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After a short recap of the last episode and a snippet about the remaining three teams, the finale of The Amazing Race truly began. Which of the three teams would win the million dollars? Would it be Ron & Christina, TK & Rachel, or Nicolas & Donald?

Ron & Christina were the first team to leave the last pit stop in Taipei at 9:47 AM. Opening the clue, they found out that teams would now have to fly more than 4,500 miles to their final destination of Anchorage, Alaska. When they land, they would make their way to 6th Avenue Outfitters and pick up the necessary gear for their journey ahead as well as their next clue. Teams would have $392 for this leg of the race. Ron & Christina raced off to find a taxi to make their way to the airport.

TK & Rachel began this leg of the race at 10:30 AM while Nicolas & Donald left right on their heels at 10:37 AM. Ron & Christina were the first ones at the airport and bought tickets for the only flight to Anchorage as well as tickets to get access to the lounge at the airport which had internet access. When TK & Rachel and Nicolas & Donald arrived at the airport, they were able to buy tickets for that same flight but began getting a little jittery when they couldn't find Ron & Christina anywhere. After Ron & Christina had finished using their internet time to get information on 6th Avenue Outfitters, they joined the other teams where they were waiting and all of the teams took off on the plane together.

Ron & Christina were the first team off the plane in Anchorage with TK & Rachel behind them and Nicolas & Donald bringing up the rear. All of the teams ran for taxis and began making their way to the gear store. Ron & Christina were the first ones there and grabbed their gear and the clue. Teams would now have to make their way to the waterfront and find the Ship Creek Boat Launch for the next clue. After Ron & Christina were off in their taxi, TK & Rachel arrived for their gear and clue as did Nicolas & Donald. The problem for Nicolas & Donald? They only grabbed one bag of their gear and missed the second bag. Oh no!

At the boat launch, Ron & Christina received their clue. It was a Detour and teams would be having to choose between Cut The Cod or Grab The Crab. In Cut The Cod, teams would have to fillet 50-pound lean cod and search for a miniature clue hidden inside one of the several fish. In Grab The Crab, teams would have to jump into the hold of a boat that contained over 500 live crabs and then search through them until they found the one crab marked with the race colors.

Ron & Christina chose to do Cod. He thought they'd be smaller fish and was really shocked when he found out how big they were. Also, only one member from each team could use the fillet knife so that left Christina digging through the innards for the clue. Meanwhile, TK & Rachel's taxi driver had dropped them off five miles away from where they should have been so they had to find another taxi to finish getting to the boat launch. Christina found the clue in a cod and it told them that teams would now have to travel 60 miles by taxi to a boat landing. They would then take a high-speed boat ride to 20-Mile Glacier for their next clue.

As Ron & Christina were on their way to the glacier, both TK & Rachel and Nicolas & Don passed them going the other way on the highway so they knew they had a chance to catch up. Once at the boat landing, Nicolas & Don finally realized they didn't have their second bag and and had to leave and go back to the store and get it. TK & Rachel received the Detour and chose to do Crab. In the cab on the way back, Don was getting on to Nicolas for not reading the clue correctly but Nicolas was just brushing him off. Luckily for them though, they were able to get their bag and get back to the Detour to find TK & Rachel still working on the Crab task. Whew!

Nicolas & Don chose to do Cod and went straight to work. Right before TK & Rachel decided to switch and do the Cod task themselves, TK found the crab with the color band on it and they ran to grab a taxi. As Don was whipping through the cod, he found the clue so they ran to a taxi as well. They think TK & Rachel are only 3-4 minutes ahead of them while TK & Rachel think Christina & Ron are 20-25 minutes in front of them. It seems to be a fairly close race!

Ron & Christina arrived at the boat launch first and jumped on a red boat for their fast-paced ride to the glacier. After some difficulty with their taxi driver, TK & Rachel arrived at the boat launch and took off on their boat with Nicolas & Don right behind them. All three teams really enjoyed the ride (I know I would have!) but Ronald's thrill was over once they arrived at the glacier. It was then that they found out they'd have to climb the side of the glacier before receiving the next clue which was waiting on top for them. After having some difficulty at first, Ron got the hang of it and was up top before too long. Christina was the one that was really getting frustrated but eventually joined her father at the top and received their clue.

Teams would now take a helicopter ride across the Alaskan wilderness to Merrill Field. Once they landed, they would travel by taxi to Goose Lake Park where they would find their next clue. Ron & Christina had a great time in the helicopter ride as TK & Rachel easily made it to the top of the glacier and grabbed their clue. Nicolas & Don didn't have too hard of a time on the glacier either and soon all of the teams were up in the air over the breathtaking view.

Ron & Christina landed first at Merrill Field and quickly found a taxi that took them to the park where they found the next clue was the final Road Block of the race. Who wants to relive their experience on the race? Each team would be given 15 recognizable items from different legs of the race. They must place on the stage 10 specific items that match 2 different requirements. First, there can only be one item from each of the 10 prior legs of the race. Secondly, of those 10 items, 3 must be animals or animal byproducts, 1 must be a U-Turn, 2 must be objects either at or brought to a Pit Stop, 2 must be items of transportation with wheels (1 of which was used at a Detour and 1 that was an item resembling the shape of a stick). Phil told us that there would be several ways to fulfill either requirement but there was only one way to fulfill both. Once the correct 10 items were on the stage, they would have to say they were done and if they were correct the clue box would open automatically for them. (Wow! This sounds like a really hard Road Block!)

Christina chooses to do the Road Block and quickly gets to work. TK & Rachel were the next team to arrive at the Road Block and Rachel chose to do it. Nicolas & Donald were the last team there and Nicolas decided to do this one. All three of them were having a hard time trying to get the correct items on the stage. Christina was the first to say that she was done but she had the item for Ireland wrong and went to work figuring out what she was missing. Rachel and Nicolas then said they were done but they had several things wrong with their items. You could feel the tension their three teammates were experiencing through the television just waiting for their "other" to finish first.

Christina started freaking out and praying to God for help while Nicolas was just plain stumped. Rachel concentrated on staying calm and tried her items one more time. The clue box opened! She grabbed the clue and ran to TK as they read it together. Teams would now have to travel by taxi to find Cook's eye view of the sleeping lady for their next clue. Phil told us the teams would have to figure out their clue meant for them to go to the Captain Cook Statue. They told the taxi driver what they were trying to find and the taxi driver knows exactly where it is and they take off.

Christina was the second one to finish the Road Block and she whooped and hollered on her way back to her waiting father. It was at that point, your heart had to break a little bit because Don looked so dejected that Nicolas still hadn't finished. Ron & Christina's taxi driver also knew exactly where they needed to go and they took off. Even though TK & Rachel's taxi driver got confused and had to turn around, they were still the first team at the statue for the clue.

Teams would now have to travel by foot into downtown Anchorage and find the statue of the Salmon Hooker (what an interesting fish!) where they'll find their next clue. As Ron & Christina were finding the hooker clue, TK & Rachel found the clue at the fishy statue that said, "This is it!!! Take a taxi to Girdwood Airport and run to the Finish Line. Hurry!!! GO, GO, GO!!!!!"

TK & Rachel took off in a taxi towards the finish line with Ron & Christina hot on their heels. At the finish line, all of the other teams were waiting for them and cheering for them. (I can't believe Jennifer of Nathan & Jennifer was actually smiling!) Watching bumpy footage of some team running, I was biting my nails. Would it be TK & Rachel or Ron & Christina?

Across 10 cities, 4 continents, and nearly 30,000 miles, TK & Rachel are the new winners of The Amazing Race! They can't believe it. He's absolutely speechless!

Ron & Christina were the second team to meet Phil and everybody else and immediately congratulated TK & Rachel. Phil told Christina that he remembered when she told him if she didn't know if the old man could change. She told him that she'd really wanted to do this and there was nobody else she'd rather do the race with and was so happy to be there with him. Ron said he was grateful, that he's changed for the better, and that for once in his life he really means it when he tells Christina that he loves her.

Nicolas & Don were the third and final team to the finish line amidst all of the cheering and clapping. Phil told Don that he's officially the oldest person to ever make it this far in the race and everybody cheered at that. When Phil asked him if he ever thought he'd make it this far, Don said, "Yeah, but not in third!" They congratulated the other teams and Nicolas said this was a wonderful experience made even better by doing it with his grandfather. I thought it was really cool when everybody started cheering, "Grandpa! Grandpa! Grandpa!"

