Episode 6: Kuwait City, Kuwait (10/22)
DAVID & MARY FIRED UP, PETER & SARAH EXTINGUISHED In a stunning reversal of fortune against the blistering desert backdrop of Kuwait, last place coal miner and wife David & Mary, with a little help from brothers Erwin & Godwin, vault into first place. First place friends Peter & Sarah become hopelessly lost to eventually finish in last place, resulting in their elimination. TO THE DESERT Departing the Pit Stop in first place at 12:54pm, friends Peter & Sarah open their clue to discover a Nokia video phone with a message from Phil telling them to travel 2,400 miles to Kuwait City, Kuwait, and drive a marked car to the mystery location shown on the phone. Because of local Indian laws, all Teams need to book tickets to Kuwait City at a travel agency. At the agencies, all of the Teams learn that the mystery location they need to find in Kuwait is the Kuwait Towers. While six of the Teams settle for an 11:00pm flight to Mumbai, models Tyler & James celebrate when they snag an 8:00pm flight. However, their excitement is short lived when the other Teams catch up in Mumbai as all seven took the same flight to Kuwait. Landing in Kuwait City at 7:50am, beauty queens Dustin & Kandice take an early lead out of the airport ahead of models Tyler & James and dating couple Rob & Kimberly. Alliance members Erwin & Godwin, Lyn & Karlyn, and David & Mary all bring up the rear as they wait in baggage claim for a local to guide them to the towers. A wrong turn by the beauty queens allows dating couple Rob & Kimberly and models Tyler & James to arrive together at the Kuwait Towers in first place. Taking an elevator ride up to an incredible view of the city, the Teams grab numbers and wait for the towers to open at 11:00am. Grabbing the last number, brothers Erwin & Godwin express some concern at having to do a task so high above the ground. A SACRIFICE At 11:00am, the doors opened and Teams opened their clue to find two choices: a Fast Forward and a Roadblock. In the Fast Forward, Teams have to drive 18 miles to an oil field, don protective gear, and use a flame-retardant shield to approach a simulated oil well fire. Facing temperatures over 1000 degrees, Teams then need to reach a clue box near the raging fire and retrieve the Fast Forward award from inside. In the Roadblock, one team member has to climb the ladder that curves around the outside of the ball at the top of the Kuwait Tower 610-feet above the ground. At the top, they would retrieve a satchel that contains puzzle pieces. Once on the ground, they would find additional pieces in a trunk. Then they needed to complete the puzzle that would reveal the name of a street where a marked stall resides. Being the first two Teams, Rob & Kimberly and Tyler & James opt to remain at the towers as Kimberly and Tyler suit up for the climb. Meanwhile, coal miner and wife David & Mary instinctively gravitate to the opportunity of finishing in first place with a Fast Forward to avoid the potential 30-minute penalty looming over them after being "marked for elimination". However, beauty queens Dustin & Kandice also mull over the chance at a victory from the Fast Forward and both Teams head to the elevator for the drive to the oil field. Noticing that their alliance partners are in trouble, brothers Erwin & Godwin don't bat an eyelash as they too walk to the elevators announcing their intention of going for the Fast Forward. This move scares off the beauty queens who remain at the top of the towers as the Cho brothers and David & Mary share the elevator down to their vehicles. On the ride down, Godwin tells a grateful Mary, "We were just bluffing so you guys could take it." Later, Mary remarked, "The Cho brothers put the whole race on the line for us. It would break my heart if the Cho brothers were eliminated." Standing in last place at the bottom of the towers, the acrophobic Erwin, with a daunting task ahead commented, "We want to play a certain way and they've been good friends, so we want to keep them in as long as possible." SCALING NEW HEIGHTS After a few moments of hesitation and a prayer for safety, Kimberly overcomes her fears to retrieve the satchel at the top of the tower with a very assured, almost cocky, Tyler close behind. In third place, a concerned Sarah, using her running leg, successfully completed yet another feat of strength by climbing the tower. Later, she remarked, "When I got to the top, it was amazing. You look down and you're like, 'Man, I did that!' It's something I'll never forget." As the other racers begin to slowly solve their complicated puzzle in the hot Kuwaiti sun, last place Erwin takes a deep breath and steps out of the tower window to confront his fear of heights. When his brother Godwin shouts in encouragement, "We're not going home today," a snide Tyler mumbles, "Yes, you are Chos. Yes, you are." After triumphantly reaching the top, the understated Erwin noted, "It feels nice to be able to confront your fear." BURNING UP Pulling into the oil field, coal miner and wife David & Mary suit up as Mary quips, "I'm nervous, but maybe Steven Segal will see me and want me to be on one of his movies." The pair withstands the brutal heat as they approach the blazing fire with their protective shield. Later, David said, "I've