Amazing Race update – Hong Kong sushi

We're down to the final four and teams made their way from crowded Bangladesh to somewhat less-crowded Hong Kong. Jill & Thomas start out first and wisely head to a travel agency. It looks like everybody's going to be on the same evening flight which could be a little awkward for Team Faceless Young Couple who U-Turned Team QVC on the last leg. At the airport, Thomas tries to paint the U-Turn as a "compliment" because he characterized Brook & Claire as the strongest team. Team QVC isn't placated.

Once in Hong Kong, it's a dash for the ferry to an island and the next clue. Nick & Vicki just miss it because Vicki's asthma slows her down. Nick is as unsympathetic as ever and keeps griping like a five-year-old. Back from the island, teams are heading to a Chinese restaurant. Once there, it's the Roadblock: one team member must search through a buffet for pieces of food that are fake (plastic) using only chopsticks. But if they pick food that is real, they must eat it. Team Surgeons finish quick and head to the next clue near a statue of Bruce Lee.

This clue is the Detour: Ding Ding or Sampan. Teams may either ride along a trolley and search among the Hong Kong signs (at night) for clues to the Pit Stop; or they can deliver parakeets via the traditional Chinese boat to a designated boat in the harbor. Nat & Kat choose the birds while Jill & Thomas ride the trolley. Back at the Roadblock, Nick & Vicki arrive at the restaurant just as Claire looks like she's going to collapse from eating food. Suddenly, she bolts for the bathroom and there are some sickening sounds from the toilet. What's funny is that almost immediately after emerging from the bathroom, Claire finds the fake food and Team QVC heads off to the Detour.

Jill & Thomas give up on the trolley Detour and switch to the sampan; they quickly find their harbor boat ahead of Nat & Kat. But then there's a twist, Team Surgeons get a taxi ahead of Jill & Thomas so it's a race to Statue Square and the Pit Stop. Sure enough, Nat & Kat arrive first with the others close behind for the first two spots. Brook & Claire are still trying to find a home for their parakeets. Vicki can't find the fake food at the Roadblock and she also pukes in the bathroom. Nick floats the idea of skipping the Roadblock and taking the penalty which, by my guess, will be a couple hours so they're pretty close to done.

Back from commercial, Vicki says the penalty will be four hours; she gives it another shot. Eventually she finds the fake food but it looks like Team Vegas has been there a long time because you can see the kitchen staff standing around in the background. Brook & Claire are heading to the Pit Stop and the Amazing Race producers aren't even trying to make it look close. Nick is now whining on the sampan Detour and literally lays down on the deck of the boat while Vicki is left to look at harbor boats.

They get off the boat and take a six-hour penalty. Nick is a crybaby all the way to the Pit Stop where Phil tells them this is another non-elimination leg and they get to race again tomorrow. Team Vegas will be starting out the next leg at least six hours behind all other teams and they'll have to face a Speed Bump that will slow them down even further. The fact that they've made it this far in the Race is baffling but now I can't see them making it to the final three with such a handicap.

Final standings:
#1 – Team Surgeons – Nat & Kat
#2 – Team Faceless Young Couple – Jill & Thomas
#3 – Team QVC – Brook & Claire
#4 – Team Vegas – Nick & Vicki

Next week: Looks like the DMZ in South Korea.