Rachel said that her feelings for TK are very real and that he's her best friend, her rock, and her favorite person. TK said he was glad they didn't compromise their relationship along the way and the fact that they made great friends along the way made their win even sweeter. He finished it off by saying, "Nice guys can finish first". Yes indeed TK!

So what did you think about the finale? Were you glad that TK & Rachel won and the rest of the finishes? Looking back over the season, did you have any favorite moments? What was your favorite location they traveled to this season? Are you going to watch next season? I know I sure will!

With four teams left, this week's The Amazing Race began in Osaka, Japan at the ninth pit stop of the race. Ron & Christina were the first team to leave at 7:02 AM and found out that the teams would now travel across Osaka by taxi to find the building with a hole in it, the Umeda Sky Building. Once there, the teams would have to find the floating garden (the observatory located on the top of the building) where they would find their next clue. Nathan & Jennifer left at 7:15 AM (Happy Birthday Jennifer!) and Nicolas & Donald left at 7:21 AM. All three teams arrived at the building only to find the observatory wouldn't open until 10:00 AM. As soon as they were able to, the teams grabbed elevators to the top and grabbed the next clue.

Teams would now have to travel over 1,000 miles to Taipei, Taiwan. Upon arrival in Taipei, teams would then take a taxi to Taipei Main Station and find their next clue. As TK & Rachel were finally able to leave the prior pit stop at 10:18 AM, the other three teams were off to the airport to grab tickets for flights to Taipei. (Did anybody else find it odd that Nicolas said that there were only pansies left in the game while in their taxi?)

While TK & Rachel were roaming outside the building for the garden (oops!), Ron & Christina snagged the first flight out of Taipei at 1:00 PM. At the counter, Christina slyly told the ticket lady to tell the other teams that there were no more seats left on that flight. When the lady told Nathan & Jennifer that, Jennifer exploded just a little bit. Regardless, they weren't able to get on the flight and had to get tickets for a flight that left at 1:15 PM. Nicolas & Donald would be on that flight with them also. Fortunately for TK & Rachel, they had since figured out that the garden was upstairs in the building and, after walking past the clue box at least one time, finally grabbed their next clue. They got the airport soon after and would be on a third plane leaving.

The first plane landed in Taipei at 2:51 PM and the second flight landed at 3:05 PM. Ron & Christina (first flight) ran to find their taxi and took off. After landing Nathan & Jennifer and Nicolas & Donald went to stand in line to have their money exchanged (they never showed Ron & Christina doing this). The third plane with TK & Rachel landed and then guess what? TK & Rachel got in line for their money exchange and even wound up being ahead of Nathan & Jennifer in line. (The only thing I can guess is that Nathan & Jennifer were running around trying to find the best line.) So TK & Rachel were now caught up with the others and let's just say that Jennifer was a little ticked off about it.

Ron & Christina were (of course) the first team to reach the station and get the next clue. Teams would have to travel by high-speed rail to the city of Taichung where they would then have to travel by taxi to Jiji and find Acrobatics Jeep for the next clue. The other three teams were just leaving the airport in Taipei at this time and was it here that Jennifer provided the title for the show. While leaving the airport in the taxi, Jennifer told Nathan that she could feel hatred in her for TK & Rachel and wanted to rip the dreads out of his head. She also said, "Sorry guys, I'm not happy to see you." She's acting quite the bitch on her birthday don't you think?

Ron & Christina were still holding down their first place position by getting tickets to Jiji before the other teams. The three remaining teams were all able to snag tickets on a second train and were still stuck together. When Ron & Christina found the next clue, they discovered it was a Road Block. Who's ready for a tricky ride? One of them would choose to be a passenger on a car driven by a professional stunt driver. The stunt? The driver would maneuver the car on to a giant teeter totter (yikes!) where they he would drive back and forth on it while it went back and forth. Then they would have to switch to an amphibious car and be driven underwater for 17 seconds. Once they finished both rides, they would receive the next clue.

Ron chose to do it for his team and his reaction on the teeter totter was absolutely priceless! Poor guy seemed so scared but he was definitely a trooper. Upon receiving the next clue, they read that teams would have to travel by to Taipei (via high-speed rail again) and find GK Teahouse in Taipei. They would each have to order and drink a cup of tea. Their clue would be revealed at the bottom of the cup once they were done drinking it. They took off for the train station as the other teams began arriving at the Road Block. Rachel, Nathan, and Donald chose to do the task for their teams.

When Rachel finished, their next clue was their Speed Bump. Instead of going back to the station to go back to Osaka, they would have to make their way by taxi just over one mile to He-Ping where they would take part in a traditional Chinese ritual that was performed annually during the lantern festival. After putting on safety suits, they had to run through fireworks, were doused with water, and then received the clue that sent them to the train station. (It actually looked like a cool task that I would love to do!)

Ron & Christina were able to get 7:36 tickets for the train and were off to Taipei. Nathan & Jennifer arrived a tad too late to get the 7:36 tickets and had to settle for tickets on the 8:00 train. That was the same train that Nicolas & Donald would be on as well as TK & Rachel!!! Their Speed Bump didn't slow them down at all! Of course, Jennifer whined the whole time on the train about how TK & Rachel are always so lucky and how everything was stupid. It was hilarious when Nicolas & Donald left to go tell TK & Rachel what Jennifer was saying about them. I think I would have had to get away from them myself.

Ron & Christina arrived at the teahouse, finished up their tea, and found that the clue on the bottom of the cup told them to go to the Gong Guan Night Market in downtown Taipei. They would then have to find a clown who would give them their next clue. Ron & Christina found the market (and the clown) quickly and found that the next clue was the Detour. Fire or Earth? In Fire, teams would have to find a marked field where they would participate in a mystical Chinese ritual. They would write messages of luck (good and/or bad) on the lanterns and then burn money underneath them. The hot air would cause the lanterns to lift up into the sky. After doing 20 lanterns, they would receive their next clue. In Earth, the teams would participate in a local custom used to release stress. They would have to walk down a 200-foot path made up of jagged stones on their bare feet and then turn around and walk back on the same stones before receiving the next clue.

Ron & Christina chose Earth. Meanwhile, Nicolas & Donald had reached the teahouse and were drinking their tea. They finished as TK & Rachel arrived at the teahouse. TK & Rachel were leaving the teahouse as Nathan & Jennifer were finally arriving (last place!). Ron & Christina finished up their Detour and received the next clue. Teams would now travel by taxi through the busy streets of Taipei to the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Plaza. That would be the tenth pit stop of the race and one team would be eliminated.

Ron & Christina grabbed a taxi and were on their way to the Plaza. The other three teams were off finding their clowns in the park. All of the teams chose Earth (which is what I would have done) and began making their way to the stone path. However, TK & Rachel and Nicolas & Donald chose to take taxis while Nathan & Jennifer were told by a local that taking the subway and then a bus would be the quickest route for them because of the traffic. The whole time Nathan & Jennifer were fighting. They especially caused an ugly scene while waiting for the bus to pick them up. I actually felt bad for the locals because of their screaming at each other.

Ron & Christina, unsurprisingly, were the first team to arrive at the pit stop. They were guaranteed a spot in the final three and, as the winners of this leg of the race, won five-night trips for two to Curacao. Phil told them they were the happiest he'd ever seen them (and they looked very happy!) and they said it was because they'd finally come together as a team.

Meanwhile, Nicolas & Donald and TK & Rachel had arrived at the rock path and were making their barefoot way across it. They finished as Nathan & Jennifer finally arrived for their turn. After some English problems, Nicolas & Donald and TK & Rachel were now on their way to the pit stop. Nathan & Jennifer quickly (very quickly!) finished and grabbed a taxi as well.

TK & Rachel were the second team to meet with Phil and were ecstatic that they were able to make up so much time and would be participating in the million dollar finals.

Then we saw two shadowy features running to meet Phil and it was Nicolas & Donald (I swear I jumped up and down and hollered at this!) and they are the third team to arrive!!! They would be going on to the finals also and competing for the million dollars! Donald said later that he was so glad they weren't the first team out of the race and that his goal was for them to make it to the final three. Way to go!

Of course, this means that Nathan & Jennifer were the last team to arrive and they were most definitely eliminated. They were sad and told Phil that they'd fought a lot but that they'd really wanted to win. After that, Jennifer told Nathan (away from Phil) that he killed their relationship on this trip. He began crying and she hugged him. Boo freaking hoo. Get off my screen!

Next week on the season finale, TK & Rachel are feeling pinched at the Detour. Donald comes down on Nicolas over a mix-up (something about reading a clue wrong and that they're through). Ronald watches as his daugher hangs on for dear life (climbing some ice with hooks).