always wanted to be a fire fighter... it takes your childhood dreams and turns them into reality." Opening up their clue, a delighted David & Mary receive the instruction to head directly to the Pit Stop at the Al-Sadiq Water Towers. After Tyler completes the puzzle first, he and James stare at the message in Arabic and quickly realize they have to show the large puzzle to someone who can translate it. Picking it up, the models run to a nearby local who tells them it says Souk Al-Gharabally, a market three miles away. Once there, they would have to find a marked bead shop for their next clue. DUKING IT OUT Finishing just ahead of the beauty queens, single moms Lyn & Karlyn cart their puzzle to ask a local for directions to Souk Al-Gharabally, urging the man to spill the information quickly. Spotting the single moms, Dustin & Kandice run over hoping to obtain the same information from the man, but Karlyn pleads with him not to say anything and even grabs him to push him away from the beauty queens. The situation escalates when Karlyn also tries to shove Dustin away from them, saying, "It's a race, let's go." In the end, the beauty queens get their information, while a sour Karlyn snipes, "The blondes need to learn how to run their own race." A fuming Dustin comments, "It's tough when you have the 'sistas' who are being big pigs and taking all the help. I want kick their butts." DESERT DECISIONS Pulling into Souk Al-Gharabally, models Tyler & James search the stalls until they stumble upon the clue to find a Detour. In this Detour, Teams have to choose between Manual and Automatic. In Manual, Teams have to drive to an area known as Suk Sulaibiya and find a feed lot. Then they need to fill ten 110-pound bags with camel feed to a marked line, transport them 100 yards to a pallet, and properly stack them to receive their next clue. In Automatic, Teams have to drive to the Kuwait Camel Racing Club, where an ancient tradition has been given a new twist. Teams will choose a robotic jockey, attach it to a camel, and, using a voice-activated remote control that causes the jockey to lightly whip the camel, they have to drive it to the end of a 140-yard track, where a wrangler would hand them their next clue. SITTING PRETTY As Tyler & James drive off to fill feed bags, coal miner and wife David & Mary arrive at the Al-Sadiq Water Towers where Phil delivers the good news that they have finished in first place and avoided a 30-minute penalty. Phil also tells them they have won a trip for two from Travelocity to Negril, Jamaica. GOING NOWHERE Confusion reigns for many Teams trying to navigate the streets of Kuwait looking for their respective Detour choice. Models Tyler & James' lead evaporates in the hunt for Suk Sulaibiya as they continually ask for directions. Friends Peter & Sarah fare no better in their search for the Kuwait Camel Racing Club. Brothers Erwin & Godwin decide to split off from alliance partners Lyn & Karlyn and go to the feed lot after believing the single moms didn't know the way to the racing club either. FILL 'ER UP Arriving at the feed lot at the same time, dating couple Rob & Kimberly and beauty queens Dustin & Kandice begin filling bags in the sweltering sun. After the Cho brothers show up, the beauty queens expect to receive their clue for filling ten bags, but the judges ruled that they hadn't filled the bags to the line. This blunder allowed Rob & Kimberly to finish ahead of the beauty queens and open their clue directing them to the Pit Stop at the Al-Sadiq Water Towers. While Dustin & Kandice express disappointment at being passed, they work up a sweat refilling their bags and fending off the surging Cho brothers to get the last laugh as they pass a lost Rob & Kimberly on the way to the water towers to finish in second place. With both Tyler & James and Peter & Sarah still driving aimlessly in the desert, single moms Lyn & Karlyn shout into their remote control and make their camel run like the wind as the ecstatic pair finish the day in fourth place just ahead of brothers Erwin & Godwin, who celebrated and sighed in relief after their huge sacrifice for David & Mary. END OF THE ROAD The bad day for friends Peter & Sarah worsened as they stumbled upon both the taken Fast Forward and the already completed Roadblock at the Kuwait Towers. Their complete inability to find either of the Detour location allowed models Tyler & James enough time to race a camel and snag their second consecutive sixth place finish. A relieved James shouted, "We're still alive!" After the sun set over the Kuwaiti desert, friends Peter & Sarah finally arrive at the feed lot and receive a clue directing them to the Pit Stop where Phil informs them they had been eliminated from the race. On their relationship, Peter comments, "I think Sarah and I both realize that we're good friends. I'm proud of her, but I don't think Sarah and I really balance each other out. It's two hard heads together. Maybe that doesn't make for the best couple." Sarah responded, "He is a very strong go-getter, but he isn't a very nurturing or kind individual. I want someone who is strong, but I'm also looking for someone who is caring and compassionate and nurturing. I've really got to see a lot of sides to Peter on this trip and he's not the person for me."

