The Models stop and tell them how much further they need to go.

Rob and Kim contemplate going to Throw It, but decide on the olive task at Grow It. All teams are now headed to the same Detour.

The BQ's decide to wing it, but finally ask for directions. They overshot the farm, while Bama and the Models find it right away. As the task is first come, first serve, Rob & Kim and the BQ's are getting a little scared as they're still on the road.

The two teams at the Detour get to grinding the olives. Rob & Kim overshot the farm as well but Kim suggests they head back as she recognized the cars as they passed. 3 teams are working while BQ's arrive last and have to wait. Karma's a bitch eh?

(Commercial Break)

"We yielded them and they're ahead of us, we're in trouble," note the BQ's. The Models and Bama are done their grinding and now have to fill bags with the ground olives. "Let me do this I've done wheelbarrows," says one of the BQ's as they take over the Models' workstation. Bama and the Models now race to a Nomadic Berber camp, which is the next pitstop for this leg of the race.

The Models are notorious for getting lost and Bama is eagle-eyed with their directions as of late. They race along the road discussing the level of evil that is the BQ's. Rob & Kim finish the detour and take off. "How stoked were you when we saw them come in," says Kim as they pass the BQ's who are left behind at the Detour.

The Models race up a desert road toward the mat but drop their "good luck charm". They had already run so far up the path, so they ran BACK down passing Bama, and then BACK to the mat to meet Phil and come in first. Bama is about 30 seconds behind them. They came in second despite being yielded.

"There's no bad karma in a game, you're here to win." The BQ's try to justify their actions while Rob and Kim stop for directions. Both teams are on the road but Rob and Kim reach the location first. They head the WRONG way down the path - away from the mat!

Rob and Kim correct their course and arrive at the mat "duh". They're team number 3. The BQ's run up to the mat, "I feel so numb, I don't even feel like crying." Phil tells them they're having a good day BECAUSE....

...IT'S A NON-ELIMINATION LEG!

They're now marked for elimination and we know the drill - they must arrive first on the next leg. They bask in a fact that everyone is pissed off at them. They yielded someone, they didn't stop when a team had a flat tire... and they love it. They're using it to propel them in the race, no matter who gets hurt. (I can just sense Laura's head exploding at the fact this was non-elimination right now).

Do You Have What it Takes?

For all those out there that think they can do it better, CBS is now casting for Amazing Race 12. For the full contest rules and details, go to CBS' website and fill out an application form: http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race_application/.

Good Luck!

Ah, if only Canadians were allowed and three person teams were the norm then maybe we'd...... Yeah, right! Rebecca & Gus would kill me after 48 hours. Either that or we'd laugh ourselves out of the race. There are just way too many "funny" mishaps that would happen if we were to run the race together.

Now, if there were ever a Canadian version of Amazing Race, we'd totally be there, eh?! Rebecca would rock the geography stuff & travel arrangements, Gus would navigate us & rock the pop culture stuff and I would keep us on track & rock the weird trivia stuff! We'd be set! (And, of course, we'd blog about it for you!)

From Finland to Ukraine (E10)

Since the last episode was a "Keep Racing" leg, the teams behind the models had to complete the run down the tower at the Olympic Stadium before they could move on to their next clues. Teams had to figure out in which country the nuclear disaster at Chernoble took place and then book themselves flights there. Once the teams figured out that their next destination was the Ukraine, they next had to figure out what the capital was. A poor woman at the airport had to tell each team that it was Kiev, or as most of the teams called it "Keev".

The models & the BQs arrived at 1:35pm but due to a flight delay, the other three teams didn't arrive until 2:05pm. Teams had to locate their cars, which had a clue on the window that told them to find the Osler Tank School. Except, of course, it was written in Ukrainian so teams had no clue where they were going. The models & the BQs split the cost of a cab to show them the way, as did Rob & Kim. After getting directions from a local cop, the Chos led the Bamas onto the road only to stop a short way down the road for clearer instructions or a cab to take them further.

At the Osler Tank School, teams found themselves up against a RoadBlock. This time, one racer had to drive a tank through a 1.2 mile obstacle course. James started out ahead of Dustin but after stalling his tank, he fell just behind her and ended up ramming her from behind. Kim powered through it and Godwin pulled ahead of Karlynn. The Chos finished ahead of the Bama girls but decided to wait for them before heading back to Kiev, where teams had to find apartment #33 of building #3. On their way back into the city, the BQs tried to ditch the models by running a red light, which the models also decided to run. But they weren't the only ones to try to ditch their alliance. The Bama girls got tired of waiting for the Chos while they asked for directions and left them behind. Unfortunately for them, the Chos caught up shortly after and followed them to the apartment building.