So, what did you think about this week's episode? Were you like me and thought TK & Rachel might have been really out of it when they were searching outside the building for the garden? Did you find it hilarious that Nathan & Jennifer weren't able to get on the first flight with Christina & Ronald? And what about them winning a leg of the race yet again? Were you as happy as I was when Nathan & Jennifer were eliminated? Finally, who do you want to win the million dollars? I can't wait for next week!

This week's The Amazing Race began at the eighth pit stop of the race -- in Mumbai, India. Because they won the last leg of the race, TK & Rachel were the first team to begin this ninth leg at 1:25 PM. The teams would now have to fly almost 4,000 miles to Osaka, Japan. After landing, they would then travel by taxi to Kishiwada Castle where they would have to search the grounds for their next clue.

TK & Rachel left and went to a local hotel so that they could use the internet and look for tickets. Nicolas & Donald left at 1:33 PM (with only $414 for this leg of the race) and grabbed a taxi for the airport. Ron & Christina left at 1:44 PM and left for a travel agency at the airport. Nathan & Jennifer didn't get to take off until 2:38 PM but it really didn't matter. All of the teams were able to get tickets with ease. TK & Rachel bought tickets for a flight that would be leaving at 6:55 PM while the other three teams bought tickets for a flight that left at 8:30 PM.

The three teams checked in and left on their flight wondering where TK & Rachel were. Nobody had seen them since the pit stop. Well, TK & Rachel had left long ago on their flight but when we were told how many stops they would be making it became quickly apparent that they'd made the wrong decision. TK & Rachel's flight would be making stops in New Delhi and Beijing before landing in Osaka. The 8:30 flight that the other three teams were on would only be making one stop before arriving in Osaka -- in Hong Kong.

As TK & Rachel landed in each of their stopover locations, they wondered where everybody else was at and began getting worried. The other three teams (still wondering about TK & Rachel) landed in Osaka at 2:30 PM and went to work finding a taxi to take them to the castle. Nathan & Jennifer reached the castle first and almost immediately found the clue box. Teams would now have to travel by taxi to JR Noda Station there in Osaka. Then they would have to find the cleaning man who would give them their next clue.

As Nathan & Jennifer left to find the station, Ron & Christina arrived at the castle and began looking inside the castle instead of on the grounds. Nicolas & Donald then arrived at the castle but Ron & Christina were able to make it to the clue box before them. Both of the teams were now on their way to the station, with Donald really gasping for air in his taxi. Nicolas was worried about him but he said he'd just grab some water when they arrived at their next location.

Meanwhile, Nathan & Jennifer found the cleaning man and he gave them their next clue. It was a Road Block asking who was the backseat driver? One person from each team would have to be a taxi driver for this task. They would have to put on a hat and gloves and then transport a local couple five miles through the confusing streets of Osaka and drop them off at a specific address. Once there, the couple would give them their next clue and the team member would have to drive back to their partner before opening the clue.

Jennifer chose to be the taxi driver for her team and was checking herself out in the mirrors inside the car as Ron & Christina arrived at the station. I had to laugh when the lady in the back seat rolled her eyes at Jen's primping! Ron & Christina found the cleaning man and she chose to do the task. Unfortunately for them, Christina is not a good driver. She'd even already remarked on the way to the station that there was no way she'd be able to drive in this city. Too late now Christina! I don't really think it would have mattered much if Ron had chosen to drive anyway.

One thing that confused me on this part of the race is that the teams were told in the clue that they could not have a local lead or help them and that the couple in the backseat of their taxi couldn't help either. I guess asking for directions was OK though because both Jennifer and Christina did that multiple times. As they were beginning their five-mile trek, Nicolas & Donald found the cleaning man at the station and received their clue. Nicolas decided that he would be doing the driving and almost immediately asked for directions as well.

I must say that this task looked awfully confusing and I probably would have completely freaked out! The three drivers though finally figured out that they were needing to drop their passengers off at the Post Office. The three of them seemed to have dropped them off at about the same time (and received their clue) but getting back to their teammate at the station would be a different matter. Jennifer got back to Nathan with relative ease and opened their clue. Teams would now have to travel by taxi to the Kito-Mido Buddhist Temple for their next clue.

Nathan & took off in a taxi while Christina arrived back at the station to pick up her dad. Nicolas was totally and completely lost while TK & Rachel were finally landing in Osaka. I loved the little snippet with Jennifer trying to tell Nathan about her experience as a taxi driver when he just cut her off and said that he couldn't listen to her because he was watching the driver. Wow! How nice Nathan!

Nathan & Jennifer were the first to arrive at the temple and get the next clue. It was a Detour - Sense of Touch or Sense of Smell. In Touch, teams would have to make their way on foot to the Shimojima Building where they would have to play a game of soccer with mini robots controlled by cell phones. Once each team member scored a goal against countering robots, they would receive their next clue. In Smell, teams would make their way to a two-story flower shop, that only sold artificial flowers, and use just their noses to identify one real flower hidden among the thousands of artificial ones. After they found the real flower, they would receive their clue from the shopgirl.

Nathan & Jennifer tried to determine which place was closer but when a local told them they were both ten minutes away, they decided to do Sense of Smell. Ron & Christina also decided to do Sense of Smell. Meanwhile, Nicolas found his way back to the station to pick up his grandfather who told him that they were about ten minutes behind the other teams. Nicolas and Donald decided to do Sense of Touch and began making their way to the Shimojima Building.

Nathan & Jennifer and Ron & Christina were both overwhelmed by how many flowers there were in the shop and began to doubt if they'd made the right choice. Putting their hands behind their backs, they decided to make a go for it with Ron & Christina on the top floor while Nathan & Jennifer went to sniffing on the ground floor. After Nicolas scored his first goal with his robot, we were shown TK & Rachel in a taxi leaving the airport in Osaka. (I must say that the robot task looked completely awesome!)

After having no luck on the first floor, Nathan & Jennifer go upstairs to begin sniffing. They find their flower before Ron & Christina and get their next clue. Teams would now have to travel by taxi through Osaka and find Tempozan Park where they would find Phil for their next pit stop.

Ron & Christina found their flower and received their clue while Nathan & Jennifer were still looking for a taxi driver that even knew where Tempozan Park was. They jumped in a taxi and, with Christina's ability to speak Japanese, were on their way while Nathan & Jennifer begin falling apart yet again. Finally, a local helped Nathan & Jennifer out by telling a driver in Japanese where they wanted to go. When they got into the taxi, Jennifer accused Nathan of pushing her in (which he clearly did not do when they showed the replay). Back at the Touch task, Donald finally got his goal and they received their clue. They were off to the pit stop now themselves.

Even though Ron & Christina's driver had to stop and ask for directions, they still arrived at the pit stop first. (Phil was so perfectly deadpan when he told them!) Each one of them won an electric vehicle for coming in first. Nathan & Jennifer were the second team on the mat and were frustrated because they haven't won a leg of the race yet and because they continue to bicker between themselves. Nathan said that the best team would wind up finish last and that it would be them! Jennifer quickly corrected him. Nicolas & Donald were the third team to reach Phil and were very happy to still be in it.

TAR hurried us up through TK & Rachel's tasks since we knew they were well behind the other teams and would definitely be the last team to arrive. (Rachel did the taxi Road Block and they did the Sense of Smell Detour.) When they finally met up with Phil, he told them they were the last team to arrive but that this leg was a non-elimination leg. (How convenient!) He told them they were nearly three hours behind the other teams and that they would have to overcome a Speed Bump in the next leg of the race. I don't see how in the world they're going to make up the ground unless one of the other teams really mess up (like they did this time) or they get saved by everybody waiting around for a flight or for a place to open.

Next week, we'll find out who the final three teams will be. Jennifer says she wants to rip the dreadlocks out of TK's head (I wonder what he did to her?). At an airport, Christina told a counterperson to tell the other teams that the flight was full. Jennifer told the counterperson not to listen to them as we get a glimpse of Christina's evil smile!

So what did you think about this week's episode? What do you think about this leg being a non-elimination? Do you think TK & Rachel will be able to overcome their hurdles in the next leg? And what about those streets of Osaka! I don't think you could pay me enough to drive over there.

This week's The Amazing Race began in Florence, Italy in the Boboli Gardens where the teams had finished their seventh pit stop. Recapping last week's episode, we were reminded that Kynt & Vyxsin had arrived last but that it was a non-elimination leg of the race. The penalty for being last would be a Speed Bump for them in this next leg of the race.

