African Safari - Leg 6

[note: this week's 2-part episode is in two separate blogs. Read down for the first half of the episode then come back for this one.]

Now it's leg 6, wasting no time in this two-hour episode. And may I just say I'm glad that it wasn't two hours for them to make it through one leg of the race. This makes me happy.

So it looks like we're going to be feeding the lions... that could get interesting. Gretchen and Meredith are last out, but was it just me or were they NOT wearing the same clothes they were wearing when they finished the last leg? Hmmm... something seems fishy. OH! Uchenna and Joyce brought the old people a bag of clothes... that's very nice. That's an alliance that's sure not to be forgotten.
"We're starting the 'Save the rhino fund... and that's no lion'" haha. Gretchen still hilarious as she's asking the other teams for money. As expected, our ex-castaways will have no part of helping any other team. Just goes to show that there are vastly different personalities who audition for Survivor versus the Amazing Race. And for that, I say, let the ex-castaways be cast away.

And we're flying off to Botswana. What airline do you take? Air Botswana of course! I wonder what their motto is... I think it should be "Your Botswana be in our seats!" (if you didn't get that, try saying it outloud. :) ) And Lynn and Alex are stuck in the ghetto of Johannesburg.

And it's the quote of the episode... from none other than our good friend Wile E. Coyote, er... Rob. "I'm done being nice." HA! I say you cannot be done being nice, if you have never been nice in the first place. Praise Lynn and Alex for feeding Rob and Amber the same BS that they've been feeding everyone else.

The roadblock is to spear a moving target.. and who is in last place? ROB AND AMBER! And the commoners rejoiced... (yay!). Only briefly, as Rob becomes a menace on the road to slide from 7th in to 4th place.

Wow... that was a spectacular car flip that the brothers made! That can't be helpful for their progress though. Oh my, and the camera man is injured. That's bad news... things are not good for them. Once again, it says something that every team that passed them stopped and checked on them... except Rob and Amber.

Detour... Food or Water... grinding corn or sucking up water. Hmmm... who cares!

And on to the pit stop... some cots they have set up out in the middle of nowhere! This is classic! Check Botswana off of my "places I want to go before I die" list. In fact, add it to the "places I never want to go unless I'm on the Amazing Race" list. Rob and Amber are team number two... and Phil does a nice job of subtly asking them if they stopped to check on the brothers. Good times, good times.

WOW... and a foot race for the last team in. Ray and Deana go from first place to last place as they are literally outrun by the brothers. And their cameraman is going to be OK... what a relief.

WAY TO GO! My compliments to the producers on a great episode. THIS is one I would watch again... if you missed it... well... you missed it. See what happens next week! Woot!

From Argentina to Africa... leg 5

Welcome to yet another episode of the Amazing Race. I'm starting this one 15 minutes before the show actually starts. I just saw the teaser for the "all new two-hour episode". Could it be that all we have to look forward to is Gretchen falling in a cave and the brothers Brian and Greg crashing their car. Hopefully there's a little more excitement in the two hours.

And let the race continue. This week's blog is brought to you by... the opening credits! Everyone be dramatic, do something thrilling and exciting, then slowly turn to look at the camera all serious like. Oh the fun.

Rob and Amber must lose... there now that's out of the way for a while. And waste no time, we're off to Johannesburg, South Africa. Of course, everyone is going to end up on the same plane, me thinks.

And now for an episode of the Lion King... wait, no. Oooh, and it's a fast forward for the first team who can get there. So they have to make it out across this narrow suspension bridge at the top of a cooling tower. Doesn't seem too hard... that is, as long as you're not afraid of heights. :) And for the first time I think I've seen it, we've got a fight for the fast forward. OK, and this looks just a bit more scary than I expected. Ray and Deana make it there first... and oust Rob and Amber from the Fast Forward! YES! Hallelujah! Rob and Amber are certifiably in last place now, as they have to drive back to the detour. And Ray and Deana are off to the pit stop. Go them!

