Sunday, November 25, 2007

Amazing Race update - Gold, goats and Ouagadougou

In case you missed it last week (like me) teams were in Burkina Faso and started out on this leg with $0 to spend. They needed to find a local tribal chief and take a "gift" of a chicken and the next clue; the chicken needs to travel with the teams to the next clue at a village 100 miles away. In other words, no chicken, no check-in.

This clue is the Detour: shake your pan or shake your booty. The teams may either mine an ounce of gold or perform a tribal "So you think you can dance" for a set of three judges who will decide if the teams have fancy feet. Jennifer (of Nathan & Jennifer) reminds us that she danced professionally so the latter Detour should be a snap, right? Unfortunately, they show no creativity and incur a 10-minute penalty before they can get the clue (but not try again?) Nicolas & Donald head for the gold as do TK & Rachel. Back at the dance floor, Azaria & Hendekea complete the tribal two-step and head to the next clue.

But wait! It's a new twist in the Amazing Race: the U-turn. Teams who arrive first may force other teams (behind them) to go back and complete the Detour they did not choose. The brother-sister team decide not to penalize anyone and take the clue which directs teams to a goat market down the road. But Shana & Jennifer see TK & Rachel just steps behind them while heading to the box and choose to U-turn...Lorena & Jason. The usual justifications follow ("it's a game", "it's for a million dollars") but you can't help but thinking that Team Fun Bags are jerks. Lorena & Jason are already in last place heading to the U-turn so it's looking very bad for them.

At the goat market, it's the Roadblock: one team member must deliver a lot of stuff on an overburdened bicycle. The clue reads "are you ready for a juggling act" and teams are worried over the cryptic clue. Azaria seems to speak a little bit of French which helps him to gain direction from the locals; he finishes first and brother/sister head to Hotel De Ville and the Pit Stop. Lorena & Jason are happily mining gold and masking their frustration.

Azaria & Hendekea beat Nathan & Jennifer to the mat by a split second for their third first-place finish. Jennifer complains a little about being beat again (as in the other team should have let them take first place) but Hendekea helpfully points out that - you know - it's a Race. Lorena & Jason arrive last to the mat, chicken in hand, and they are eliminated from the Race.

Final standings:

1 - Azaria & Hendekea - Team Alpha Siblings
2 - Nathan & Jennifer - Team Generic Couple
3 - Ronald & Christina - Team Miyagi and Grasshopper
4 - Nicolas & Donald - Team Rude Boy and Gramps
5 - Kynt & Vyxsin - Team Sexual Confusion
6 - Shana & Jennifer - Team Fun Bags
7 - TK & Rachel - Team Birkenstock
8 - Lorena & Jason - PHILIMINATED

Next week: Ron takes a tumble and the Blondes block a bus.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Team Alpha Siblings seem a little Angelina Jolie and tongue-kissing brother. They're a little too, um, I don't know. Close?