Nicolas & Donald had been the first team to arrive last week so they would be the first team to depart this week at 10:12 PM. Teams would be traveling almost 4,000 miles to Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India. Once arriving in Mumbai, they would have to make their way to a newspaper stand via rickshaw to purchase The Times of India newspaper. In an ad inside the newspaper, the location for their next clue would be revealed.

Nathan & Jennifer left at 11:55 PM, Ron & Christina left at 1:06 AM, TK & Rachel left at 2:11 AM, and Kynt & Vyxsin left at 3:23 AM. Nicolas & Donald had been able to make reservations for a flight that would be arriving in Mumbai at 6:50 AM shortly after they left so they spent the night in a hotel catching up on some sleep. The other teams rushed to the airport only to find that it was closed and wouldn't be opening until 5:30 AM. Ron & Christina were able to get tickets on the 6:50 AM flight as were Nathan & Jennifer. Those two teams left on their plane along with a fresh Nicolas & Donald. Kynt & Vyxsin managed to swing a flight that would land 20 minutes after the first flight while TK & Rachel found themselves on a flight that (unknown to them) would be arriving later than the other two flights.

Fortunately for Kynt & Vyxsin, the plane with the other three teams on it got delayed in Paris and they were the first team on the ground in Mumbai. They were able to snag a rickshaw and be on their way before the other plane landed but it didn't really matter. Once they arrived at the paper stand they found that it didn't even open until 6:00 AM. So they sat and waited while all of the other teams arrived which caught everybody up.

When the stand opened, they all grabbed their paper and began looking for the ad that had what they would be doing next in it. Kynt & Vyxsin found it first. The teams would now have to travel by rickshaw to a tailor shop (Chauhan Tailors) where the shop owner would give them their next clue. The only team that seemed to have a major problem finding the ad was Nathan & Jennifer who began fighting with each other again.

Nicolas & Donald were the first to find the tailor shop and saw the Speed Bump that Kynt & Vyxsin would have to complete when they arrived. This clue at the tailor shop was a Detour though -- Paste 'Em or Thread 'Em. In Paste 'Em, teams would have to get to a certain underpass where they would have to paste a six-panel Bollywood poster on the wall. When finished, they would receive their next clue. In Thread 'Em, teams would have to make their way to a flower market and thread 108 flowers in a specific alternating pattern. When the judge determined they were finished, they would then have to deliver the strand of flowers to a waiting bridegroom who would then give them their next clue.

Nicolas & Donald (in 1st) chose to do the pasting as did Ron & Christina (in 2nd). Meanwhile, Nathan & Jennifer were still fighting back at the paper stand while Kynt & Vyxsin were lost and couldn't find the tailors. TK & Rachel arrived at the tailors and chose to do the threading.

Finally, Kynt & Vyxsin arrived at the tailors and at their Speed Bump. The Speed Bump is a task that only they have to do and they must do it before completing the Detour that the other teams were working on. In their Speed Bump, they must make their way to a yoga master and successfully perform a series of complex yoga poses. When done, they could continue on in the race.

Nathan & Jennifer finally found the ad and went off on their way. The driver for Nicolas & Donald missed the turn for the underpass putting them further behind. TK & Rachel were working on their flowers (albeit slowly) while Ron & Christina were fighting with each other while pasting the poster up. Kynt & Vyxsin arrived and began their yoga while Nathan & Jennifer chose Thread 'Em. Nicolas & Donald finally found their way to the underpass and began pasting their poster while Kynt & Vyxsin finished up their Speed Bump and made their way back to the tailor shop and chose to do Thread 'Em.

Nicolas & Donald were the first team to finish their task and received the next clue. Teams would have to make their way to Kabutar Khana (a traffic island) where they would receive their next clue. They were also told that the second of two U-Turns would be ahead.

As Nathan & Jennifer begin their fighting while threading the flowers (can't all girls thread flowers?), TK & Rachel finished up and received the next clue. After starting over on their poster, Ron & Christina finished their pasting and received the next clue as well. TK & Rachel were the first to reach the U-Turn and chose not to do it to any of the other teams. Teams would now have to travel by taxi to Bharatgas Colaba (a gas depot) for their next clue. As Nicolas & Donald and Ron & Christina arrived at the U-Turn, they chose not to do it to anybody else either.

Nicolas & Donald were the first team to reach the gas depot and that is where they got their Road Block. One person from each team would have to navigate the "mean streets" of Mumbai with a cart loaded with six tanks of propane gas. They would have to make two deliveries of three tanks each at addresses on order slips they'd been given. Once they made their delivery, they would have to take the receipt from the homeowner's door as proof of delivery. When finished with both deliveries, they would have to hand their order slips and receipts to a foreman before they would get their next clue.

Nicolas, Ronald, and TK chose to do the task for their teams. Nathan & Jennifer finally finished the flowers and scurried off to the U-Turn. Kynt & Vyxsin finished their flowers too then and hurried to try to catch up. They were able to make it to the U-Turn ahead of Nathan & Jennifer and you just knew they would use it on them but they made one of the stupidest decisions of the race this season. They chose to U-Turn Nicolas & Donald thinking they were behind them. When Nathan & Jennifer arrived at the U-Turn they were thrilled to see they hadn't been chosen but were completely confused as to why Kynt & Vyxsin chose Nicolas & Donald.

Meanwhile, TK finished up his deliveries and received the next clue. Teams would now travel 14 miles by taxi and find Bandra Fort which would be this leg's pit stop. Nicolas finishes up his deliveries as does Ron and they begin making their way to the pit stop. Poor Nicolas looks absolutely horrible though and even had to have his driver pull over so he could get out and puke.

Kynt & Vyxsin and Nathan & Jennifer finally arrive at the Detour and they're neck and neck in the race. Kynt and Jennifer decide to do the deliveries for their teams and off they went.

TK & Rachel were the first team to reach Phil on the mat and won a five night trip for two to St. Martin. (I wanna go!) Nicolas & Donald were the second team to arrive at the pit stop and were excited yet exhausted. Ron & Christina were the third team to arrive at the pit stop.

So we're left with Kynt & Jennifer battling it out between them. Both of them didn't handle getting their receipts right -- Kynt getting the wrong ones and Jennifer not getting hers altogether. So they had to go back and take care of that. Jennifer finished right before Kynt and both teams scrambled for cabs in quite a race for the finish. While crying in her cab, Jennifer said that Kynt & Vyxsin must have witch powers or something. You know, she is really on my last nerve.

Leading us to believe that Nathan & Jennifer were lost in a classic TAR fake-out, they were the fourth team to reach the pit stop. Kynt & Vyxsin were the last team to arrive and were eliminated from the race. Phil did say they were the most fashionable couple to have ever been on the show (LOL!). Kynt & Vyxsin said they appreciated all of the different cultures they came in touch with and had a fun time.

In next week's previews, Donald tires and Nicolas picks up the load (Don needs water?). TK & Rachel venture off on their own (Nicolas & Donald and Nathan & Jennifer both wonder where TK & Rachel are).

What did you think about this week's episode? And what about the tremendous mistake made by Kynt & Vyxsin at the U-Turn? Could you imagine being a fly on the wall during Ron & Christina and Nathan & Jennifer's fights? Finally, we're down to four teams now -- who do you want to win?

This week's The Amazing Race was a crazy journey! Planes weren't cooperating for some teams and attitudes for others.

TK & Rachel, the first team to arrive at the last pit stop in Vilnius, were the first to leave at 1:00 AM. Teams have to now fly 900 miles to Dubrovnik, Croatia. After landing, they must travel to the base of the Fort of St. Lawrence to receive their next clue. Kynt & Vyxsin took off one minute after TK & Rachel and Ron & Christina left 14 minutes later. Azaria & Hendekea left at 1:20 AM, Nathan & Jennifer left at 1:29 AM, and Nicolas & Donald left at 1:42 AM. Each of the teams were given $109 for this leg of the race.

TK & Rachel and Kynt & Vyxsin were the first ones at the airport and hopped online. They found a flight through the Czech airlines but their ticket window didn't open until 4:30 AM. Meanwhile, Ron & Christina stopped at a hotel on their way to the airport and made reservations on a Polish flight. While Azaria & Hendekea were on their way to the airport, she mentioned that she knew a couple of Croatian phrases that might help get them by. One of those was the English translation of, "There's a party in my pants." That might not help you in the way you'd like it to Hendekea.