And it's the detour... Tunnels or Tribes. Repelling through tunnels in a cave, or a little match game with tribal implements. Hmmm... this one's a toss up, I don't know which will be easier. But I'd have to say the tribes sounds like a safer bet. Who knows. Well the boyfriends seem to be handling the tribes quite well. The cave tunnelers look like miners with their light helmets on. Haha. I'm worried already, I don't know if Gretchen and Meredith will be able to do a belly crawl through a low tunnel. Uchenna and Joyce are equally off. I think it is definitive that the tribes was the better choice. And the old people made their first major mistake.... they didn't follow the instructions and forgot to pick up the clue in the cave. It's a shame that one mistake makes such an impact on them, but I think that's how it's going to be. But I have a sneaking suspicion that nobody is going to be eliminated from this leg of the race... it's about that time... Gretchen rocks... she's bleeding and gashed her head, but she's still a trooper. She deserves an award!

And as a quick subplot, Ray and Deana are already at the pitstop... miles ahead (or should I say kilometres ahead?) of the rest. And they win 2 new Toyota Rav4's! Wow, what a prize. That beats a trip I think. The travel gnome must not be putting out today.

Roadblock for good times. Shop for an orphanage and then take the stuff you find to the kids. That's outstanding! Wow, and you'd think someone like Amber would know how to shop but she seems to be having issues. Too bad, the kids are great! I love things that make me smile. :)

Now, it just looks weird seeing everyone driving on the wrong side of the road. I've honestly never driven a car with the steering wheel on the "wrong" side of the car... maybe it's easier than it seems. :)

Well, we're all checked in, and Meredith and Gretchen are the last team to arrive. AND I WAS RIGHT! It's a non-elimination leg, and they're still in it. But they lost all their money at all. More bad news? OH MY! It's a new twist! In addition to that, they lose ALL their stuff except their passports and the clothes on their backs. Now THAT's a twist. Now, I think that's actually reasonable... in the past, losing money hasn't been too much of a difficulty, they could just beg and panhandle their way through the next leg and be fine. This way they really have to have a disadvantage in exchange for continuing on. On to the next leg.. and a new blog.

Amazing Race 7 - Leg 4

It's Tuesday and time for yet another exciting leg of the Amazing Race. Since last week's episode seems like so long ago, and so less memorable, I had to read my own blog to remember what happened.

OK, so it's 3:30am and the boyfriends are the first ones out the door. Driving down the road, you'd think that being in the lead would mean something, but no, certainly they'll all bunch up at something that won't be open until later.

Horse riding... looks easy enough. Oops, almost forgot to hope for Rob and Amber to lose... so hoped. Nice work by Lynn and Alex... way to stay in the lead... but heading onto a plane which is sure to mean a lot of waiting at the airport. I guess that's the way the race works though.

Well Rob and Amber deserve each other. They think they're all that, and that people hate them because they want to be like them? As the Travel Gnome would say..."BULL HONKERY!".

OK, I think I'm liking Gretchen and Meredith more and more. They're doing a great job just hanging in there and making it work.

Didn't it seem like that 10 minutes waiting for the train to leave went on for an eternity? I think that's another bit of dramatic editing by the producers. It's no drama if you really notice that everyone is like 2 minutes apart.

Detour.... 7 sq. mile area searching for a shipwreck? Or find an island? I'll go with the island... give me a map and I'm a happy camper. Then again, navigating on water may not quite be as easy as it seems. Eh... doesn't seem like much of a difference here.

Seven words that make me cringe every time: "Rob and Amber, you're team number one!"

But on the bright side, my current favorite team of the brothers who were in last place just two legs earlier are now in second place.

Wow, everyone on the first flight makes it to the pit stop before the second flight even touches down. Seems like we have two races in one here. That can only mean one thing though... next week will be a long flight off the continent that will bring everyone back into one big group.