After finding the right apartment, teams were given clues by an older Ukrainian woman that held the details for the Detour. In Make the Music, teams had to locate a local hip hop club. Once there, the BQs, Rob & Kim and Bama had to not only write & perform a rap but they also had to dress in all the cliche rap gear: baggy pants, backwards hat, oversize sweater & exaggerated bling. In Find the Music, teams had to locate the Conservatory. Once there, the models and the Chos dressed up in full composers gear, searched through piles of sheet music for the piano movement of the "Concert Fantasy" and found a pianist to play it for them. The BQs rap sounded great on paper but they didn't commit to it like the Bama girls, who had the entire club eating out of their hands.

The teams then raced to the next Pit Stop. The models were the first to arrive at the Patriotic War Memorial, a tribute to the victory of WWII, and were awarded a trip for their efforts. Next came the BQs, then Rob & Kimberly and then Bama. Unfortunately, due to some bad navigation on Godwin's part (he turned onto a blocked off street and was pulled over by the police), the Cho brothers were the last to arrive in front of Phil and were eliminated from the race.

Now, while I admire the Chos' gameplay, I am disappointed that they didn't catch onto the backstabbiness of Bama before it was too late. I especially wish they'd figured it out before they'd waited for the Bama girls after beating them at the Roadblock. I think that if they'd stopped being overly cautious about the directions and hadn't waited for them, they could have made it to the mat first. Oh well, without the Chos to help them, I don't think Bama will make it to the final mat first. The only way they'll be able to get ahead of one of the other remaining teams is if the other teams get extremely lost or they happen to get ahead of at least one of them before the yield.

Just one other thing..... does Rob have bad luck with cars, or what?! How many replacement cars have they had so far? Three or four? Rebecca was wondering if he knew how to drive stick. I was wondering if he knows how to drive at all.

Return of the Racers Blog (Episode 9)

Another installment of the 'Return of the Racers' blog [CBS]. Andrew's comments make me giggle and there's still LOTS of talk about an All-Star Episode.

Andrew
11/14/06 11:04 am
I always wondered if they did an All Star season would they bring back all the winners. And the answer has to be no way. The Race is fantastic as it is so diversely cast. So lets compare winners...

Race 1- Good Lookin Alpha Males
Race 2- Good Lookin Alpha Males
Race 3- Nice Guy/Whiney Girl
Race 4- Good Looking Alpha Males
Race 5- Married/Nice African Amers.
Race 6- Nice Guy/Whiney Girl
Race 7- Married/Nice African Amers.
Race 8- Family Style Doesn't count
Race 9- Goofy Males

---

Chip. A
11/13/06 11:20 am


Many more comments to come later, on what I think was the best leg this year...and it isn't over yet, which I love. You think you are all tired of watching this, imagine doing it!

So my comments for early morning...no comments from Chip and Kim, don't you just all miss them promoting their website more than making thoughtful comments on the show on this blog (although I still think you are great Kim and would do the show with you in a second)...I guess their popularity was great and along with BJ and Tyler and maybe Brennan they are all doing ALL STARS. I just hope that John and Al from our season are doing it too....and WIN!!! They deserve it.

The Amazing Race is incredible and everyone keep watching, you have seen nothing yet! The final episodes I am sure will be incredible and it is so exciting to see new creative tasks and now they are testing everyone's reserve tanks of energy.

From Madagascar to Finland (E9)

Teams left last week's Pit Stop with tickets provided to them for a flight to Paris at 9:40pm. They had the choice of whether to use the tickets and then arrange additional flights from there or they could arrange their own flights from the beginning. The show only did this because of the limited number of flights leaving the country. After noticing a flight that was just getting ready to board/check in, the models found a flight that was leaving within an hour and a half for Johannesburg. They, along with the Beauty Queens, Rob & Kim and the Cho's, booked flights arriving in Helsinki at 10:20am via Frankfurt via Johannesburg leaving Madagascar at 5am. For some non-tension filled minutes, it seemed like Bama wouldn't be able to make the flight but, as I said "non-tension, so Bama made the plane with everyone else.