At the airport, teams were waiting for the various offices to open so that they could buy their tickets. Kynt & Vyxsin noticed though that a travel agent's office had opened so they went over there to check out the available flights. Christina tried to help out Azaria & Hendekea by giving them the scoop on the Polish flight they'd already made reservations for. The other teams were waiting for the Croatian airlines office to open but several of them were getting antsy seeing Kynt & Vyxsin already getting their tickets. Not wanting to miss out on a better flight, Nathan & Jennifer left their spot in line to go check it out. Then Ron & Christina came over (he started arguing with Kynt). Azaria & Hendekea's reservations didn't go through and they started fighting. Nate & Jen change their minds and go to the back of the line they'd previously been in. Let's just say there was a lot of jockeying around in the airport with everybody trying to get tickets to these flights.

After the first flight (via Prague) left with TK & Rachel and Nicolas & Donald, Hendekea & Azaria find out that the tickets they'd finally acquired were in business class. No business class allowed -- only economy. They went back to their agent to get the tickets corrected only to find out that there were no more seats left on the flight they needed. They do manage to get a flight via Frankfurt and in the process, find out that the Prague flight would be arriving late. Good for them!

When the Prague flight landed, poor TK & Rachel and Nicolas & Donald were left with no connecting flight to board because their plane had arrived so late. Both of the teams had to get tickets to Dubrovnik on separate flights. Meanwhile, the second plane landed with Nathan & Jennifer (1st), Kynt & Vyxsin (2nd), and Ron & Christina (3rd). Ron & Christina find the clue box first and it's a roadblock. Who has a builder's eye? In this task, they would have to search through a pile of 150 stones for just one of eight that would fit in a hole in the wall. Ronald finished it really quickly and they received their next clue. They must now make their way to the roof and tandem zip line down to Fort Bokar for their next clue.

While Nathan & Jen and Kynt & Vyxsin were still looking for the clue box, Ron & Christina took off down the zip line for their wild ride. The clue this time was a Detour: Short and Long or Long and Short. In S&L, teams would have to repel down to the base of the fort and then scale a tower wall on a rope ladder before having to find their next clue in the plaza. In L&S, teams would have to tandem zip line down to the water below, swim to a floating platform and pick out a small fishing boat, row the boat around the city walls to the harbor, and then find their clue in the same plaza.

Ron & Christina chose to do L&S while Nathan & Jen and Kynt & Vyxsin finally found the clue box and began working on the roadblock. Nathan finished first for his team right ahead of Kynt for his. Nathan & Jen decide to do L&S while Kynt & Vyxsin decided to do S&L (they were the only team to do so btw). Almost immediately after beginning to row, Nathan & Jen started fighting. She hates him, she never wants to be with him again, blah blah blah. It was actually pretty hard to listen to because they were so upset at each other.

Ron & Christina landed in the harbor with Nathan & Jennifer right on their heels. Nathan & Jennifer find the clue box first and it's for the next pit stop. (Don't forget, the other planes still have not landed.) Teams would have to travel four miles by taxi to the edge of the city and find Stone Cross Overlook. That would be the pit stop for this leg of the race. Kynt & Vyxsin, meanwhile, finished up their Detour are looking for the next clue box in the plaza. The first taxi driver Nathan & Jennifer were able to flag down didn't want to take them because they were too wet. This pushed Jennifer over the edge again and she started having a breakdown in the middle of the street. All of this while, Ron & Christina snagged a taxi and were on their way to the pit stop. Finally, TK & Rachel's plane arrived at 2:39 PM and they were in 4th place. Finally, Nathan & Jen find a ride up to the Overlook -- but it's not a taxi. They asked some guy in a car to take them and he agreed.

Ron & Christina were the first team to reach Phil at the pit stop and were super excited! Besides his arguing with Kynt earlier, they actually did a fairly decent job of working together on this leg of the race. As winners, they each won a 12 1/2 foot catamaran. Not bad I guess. Nathan & Jennifer were the 2nd team to reach Phil and didn't look happy. They looked less happy when Phil told them that they'd have to go back and take a legal form of transportation up to the pit stop. I almost died laughing when Phil told them that! On their taxi ride back down, Jen began her crying again. She doesn't want to be there anymore! Stop already girl.

Kynt & Vyxsin were the official 2nd team to meet Phil and they were excited. I must mention this before I forget: as the teams were climbing the steps to get to Phil, there were guards posted that would fire off a gun or cannon that would scare the living mess out of the teams. I found it hilarious when each team screamed with fright as it happened. Let's get back to the race now. Nathan & Jennifer got their taxi and became the 3rd team on the mat. They're not happy with each other and it definitely showed.

Nicolas & Donald's plane finally landed in Dubrovnik and they're in 5th place. Azaria & Hendekea's plane then landed and they're in last place. Each of those teams were neck and neck going through the roadblock and trying to outpace the other. Meanwhile, TK & Rachel were the 4th team to see Phil. It's a race between Nicolas & Donald and Azaria & Hendekea now.

In the end though, it was Nicolas & Donald that would continue on in the race. Hendekea & Azaria were the 6th team eliminated. She said they beat themselves in this leg of the race (and they did). Of course, they didn't get any help from the ticket agent that gave them business class tickets instead of economy. Azaria said he was proud of her and that this experience has brought them closer together.

In two weeks (the Survivor finale will be on this Sunday), Donald is stunned by a Fast Forward (getting a tattoo????) and Kynt loses faith in Vyxsin (yells at her to stop the car because she's going too fast). It looks to be another crazy episode coming up. If the Fast Forward involves a tattoo, I sure hope somebody does it! It would be as great as when Joyce shaved her head. You remember that don't you? So what did you think about this week's episode?

The Amazing Race finally left Africa this week! Nothing against the continent or Ouagadougou itself but I've had more than enough to last me all season long.

Azaria & Hendekea and Nathan & Jennifer were the first teams to leave for the airport in Burkina Faso by thirty minutes. Ron & Christina, Nicholas & Donald, and Kynt & Vyxsin all left within minutes of each other. Shana & Jennifer and TK & Rachel were the last two teams to head out with TK & Rachel leaving more than an hour and ten minutes after Azaria & Hendekea. After arriving, teams had to purchase tickets to fly to Vilnius, Lithuania (3,000+ miles away) from an official airline ticketing office. Basically, they couldn't buy their tickets online. They could research the flights though and that's what most teams did.

In a refreshing change, there was more than just one or two different flight paths that could be taken to arrive in Lithuania. The best flight to get was the Paris-Amsterdam-Vilnius (PAV) one that would arrive at 1:25 PM. The next best flight was the Paris-Frankfurt-Vilnius (PFV) one that would arrive ten minutes later. The last flight that was used was the Paris-Prague-Vilnius (PPV) which would have its passengers arriving at 2:10 PM.

While at the internet cafe doing their research, Ron & Christina got frustrated with each other and the other teams and decided to take a chance and get to a ticket office ahead of the other teams. That didn't work out so well for them. They wound up being the only team on the latest flight. Perhaps if Ronald would have left Christina alone she could have found one of the better flights. The other high point in all of the ticket madness was with Nicholas & Donald. While Nicholas was ordering their tickets, Azaria & Hendekea overheard him tell the ticket lady to give the other teams later flights. Hendekea in particular wasn't too thrilled with that. Even later, when one of the teams asked Nicholas & Donald which flight they got, Nicholas refused to tell them.

Hendekea & Azaria wound up getting on the earliest flight but Nicholas & Donald didn't have such good luck. Their ticket lady didn't speak much English and didn't seem to like Nicholas too much and gave them a different Prague flight that arrived at 4:35 PM. They stupidly decided to buy the ticket anyway. But when Nathan & Jennifer were next to buy their tickets, amazingly there were still seats available and they got on the early flight with Hendekea & Azaria. What's that saying about karma Nicholas? Donald wasn't too thrilled when he found that out and somehow they were able to get tickets for the PFV flight. All of the jockeying wasn't over though because while the blondes were trying to better their seat position on the plane, Hendekea was trying to look over their shoulder to see where they would be seated. Shana didn't like that and actually asked Hendekea to leave. The nerve!

Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, we saw no footage of the Paris airport (or the other airports) or any drama concerned with catching the connecting flights. The next time we saw the teams, they were landing in Vilnius and off to find their next clue. Teams then had to find St. Anne's Church (some of them went the wrong way) where they received a Roadblock. Who's a good listener? One member of each team would have to become a Lithuanian messenger and deliver a package to its proper destination. Kynt & Vyxsin kicked butt in this task and finished first, hence, receiving the next clue.