Oooh, craftiness... the key to knowing when to follow, and knowing when to not follow. Don't follow the team who is intentionally leading you astray.

So Susan and Patrick slide in a bit too late and are the latest victims of the Amazing Race. Another not too climactic ending (they weren't even close). I'm beginning to be unimpressed with the race... it's like always watching the race for last place. Oh well, another week next week... and the previews show that it is a 2-hour episode that FINALLY gets them off the continent and over to South Africa! Looks like plenty of drama next week! We'll wait and see.

Amazing Race 7 - Leg 3

This week's blog is brought to you by the Travelocity Travel Gnome. Gotta love that accent... now if I could just figure out what bizarro country he's from... "Bull Honkery!"

A bit of a change from past blogs, this one I'm writing in real-time as I'm watching the show... so don't be confused by the stream-of-consciousness writing here.

Starting out in Santiago, Chile. It looked like Rob and Amber were WAY ahead at the end of the last leg... it would seem that they really are. And we're off, driving to Argentina. And a Yield is ahead... I wonder who might be yielded.

Oooh, the third leg, and we've got relationships on the rocks already. Is being on the Race a recipe for enduring love, or relationship disaster? Tomorrow on Oprah...

WHOA... too much information from the old people. Don't need to know about your personal life.... don't need to hear about any mouth-t0-mouth resuscitation. No no no.

From now on I will refer to Rob as "Wile E. Coyote". Picture him with his backpack full of crafty tricks from the ACME supply company, yet every time he tries to be crafty and stay one step ahead of the Road Runner... the Road Runner zips right past him with a taunting "meep meep".

Flashback to Los Angeles trying to find LAX and everyone gets lost. I realize the signs are all in Spanish, but honestly, is it so difficult to read a map? Perhaps road signs aren't quite as good or abundant.

And we reach the yield. Darn, Wile E. Coyote got there first so can't make it.

Paddle down the river? Sounds difficult. Pedal down the traintracks? Sounds like the easier solution to me. But what do I know? In impressive form the brothers have pulled all the way from last place into 3rd place, and they decide to pedal. Who would have known they'd get a flat tire? I still think it was the better choice.

Now, I've made some wrong turns in my life, and yes, perhaps I found myself a half-hour down the road before I realize I'm not where I'm supposed to be. But tell me how Debbie and Bianca find that they have been going the wrong way for TWO HOURS?! "Look at the beautiful ocean... is this the Andes mountains?" That's the ballgame, folks.

As Joe Rogan would say, this roadblock was designed and supervised by trained professionals, and should not be attempted by anyone, anywhere, anytime. Time to eat half a cow... and oh, not just the tasty parts, but also the... zestier parts. Mmm. Uh-oh... that smug smile on Rob's face is fading fast. I guess starving himself on Survivor hasn't prepared him for eating 4 pounds of the finest parts of the cow. With everyone quitting, it looks like those who can finish it will have the certain advantage! HEY Pepto Bismol! Go Uchenna... head for the pit stop!

And the boyfriends Lynn and Alex slide into the pitstop in first place. Way to go... I support that!

And finally Susan and Patrick make it to the roadblock. Their only reasonable chance to avoid elimination is to finish the food in 4 hours. Now, if they would stop arguing and start shoving food in your face, they might have a chance. Oh wait, Debbit and Bianca were still behind them? How'd I miss that? Oh well... it's to the point where I don't care who gets eliminated anymore... somehow I don't think that's what the producers' goal was.

Overall, not impressed with this episode. However, I think that Meredith and Gretchen are the silent killers in this race. Over 3 legs, they have consistently managed to stay in the thick of things by being slow, smart, and steady. The only leg you need to win is the last one.

Until next week...

The Amazing Race 7 - Leg 2

So the second leg of the Amazing Race 7... what a crazy episode.

I know I never got a blog about the first leg, so I'll just include my thoughts of the teams here.