Once in Helsinki, or as the BQs call it "Hell-in-ski", teams took cabs to find the Kappeli cafe where they had to log into their AOL accounts to receive their next clues. Teams were treated to video messages from their loved ones. All teams were excited but Bama, who received messages from their children, were the only ones who cried. After seeing their messages, the cafe owner gave them their next clue. Teams then had to travel by train & taxi 125 miles & locate a local school, where they would have to search the grounds for their next clue.

On the train, Tyler flirted outrageously with the Beauty Queens while he put moisturizer on his face (can you see me rolling my eyes?). Once at their destination, teams had to line up to catch taxis outside the train station. The models & the Beauty Queens jumped in the first available ones while other teams were forced to wait in line, though they didn't. Rob & Kimberly talked their way to the front of the line while Bama just jumped the line even though a business man was persistent in his right to the cab up until the moment they basically shoved him out of the way. Poor Cho's had to wait in line for the next cab: "Being polite sucks sometimes." Oh well, they caught up with Rob & Kimberly at the school anyways because their cab took them to the wrong school first, dropping them behind Bama.

At the school, the teams followed a marked path to the next clue box (not much searching, really). Here they found this leg's Detour. In this Detour, teams had a choice between Swamp This and Swamp That. In Swamp This, the Beauty Queens & Bama had to cross country ski through a one mile course across a muddy field, including climbing a couple of fences. In Swamp That, the models, Rob & Kim and the Cho's had to run, crawl, climb, jump & carry each other through an obstacle course. The models made a slight error in judgement by changing their clothes before leaving the school effectively negating their lead over the Beauty Queens but they were still the only teams to make the 3:11pm train to their next destination - Turku.

Once there, the teams had to choose a Mercedes and drive 70 miles to Lohja and the Tytyrin Mines located there. After arriving behind the models & the Beauty Queens by one hour, the Bamas once again semi-screwed over the Cho's. They sped out of the parking lot at the train station with the directions that the Cho's had shared with them on the train. Once at the mines, teams had to locate the marked door to the tram. For some reason, this caused problems for two of the teams (Beauty Queens & Rob and Kim) causing them to fall behind the teams on the same train as them. Since there was only one tram, teams had to wait a few minutes for the teams before them to travel into the mines before they could descend from the surface.

In the mines, teams came up against a RoadBlock. In this RoadBlock, one team member had to ride a bike downhill into a mine, retrieve a limestone block from a marked pile and bring it & their bike back up the hill. Once there, they had to use the traditional tools provided to break open the block and get their next clue. After screaming all the way down the hill "I'm coming for ya!", Rob passed Karlyn on the way back up the hill. All teams were then on their way to the Olympic Stadium in Helsinki.

After locating another marked door, teams found a clue box directing them to the top of the tower. Once there, teams were then instructed to run down the side of the tower into the stadium before they could receive their next clue. Notice how I didn't say "rappel" down the building? That's because teams had to go down the side of the building face first! Tyler & James were the only team we saw complete the task and receive their next clue: Keep Racing!!

I think the Cho's are slowly catching on to the underhandedness of the Bama girls. They were only using them to get ahead and they're finally showing their true colors. Now, while I really don't like the Beauty Queens, Bama is quickly becoming numero uno on my "slap you silly" list. The models need start using their heads. I think they got too confident coming in first for a couple of legs at the beginning but now they're making really stupid mistakes. They need to get the Beauty Queens out of their heads and the race back in. Rob & Kimberly should just keep making mistakes because if this had been a regular Pit Stop, they would have been gone and I definitely wouldn't have been sorry to see that!

Next on the Amazing Race!

As quoted by CTV:

Sunday Nov. 12 at 8pm ET - Being Polite Sucks Sometimes

The teams race through Helsinki, where they must dive 243 feet to retrieve a clue. At the Roadblock, teams are forced into a claustrophobic setting in order to complete the task.

Hopefully this will be more interesting than late.

From Mauritis to Madagascar (E8)

The start of the episode was uneventful as usual. Though, the Beauty Queens did take the wrong car when they left last week's pit stop. Didn't the old couple have to take a penalty or return the vehicle when they did the same thing the season before last?! Oh well, CBS is definitely changing the format this season.

Teams bottlenecked at the airport again, where they all caught an 11am flight direct to Madagascar. The 6 Pack were the first teams out of the terminal and into cabs upon arrival but their drivers took them on a wild goose chase. The teams needed to locate the lake with a "dark angel" statue on the water. It may have been Kentucky's driver that took them ALL for a ride. The Bama & Chos' drivers seemed to be following their taxi. Because of their little detour on the way to the Detour, the other three teams jumped back ahead of them.