They would now have to drive to an outdoor museum in Rumsiskes and find a Travelocity gnome among a hundred other gnomes. While Kynt & Vyxsin are looking for their gnome, some of the other players were really having a hard time with the Roadblock -- Nicholas in particular. He couldn't find where to make his second delivery so they lost at least four places. After teams find their gnome, they must take it with them until they reach the pit stop. But first, it's time for a Detour.

In this Detour, teams chose between Count Down or Step Up. In Count Down, teams have to count every single picket in a fence and provide the correct number to a local who would give them their next clue. In Step Up, teams have to walk a stretch of road on stilts to an awaiting local at the end who would provide the next clue. If teams provided the wrong number of pickets or fell off of their stilts, they would have to start over.

Kynt & Vyxsin chose to do the stilts as did TK & Rachel and Ron & Christina. K/V quickly changed their mind though when they couldn't complete the distance required and went to count pickets. TK & Rachel were the first to finish in the Detour and received the next clue -- make your way on foot to the Aukstaitija Windmill. That is the pit stop for this leg of the race.

Almost immediately after TK & Rachel received their last clue, Kynt & Vyxsin finished their picket-counting and began running to the windmill in an effort to catch up to them. It wasn't enough though as TK & Rachel were the first team to arrive. They won a 10-day trip for two to Japan and, from how Phil was describing it, it sounded pretty sweet! Kynt & Vyxsin were the second team to meet up with Phil. Meanwhile, the other teams were still working on their Detours. Ronald was having a hard time with the stilts and fell down pretty hard once. You could really tell he was in a ton of pain but he managed to complete it eventually.

Nathan & Jennifer were doing nothing but fighting while they were counting pickets. She was being a major pain and he wasn't helping matters any by interrupting her counting. He eventually called her a bitch and that's when she became more upset at him and decided they should just do the stilts. Nicholas & Donald and the blondes were having their problems as well. Nicholas had been counting the gateposts (a no-no) and the blondes were squabbling back and forth causing them to keep losing count.

Ron & Christina were the third team to arrive at the mat followed by Azaria & Hendekea and Nathan & Jennifer. Who's going to be the last team to arrive? Nicholas & Donald corrected their counting and wound up being the sixth team to see Phil. The blondes were the last team to arrive and were eliminated. They said they had a great experience even though they didn't always get along. Good for them. Personally, I'm glad they're gone because I didn't really like them very much.

Next week, Azaria loses patience with his sister and Nathan & Jennifer reach their breaking point. They were even throwing around the "hate" word with each other. That's not a good thing.

So what did you think about this week's episode? Were you glad the blondes were eliminated? And is it just me or this season of The Amazing Race not as good as it usually is?

Where did we leave off in The Amazing Race last week? Oh, that's right in Burkina Faso at the third pit stop. Because they arrived first in the last leg of the race, Azaria & Hendekea take off first at 7:58 AM. Teams will have to follow a marked path to a local village and find the tribal chief where they will receive a customary gift of generosity and their next clue. Azaria & Hendekea got to the tribal chief (before the second team even left) and received their clue as well as a chicken. After receiving their chicken, the teams would have to take a taxi approximately 100 miles to the town of Bouda Pelegtanga and search for their next clue. They must keep their chicken with them at all times and if they don't have their chicken at the mat with Phil, they won't get to check in.

While Azaria & Hendekea are on their way to Bouda Pelegtanga (and Azaria is on her case about moving too slow), the next batch of teams take off. Beginning at 8:13 AM TK & Rachel, Nathan & Jennifer, Kynt & Vyxsin, Ronald & Christina, and Nicolas & Donald all take off within one minute of each other and go to find the tribal chief. It doesn't take them long before they're off to Pelegtanga themselves while Jennifer & Shana have to wait until 8:38 AM to leave. As the blondes take off in their taxi, they decide to name their chicken Phil because the chicken looks like Phil and is cute like Phil. I'm sure Phil is ecstatic about that.

At Bouda Pelegtanga, teams receive a Detour. They can either decide to shake their pan or shake their booty. In "Shake Your Pan", teams have to mine one ounce of gold to receive their next clue. In "Shake Your Booty", teams must learn a traditional local dance and perform it for a judging panel made up of local celebrities. The catch to the booty task is that they have to also include some creative moves of their own before the judges will let them pass on and give them their next clue. Not enough creativity and that team would receive a ten minute penalty.

The front runners (Nathan & Jennifer, TK & Rachel, and Azaria & Hendekea) all choose to shake their booty and head on over to the dancing arena. Meanwhile, Lorena & Jason are finally allowed to begin this leg of the race (at 10:07 AM). Nathan & Jennifer shook their tailfeathers but it wasn't good enough for the judges and got a 10 minute penalty. While TK & Rachel were watching them, they decided there was no way they were going to do that so they changed their minds and went to pan gold. Azaria & Hendekea danced and were the first team to get the next clue.

Teams would now have to find Pelegtanga Market where they would have a chance to use a U-Turn on another team behind them. If they chose to use it, that team would have to backtrack and complete the other task in the detour that they didn't complete the first time around. Azaria & Hendekea chose not to use the U-Turn and Nathan & Jennifer chose not to use it as well. After that decision, teams have to travel by taxi to the outskirts of Ouagadougou to the Tampouy Goat Market where they would receive their next clue.

Meanwhile, Ronald & Christina shook their booties (and rubbed booties) but didn't score in the creativity department so had to wait 10 minutes to continue. Nicolas & Donald finished panning for gold and headed for the U-Turn in third place. Kynt & Vyxsin finished dancing and are in fourth place at the moment. One of the best "feel good" moments in the show had to have been Kynt & Vyxsin. Kynt says they must look like aliens that came from the sky to the West African people but that they've been so warm and kind to them. It was extremely touching the way he said that but the thing that was funny is that Vyxsin was right next to him cradling their chicken as though it were a baby. Hehehe.

After the blondes (Shana & Jennifer) finish their hips and boobs booty dance, they headed to the U-Turn in sixth place and chose to use it on Lorena & Jason. TK and Rachel (finally on their way to the market after falling behind switching tasks) thinks the blondes are making a mistake but Shana says that it's a competition and they're there to win the money. Lorena & Jason, in last place, are doing their booty dance while all of the other teams are on their way to the market.

Azaria & Hendekea are the first at the next clue box and it's a Roadblock. One person in each team must load up a bicycle with supplies and even a live goat and ride into the marketplace, find their specific vendor, and deliver their supplies. After doing that, they would get their next clue. Azaria and Jennifer (of Jennifer & Nathan) do the task for their teams and finish up in no time at all. Meanwhile, Lorena & Jason finish up their dance and get to the U-Turn and see that the blondes have done them in. They're pissed about it but go off to do the mining task. What else could they do?

After delivering their supplies to their vendor at the marketplace, teams must then travel by taxi to Ouagadougou where they must find the Hotel de Ville and the next pit stop. And they can't forget their chicken! The majority of teams are working on the marketplace task still as Nathan & Jennifer and Azaria & Hendekea race to the mat in front of Phil. Azaria & Hendekea beat Nathan & Jennifer by a split second and win first place again and motor scooters. Jennifer was frustrated at coming in second again -- the girl even had the nerve to yell out to Azaria & Hendekea as they were racing to the mat that they'd already come in first already and to basically let another team have a chance. Puh-lease Jennifer! Lorena & Jason were now on their way to the marketplace where many of the other teams were finishing up and leaving for the next pit stop.

Karma almost bit Shana & Jennifer in the ass when Jennifer couldn't find her vendor in the marketplace. Rachel was having a hard time of her own. She found her vendor quick enough but then got lost on the way out. Meanwhile, Ronald & Christina and Nicolas & Donald reached Phil to become the third and fourth teams to finish that leg of the race. In the second "feel good" moment of the evening Kynt & Vyxsin, on their way to the pit stop, became really emotional. Vyxsin said she that because they'd been in Africa so long she's had a chance to really take things in and remarks that the people are so wonderful but that because they have to live the way they do ... and then she breaks down and starts crying. I really am liking them.

Kynt & Vyxsin finished fifth, Shana & Jennifer finished sixth, and TK & Rachel finished seventh. Rachel was shocked that they weren't the last team to arrive. In the end, between their late start in this leg of the race and the U-Turn that was given to them by the blondes, it just was too much to recover from and Lorena & Jason were eliminated. When Phil asked her about their relationship, Lorena said that she wanted her and Jason to stay together. Then all three of them (Lorena, Jason, and the chicken) hugged and the credits rolled.