First, if I have to hear "rapido" one more time... I think I'll shoot myself. What it must be like to be a taxi driver with those AR contestants in the back seat... "MOVE! Mas rapido! FAST FAST FAST!" I think I liked it better in AR6 in China, because not one person had a clue how to say "go faster" in Chinese, but somehow EVERYONE is a spanish expert. Ugh. Get out of my taxi, no soup for you.

Now, may I just say how convoluded the route the race goes. First, they start in Lima, Peru, and take 400 mile bus ride to Arequipa. From there, they take a plane to Santiago, Chile, by going BACK to Lima, and then to Buenos Aires. That's what I call a trip.

Rob and Amber are instantly on my "you need to lose" list. I don't think they'll win, but I'm confident they'll be around for quite a while. They are smart players who know what they're doing.... but I don't like mean people. There's only so much I can put up with. They are definitely my odds-on favorite to be yielded at the first opportunity.

Susan and Patrick (aka the mom with her gay son) confused me. HOW did they run out of money? It looked more like they HAD money, but just didn't convert it. So much for the pompous America-centric world where EVERYONE takes the good 'ole dollar. :P

I'm convinced that the boyfriends, Lynn & Alex, are going to go postal before the race is over. They are WAY too much drama for two people. The way they went off on the people at the fish market was priceless.... but I think that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Speaking of the roadblock.... what's up with that? I really can't see WHY anyone would have picked the shop over the schlep. Moving 180 books 6 blocks, doesn't seem too bad... buying 5 items at an unfamiliar market using your OWN money... seems like a no brainer to me which one to choose. And considering the first 4 teams in were the ones who hauled the books, I think that seals the deal.

It's a shame, so far my favorite teams are a) eliminated, or b) in last place. My early favorite the hillbillies were eliminated in the first leg, but now I have to say I think the brothers Brian and Greg are entertaining. They're just having fun... I approve of that.

Then we have the old people... Meredith and Gretchen. They seem to have a good chance, but had a brief lapse in the common sense department. Still, not the worst team out there... but they definitely will not be winning. I think they need a little more endurance to keep up with the "kids".

I will say how interesting it is that the people in Chile seem to speak a LOT of English. Then again, anytime you go to tourist-type places you see plenty of English speaking people. So I guess that's what happens.

I'll see if I have any more thoughts later. But for now that's my recap.

Welcome!

Welcome to my Amazing Race 7 Travelblog. This blog is dedicated to my ongoing week-to-week ramblings from watching the Amazing Race.

I'm writing this a week after watching the season premiere, so it lacks much detail. But considering the premiere was an hour of excitement stretched out into two excrutiating hours of television, I don't think much was missed. The teams were definitely eclectic, though many have their parallel teams from AR6.

A few short notes from the start of the race... I've been to LAX many times, and if I recall correctly, it's not too hard to find considering how many signs there are pointing you to it. How people get lost in their cars trying to find it is beyond my comprehension.

Zip lining: fun. I bet that was the teams' first real initiation to the Race. Funny to watch their reactions though.

Too bad for the hillbilly best friends... they were a riot. I wish they weren't eliminated, but oh well. That must be just about the most frustrating things ever... you've gone through probably half a dozen interviews/auditions, gotten yourself all prepped and ready to go on the Race, and all ready with hopes of $1M in your mind... and bam, eliminated on the first leg. I think I would be far less concerned with winning than just not being eliminated until the end.

Regardless, where AR6 took the Northern hemisphere around the globe, it looks like AR7 is going to be traversing the southern hemisphere. Probably a few legs travelling throughout South America before they hop over to Africa. But wouldn't it be a novel idea if instead of going East, they travel West around the world. That could make things a lot more interesting. I think we're nuts always thinking of things in a left-to-right orientation. Something to look forward to at least.

Oh well, on to Leg 2 of the Amazing Race 7.