While the Beauty Queens haggled with their driver over the fare, Rob & Kimberly and the Models reached the new Intersection first. New this season, the Intersection seems to be taking the place of the Yield from previous seasons (though, I wouldn't be surprised if they threw one of those in later on, too). For the Intersection, teams had to join forces with another team for the upcoming tasks. If there wasn't another team there to joing forces with, the team had to wait for the next available team before they could continue with the race. Since nobody likes the BQs, Rob & Kimberly joined forces with the Models and decided to try for the Fast Forward leaving the Beauty Queens behind to wait for the 6 Pack to show up. Kentucky & Bama reached the Intersection before the Chos and teamed up to do the Detour. The poor Chos were left to team up with the Beauty Queens.

For the Fast Forward, teams had to travel 2.5 miles to an open air market and locate booth #11. Once there, they had to "enjoy" a serving of a local delicacy....... Cow Lips! They sound gross, I know. But they looked even worse. They still had hair and teeth attached and they weren't given any water to help them through the task. The teams battled their way through it but poor Kimberly lagged behind as one boy after the other finished their heaping plate. Even more amusing than the crowd cheering them on is the fact that the teams thought that they had all the time in the world because the other teams still had to complete a Detour and a Roadblock.

For the Detour, the joined at the hip teams had a choice between Long Sleep and Short Letter. In Long Sleep, teams had to cover, stack & deliver on foot eight (8) foam mattresses. In Short Letter, teams had to make eight (8) sheets of handmade paper with a floral design. The remaining four teams all decided to do Long Sleep. Working together, the Chos & the Beauty Queens powered ahead of the joined up Bama & Kentucky team. Poor David was stuck with three screaming women as they blocked traffic transporting the mattresses that they'd tied together with their linked fanny packs. (I'm sorry, but I can't help but roll my eyes!)

Once the delivery was made, the teams were no longer joined and were once again working for themselves. The Beauty Queens left the Chos in the dust and raced towards the a staircase connecting the upper & lower levels of the city. Once there, they exclaimed "There are so many clues in there!" Um, they did know that the teams doing the Fast Forward wouldn't be doing the Roadblock, right? They are pretty blonde. No matter how much they think they don't show it!

For the Roadblock, one member of each team had to locate and receive a matching stamp from one of the many vendors along the staircase. The stamps were of a plane, a train, a boat & a car. The team member left behind went ahead to the next pit stop to wait for their teammate. If teams only went by the examples shown at some of the stamp vendors' kiosks, they had some trouble find the stamps. It was only with actually looking at the surface of each stamp at each kiosk that teams were able to locate the right stamps. Once the racer had all the stamps, they had to find the Andohalo Cathedral. Most of the taxis had gas issues on the way to the Pit Stop.

At the Pit Stop, the Beauty Queens held onto their first place finish beating out both the teams that had gone for the Fast Forward. But it was David & Mary (Kentucky) who were elminated this leg. Being marked for elimination after coming in last at the end of the last episode, David & Mary still had 20 minutes in their penalty when the Bama girls finally reached the mat.

Though they are one of the stronger teams this season, I won't be too happy if the Beauty Queens win this season. Heck! I'd want to see Rob & Kimberly win before I'd want to see them win. Even as we hit the final five, I still don't really have a team. But I do know that I don't want to see either Bama or the Beauty Queens win. Bama was disloyal to their "group/alliance" and the Beauty Queens were just too ignorant. Both teams used & abused the other teams but I think Bama may have been worse since they professed to be friends with those they stabbed in the back.

I don't think it'll happen but these are the teams I'd like to see win (from most desirable to least): the Cho's, the Models, Rob & Kimberly & then Bama. I didn't bother to include the Beauty Queens at the end because I don't want them to win at all! :P

Amazing Race Amateur Footage - Ep. 7 Roadblock Canned

This warrants its own post. A commenter in the previous post noted the following, after we were all wondering what happened to the Road Block this week:

"Nate said... If you go to the AR10 official website there is a picture of the BQ's holding a Road Block clue on a beach in Maritius.... I was reading... and it mentioned the family that was on vacation earlier this year and posted video of the teams racing to the clue box on the beach - in Maritius!! I believe CBS removed the footage of the Road Block because of this. Interesting... "

Turns out we had this story covered MONTHS ago, Laura remembered Gus had this post in July, featuring the video (available here).

Geesh, I should pay more attention to these things eh? Thanks everyone!