Next week, Ron takes a nasty spill at the Detour (it looked like it hurt) and trouble bares down on the blondes. Yikes! It looks like a bus is going to crash into them. What did you think about this week's episode? How did you feel about the blondes using the U-Turn and Lorena & Jason being eliminated? I don't know about you but after this episode, Kynt & Vyxsin are my new favorite team and TK & Rachel are my next favorite team. Who are your favorites after this week?

This week's episode of The Amazing Race began with us being told that Ronald had to be treated for a hernia he developed during the bike challenge in the previous leg. He decided to continue on in the race anyway even though he was in pain and would have difficulty in physical tasks. With that announcement out of the way, it was time for the nine remaining teams to leave Durgerdam, The Netherlands and begin the next leg of the race.

The teams have to catch a taxi to the Amsterdam airport where they would begin their 3,000-mile trek to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (please say that five times really fast) in West Africa. Once there, they would have to find the train station and then find the clue box. Lorena & Jason were the first team to leave with Nathan & Jennifer and Shana & Jennifer right behind them. You know how the teams read the card that tells them where they're going right before they take off? Well, it was a blast listening to them mangle the pronunciation of that city. I replayed that part a few times just to laugh at them over and over again. I could laugh though because I wasn't the one having to say it.

As the rest of the teams were still leaving the previous pit stop, the first pairs were arriving at the airport and beginning to purchase their tickets. There would be two planes (departing forty minutes apart) taking the teams to Paris where there was just one flight to Ouagadougou. If any of the teams missed that flight then they would be in a heap of trouble because there was just one flight to leave for Ouagadougou each day. The blondes and Lorena & Jason were able to get their ticket but Nathan & Jennifer had to go on a waiting list. Meanwhile, the other teams were getting to the airport and buying their tickets for the second plane to Paris. Fortunately for Nathan & Jennifer though, they were able to get on the first flight and off it went. The second flight was delayed due to mechanical problems and didn't take off until after the first flight had already landed so they were all worried they would miss the connecting flight and be 24 hours behind the first three teams.

Nathan & Jennifer were the first pair to score their tickets to Africa and it seemed they would be the only ones to make the flight. But you know how The Amazing Race goes; the other pairs on the first plane finally found the gate and the second plane landed in Paris in just enough time for them to make the flight. They're all even now.

Once in Africa, the teams grabbed taxis to take them to the train station so that they could get their next clue. The blondes got scammed by a taxi driver but then they were stupid to have given him a big bill and expect the correct change back. There went 1,000 francs down the drain. After listening to them make the crack about being sold for money while in the cab, you just had to chuckle when the taxi driver laughed evilly at them after arguing over the change. Nathan & Jennifer were the first pair to the clue box at the train station and learned that the teams would now have to take a train to Bingo (in the middle of the savannah) and find the next clue box that would tell them what to do. All of the teams arrived at the train station only to find that the ticket counter wouldn't be open until 6:00 AM so once again they were all caught up. The producers did treat us though to a clip from that night of Grandpa (Donald) remarking how hot Julia was and then Julia asking him to dance.

While on the train to Bingo, the blondes complained of the smell, the flies, and the trash while others took in the sites and were amazed that they were even in Africa. After getting off the train in the middle of nowhere (Bingo), the teams came upon the clue box which contained a Road Block. Who was ready to work up a thirst? One person in each pair had to milk a camel. That's right. They would have to fill a bowl to a certain line with camel's milk and then drink it to receive their next clue. If their camel ran dry while milking, they would have to wait until the other teams had finished milking their camel and then they would be able to use those camels. This will be fun!

Grandpa, TK, and Lorena begin the milking and almost immediately Lorena begins freaking out because she's afraid of the animal. It was absolutely hysterical! While TK, Donald, Christina, and Vyxsin finish up their tasks and leave, Lorena was losing her mind. Azaria and Nathan weren't doing too swell either but at least they were staying relatively calm. Lorena's camel would kick the bowl causing Lorena to spill the milk which would then cause Lorena to cry and scream. The pairs that were leaving had to now lead four camels along a path to waiting nomads who would give them their next clue.

Nathan finished up just when Lorena's camel ran out of milk. Julia and Jennifer (in the blonde team) had their camels run out of milk and then Azaria's ran out of milk too. Props, by the way, to the all of the camel-pooping clips. Thank goodness I hadn't eaten dinner yet. As they switch to camels that still had some milk left in them, the first teams were handing their four camels off to the nomads and getting their next clue. It's a Detour: Teach It or Learn It. The teams had to choose whether to teach a local child 10 English words for common items or to learn 10 Moré words for common items.

TK & Rachel (in 1st place) and Ronald & Christina (in 5th) chose to teach while Nathan & Jennifer (in 2nd), Kynt & Vyxsin (in 3rd), and Nicolas and Donald (in 4th) chose to learn it. As the teams were learning and teaching in the schoolhouses, the blondes and Azaria & Hendekea finished their camel-milking and caught up to the others in the Detour. Yes, Julia and Lorena are still milking. Azaria & Hendekea totally blew away the other pairs in the task and got their clue for the next pit stop. The teams would have to follow a marked path to a small tribal community outside of Bingo where they would meet Phil and find out their fates.

A major storm begins blowing through as the teams are trying to get their tasks done. Azaria & Hendekea are the first to meet Phil under an umbrella and win a fabulous five-night trip for two to the Elbow Beach Resort in Bermuda. Finally, Julia finishes milking her camel and Marianna and herself take off for the schools. Lorena's still fighting with her camel. Come on already Lorena! Y'all are in last place! Lorena switched to Julia's camel, gets her milk, gulps it down, and her and Jason take off in a run with their camels in tow.

Meanwhile, the teams at the school are finally finishing up and leaving for the pit stop. Five of the teams make a dash for Phil and arrive at Phil's mat at almost the same time. TK & Rachel finish in second; Nathan & Jennifer finish in third; Kynt & Vyxsin finish in fourth; Ronald & Christina finish in fifth; and Nicolas & Donald finish in sixth. Shana & Jennifer finish up at the school and come in seventh. They thought they were in last place and Jennifer began crying before Phil even told them they were safe. She's not ready to go home just yet.

Marianna & Julia and Lorena & Jason are in basically a tie at the school with both teams trying to learn their words as quickly as possible. Lorena & Jason barely finish before Marianna & Julia and both teams are running as fast as they could to get to Phil. Lorena & Jason won the foot race though and finished in eighth place. Marianna & Julia were the last time to arrive and were eliminated. The sisters told Phil the race was hard but they were glad they did it. They are now off to join the other eliminated pairs at the villa in Portugal.

Next week, the teams put their dancing skills to the test with some tough critics and Shana & Jennifer make a controversial decision. Whatever the blondes do seem to tick off Lorena & Jason who say they're going to screw over the blondes.

I really liked this week's episode. I was amazed that Ronald was able to do as good a job as he did with his hernia. I was also surprised to see Nicolas & Donald so close to the front for most of the race. I was kinda sad about Marianna & Julia going but I'd rather them go than Lorena & Jason. Nathan & Jennifer seem to be able to bounce back quickly enough but TK & Rachel are looking to be the team to beat. Of course, the scenes with Lorena breaking down at the milking were the best of the night! What did you think about this week's episode?

In this week's The Amazing Race, the ten remaining teams began the second leg of the race under the cover of darkness. They were to drive themselves to the local airport and fly ultimately to Amsterdam, The Netherlands where they then had to catch a train to Central Station and search the city for a bridge where they would find their next clue. Azaria & Hendekea were the first team to leave at 12:00 AM and Nathan & Jennifer were the last team to leave at 3:00 AM.

Donald & Nicolas got a flat tire thanks to one of those pesky curbs but were eventually able to make it to the airport where many other teams were waiting for the ticket counter to open. While most of the teams were focused more on getting to the airport, Ronald & Christina and Pat & Kate stopped at an inn on the way to use the internet to research the flights. This is where we began to see Ronald's overbearing side concerning Christina. I don't know if I would like him as a partner.

Everybody was able to make the first flight to Dublin except for Marianna & Julia. Once the flight landed in Dublin, teams that hadn't been able to secure tickets for the Dublin to Amsterdam flight scurried over to the gate to get on the standby list. Nicolas was a little short with his agent and Ronald, who was standing next to him and trying to get on standby himself, decided to take Nicolas to task for it. What nerve! Nicolas & Donald got lucky and were able to make the first flight to Amsterdam leaving the Ronald & Christine behind to catch the second flight along with Julia & Marianna and Pat & Kate.

