Amazing Race update – Mucho rapido, por favor

Teams started out from Lima, Peru and hiked over to the bus station to catch a bus to Arequipa, known as the “White City.” The first bus appears to leave at 6:20 but Rob of Team Survivor finds a security guard who tells him a later bus has fewer stops and arrives sooner. Rob then bribes the guard to keep the information secret, but this subterfuge is discovered and the other teams are not amused.

Once in Arequipa, the teams hit the first Roadblock of the Race: one team member must shine five pairs of shoes on the street. Everybody finishes relatively quickly and the ten teams are separated onto two flights to Santiago, Chile.

In Chile, teams make their way to a statue of the Virgin Mary for their next clue, which is a Detour: Shop or Schlep. Teams must make a choice between shopping for a bunch of ingredients for a Chilean recipe (easy, but finding produce could take time) or carrying 180 books to the Library of Congress (strenuous, but straightforward). This one seems like a coin flip in terms of time required to finish. Most of the younger teams carry books eight blocks down the street while the others search for fish and vegetables in a local food market.

Boy, I don’t like Rob of Team Survivor, but the man can stack books. He loads all 180 books onto a handcart and Rob and Amber make it to the Library far ahead of everybody else. The next clue tells them to head to the Pit Stop where they arrive (dammit) as Team #1. They win a trip to the Caribbean where they can enjoy themselves and roll around in the money they won on Survivor. Did you know they were on Survivor? Yes, Survivor, that lesser reality show.

Team America (Ron & Kelly) takes two trips with the handcart but arrive next, followed closely behind by Team Karate (Ray & Deana). With (almost) all the book carriers completed, we get to see the other Teams buying three kilograms of fish. Funny thing: the fish weighed the required 3kg at the market, but at the restaurant it only weighs 2.9kg! More fish! Team Showtunes (Lynn & Alex) are outraged that they were cheated out of a couple ounces and start yelling at the fish mongers. They’re shooed away in a blizzard of Spanish profanity and macho arm-waving.

Anyway, through some taxi misadventures, Team Spicoli and Team Paris & Nicole are bringing up the rear and somebody’s going to be eliminated. The California brothers Brian and Greg haul books while Megan and Heidi (surprise!) play to their strengths and go shopping. It’s always hard to tell who’s really ahead and behind at this point because TAR always tries to keep viewers guessing with video editing. However this time we see both teams pull up in their respective taxis side-by-side at the Pit Stop. It’s a foot race up some steps to a fountain and Team Spicoli edges out the blondes by only seconds.

Final standings – Leg #2:

#1 – Team Survivor – Rob & Amber
#2 – Team America – Ron & Kelly
#3 – Team Karate – Ray & Deana
[five other teams]
#9 – Team Spicoli – Brian & Greg
#10 – Team Paris & Nicole – Megan & Heidi – ELIMINATED

Next week: Rob, who was on Survivor, competes. Other teams may also be present.