Once in Amsterdam, the teams are getting tickets for the train so that they can find the bridge with the clue. The clue was a Detour: teams must choose between Hoisting It and Hunting It. In Hoisting It, teams must move five pieces of furniture up the side of a building using a rope and pulley system. In Hunting It, teams must hunt for a specially color-coded pair of bikes among thousands of other bikes.

Azaria & Hendekea were the only pair among the front runners to choose the bike task. When they had been in first place originally, they were knocked down to fifth place by the time they found their bikes. Some of the teams were having problems with the hoisting task too though. TK couldn't tie a knot to save his life and eventually he and Rachel switches places where she busted through the hoisting like a gangbuster.

Lorena & Jason were the first to finish the task and now they had to travel by bus to a rural village named Ransdorp, The Netherlands, and find their next clue in a field. Unfortunately though, they missed the first bus and by the time the next bus came along their lead had evaporated. Kynt & Vyxsin finish and begin looking for the bus stop only miss the ones the front runners had got on to. Meanwhile, the second plane was just now landing in Amsterdam. Those teams are way behind.

After the bus arrives in Ransdorp, the teams found their next clue. It was a road block that only one member of the team can do. It involved ditch vaulting and while some of the teams didn't have a problem with it there were those obligatory few teams who just couldn't get it done quick enough. Jason immediately was able to accomplish the task and got the next clue which told them to choose a Dutch cargo bike and ride it through the countryside looking for the dropoff point at the Durgerdam Yacht Club. That would be the pit stop for this leg of the race.

Lorena & Jason were the first team to arrive at the pit stop and won three-wheeled sport bikes (really?). Nathan & Jennifer were the second team to reach the pit stop and Shana & Jennifer were third. Meanwhile, Ronald & Christina are fighting with each other while trying to decide between hoisting and hunting and continue fighting while hunting for their bikes. That annoys Pat & Kate who are also hunting for bikes.

Kynt & Vyxsin are the fourth team to greet Phil. (It was hilarious when they went to high-five each other and he missed her hand and hit her in the face!) Donald is struggling with the ditch vaulting and has stripped down to his underwear to lighten the load. Azaria & Hendekea are the fifth team at the pit stop and TK & Rachel are the sixth team. Marianna & Julia were able to catch up during the ditch vaulting and finish this leg in the seventh spot. Donald finally clears the ditch and him and Nicolas arrive at the pit stop eighth.

Ronald was giving Christina a hard time at the ditch vaulting task but ultimately she got it and they arrived at the pit stop in ninth. We saw some footage of Kate (I think) doing the ditch task but they had to have been really behind the other teams. They were the last to arrive at the pit stop and Phil was, as always, sorry to tell them they'd been eliminated.

Next week, Ronald & Christina are still arguing and Lorena loses it during a task trying to milk a camel. Eeeks!

I loved the ditch vaulting task! Some of them took really nasty falls but thankfully they were all OK. It was just hilarious to watch. Ronald needs to get off Christina's back if they're going to have any chance at winning this thing. Nathan & Jennifer were still annoying and continue to get on my nerves. What did you think about this week's episode?

If the premiere episode of The Amazing Race didn't have you busting out laughing most of the time then you must be dead on the inside. Seriously, could donkeys be any funnier?

Phil the Fantastic starts us out in Los Angeles for this season's The Amazing Race. After a classic convertible ride and an introduction of the teams to the television audience, they arrived at Hugh Hefner's Playboy mansion where the race for a million dollars will start. There are 11 legs in this season's race and 8 of the pit stops are elimination points. (So there will be a few safe weeks after all!) On your mark, get set, go!!!

The first things the teams have to do is get out of the driveway and get their butts to LAX where they will then have to catch one of two planes to arrive ultimately in Shannon, Ireland. After Nicolas and Donald finished acclimating themselves to their surroundings (being in an SUV in L.A.) and finished counting their money ($400.00 something) they finally began moving which allowed all of the other teams behind them to begin the race.

Some turned left and some turned right from Sunset Boulevard to get to the 405. Turns out turning right was the right choice. Lorena & Jason were the first couple to get to LAX. Shana & Jennifer, Kate & Pat, Nathan & Jennifer, and Marianna and Julia were hot on their heels. The teams scrambled for the British Airways counter and were all able to get tickets on the first flight out. Unfortunately for Azaria and Hendekea, who were the next duo up for tickets, there were no more seats available. They were the first team of the remaining teams having to take the later flight on Aer Lingus. These things have a way of working themselves out though.

As luck would have it, the Aer Lingus flight actually arrived before the British Airways flight because of a flight delay. After arriving in Shannon, teams were to take a taxi to the Rosslare Ferryport where they would then take a ferry to Inishmore Island. From there the teams would have to walk/hike to the smallest church in the world, Teampall Bheanain, where they would then sign up for one of three ferries departing the next morning at either 8:00, 8:30, or 9:30 AM.

Lorena & Jason, TK & Rachel, and Kynt & Vyxsin arrived early enough to sign up for the first ferry. Ari & Staella, Nathan & Jennifer, and Azaria & Hendekea signed up for the second ferry. Shana & Jennifer, Kate & Pat, Marianna & Julia, Nicolas & Donald, and Ronald & Christina were all stuck on the last ferry. After an overnight stay at a bed & breakfast, the teams were off and running again. The teams were to now travel by ferry back to the mainland and choose a car where they would receive their next clue: to drive themselves 42 miles to Cleggan Farm and then ride a tandem bike along a muddy trail to find their next clue.

This is where Lorena & Jason's fighting was really stepped up a notch. She was yelling at him that they were going in the wrong direction and he wasn't listening to a word she was saying. Ultimately, he realized she was wrong and they corrected their path. Meanwhile, the chain broke on Kynt & Vyxsin's bicycle so they pushed the bike along the trail. TK & Rachel were ultimately the first to the road block and this is one that I would have loved to have done.

Pedal for your partner -- choose between one of two high-wire bikes and ride it across a ravine suspended 200 feet above the North Atlantic while their partner dangled 8 feet below them. TK & Rachel (currently in first) took off on their high-wire act while Shana & Jennifer were just finishing their ferry ride (currently in last place and not Nathan & Jennifer as the caption so wrongly pointed out). As Kynt & Vyxsin (or the freaks as Nathan and Jennifer call them) finished their high-wire stunt, we found out about the teams' next directive. The teams must choose a donkey and fill each one of its two baskets with 15 pieces of peat and then get the donkey to the entrance of the farm where they'll get their next clue.

This is where the hilarity really ensues. After initially having an easy time with their donkey, Nathan & Jennifer's donkey refuses to move on the path. They had it better than Ari & Staella though. Their donkey refused to cooperate with them since the start. While these teams were busy cursing, yelling, and crying at their donkeys, TK & Rachel complete the task and have to drive themselves 13 miles to the Connemara Heritage Center. This is the pit stop for this leg of the race.

Unfortunately for TK & Rachel they get lost on the way to the Center. Azaria & Hendekea are the first team to meet Phil and win a trip to a resort in Alberta, Canada. Kynt & Vyxsin arrive at the pit stop second and TK & Rachel had time to correct their path and arrived at the pit stop third.

While Nathan & Jennifer and Ari & Staella are still dealing with their uncooperative donkeys, the other teams are catching up and passing them. One by one and team by team, Nathan & Jennifer and Ari & Staella are falling to the rear of the field. Lorena & Jason are the fourth team at the pit stop. Nicolas & Donald and Shana & Jennifer (who had been in last place before the donkeys) are the fifth and sixth teams to meet Phil at the pit stop. Ooh, Jennifer decided to try pushing their donkey again and now their donkey is moving but they have to do a lot of catching up. Ronald & Christina and Kate & Pat check in with Phil as teams number seven and eight.

Marianna & Julie are the ninth team to meet Phil at the pit stop. Only two more teams left to go. Nathan & Jennifer are team number ten. Ari & Staella are the last team to arrive and Phil is sorry to tell them that they have been eliminated from the race. Woohoo! Easily the funniest line of the night was Ari's closing: "Karma came back and bit us in the ass." Get it? Karma (from taking the other team's cab) bit them in the ass (donkey). Teehee. I am easily amused.

Next week, Ronald and Christina realize they have a lot to figure out between them and Grandpa goes Tarzan.

What a great premiere of The Amazing Race! There was only one team that I truly couldn't stand and they're gone now. Nathan & Jennifer get on my nerves too but not like Ari & Staella. The other teams? So far, I like them all. The goths seem pretty cool too. What did you think about the premiere episode? Who are your early favorites after seeing them in action now?