Even though I can't stand Peter, I would have liked to see those dumb bimbo blondes go! Fools didn't know they had to fill the feed bags all the way to the line cuz they half read the clue! Glad they had to go back to complete the task! I won't miss Peter....good riddance!! Go Cho brothers!!!

<3 the beauty queens. team white trash/hillbilly whatever you want to call them grate on my nerves everytime. mary seriously needs to stfu and quick, she's so mean to her husband that it's disgusting. I'm glad she finally shoved it about her ankel. The cho brothers and the moms need to ditch team white trash before they get elminated for saving their behinds. The weakest team is going to end up going a lot farther because they have these two teams that are babying them all along the way. urg.

Just proves that sometimes "nice" gets you a lot farther than "competitive jerkwad." Boo, Peter...you intense, competitive jerkwad...I won't miss you or your ex-girlfriend. And go Coalminer and Wife! David and Mary...you keep being nice to others! Cho's...may your helpful attitude pay off in the end and not bite you in the tuchus.

I'm sure the Cho brothers will know when it's will time to cut their alliances loose and concentrate on winning as the number of teams dwindles...

I actually have to say that I liked Peter this episode. I was initially stunned that he would have Sarah do the climbing on that circular ladder atop Kuwait Towers, but then he was cheering her on. It made me think that I would have babied and coddled her while he was showing belief in her strength. It was also Sarah's choice and it showed she was a true competitor. And Peter was right on the driving instructions. While he was driving, Sarah had the map and she should have seen that street name, which was in plain English, on the map. I think they made the right decision to not be a couple though and, of all the teams, they were the ones I would most want to see go home. But truthfully, I will miss their bickering.

Don't worry Grimme, we'll prolly now get earfuls of the Rob & Kimberly Bickersons now that they're gone. :roll: :lol:

Aren't they from Bham? Why would you not root for hometowners? (even tho I know Bham is not your hometown, but still?)

The Amazing Race 10: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Episode 6: Don't Let the Door Hitcha... by Mike DeGeorge -- 10/24/2006 A lot went on in this week's episode of The Amazing Race, but Mike enjoyed none of it as much as he enjoyed watching Peter & Sarah walk off the show and out of his life forever. Thoughts about this and much more, inside! I can’t wait to get into this, so let’s get started! The Good: First to Worst - Hee Hee Hee: Yes, as I often do at the end of this show, I cheered this week. This time, it’s because I will never have to hear Peter again. He can find Colin, Jonathan, and the other Amazing Race thick-headed alpha male jackasses and join them under their rock. Hopefully, he won’t become a reality show whore like Jonathan, but then, if it gets his ass kicked by Joe Rogan, all the better. I mean, how creepy is this guy? I have to wonder if he brought Sarah along on this race for the advantage her disability would give, not to mention how heroic he would look as the big strong man helping out the cripple. Just look at how he grabbed Sarah’s artificial leg at the airport. She’s just baggage to him. Ironically, it seems that they lost due to a major navigational error on Sarah’s part. If it’s true that the location was written on the map, it’s a pretty heinous mistake. To his credit, it didn’t appear that Peter jumped all over her for it. It’s funny that he was at his most bearable when they were losing. And of course, I was happy to see Sarah declare that she wanted nothing to do with him. Let’s hope it hurt his widdle feelings to be called uncaring. Charity Begins in Kuwait: Kudos to the Cho Brothers for being excellent sports in dealing with the Fast Forward. They needed it, but they knew that David & Mary needed it 30 minutes more than they did. Not only did they let David & Mary have it, they stayed on the ground long enough to convince the other teams they were going for it. Had they gone back immediately, someone else might have tried their luck. Smart bit of thinking on that last part. In any case, it’s this sort of attitude that makes me really love the Cho Brothers. The Bad: Rewind: Although I was happy to see them do it, the Cho Brothers letting David & Mary have the Fast Forward was a really stupid strategic move on their part. Lame Challenges: The initial challenge of climbing outside the tower was cool (although a lot less dangerous than it looked initially), not to mention the devious looking puzzle. The Detour to fill the bags of camel feed was appropriate, the other Detour and the Fast Forward were lame. The camel race Detour looked exceedingly simple – usually, the less physical option is difficult in other ways, but I didn’t see it here. Even the camels were docile. And the Fast Forward LOOKED cool, but walking up to a fire isn’t exactly challenging. They should have had to fight the simulated fire, or something along those lines. Marked for Elimination: Well, I said that I wouldn’t like the new twist if there were an immediate equalizer. There was, but that’s OK, because it was staggered. Then there was a Fast Forward, which made the penalty moot. I would have rather they not had the Fast Forward on this leg, but at least it’s better than an airline equalizer in that they actually have to win it. Kimberly is an IDIOT: My fiancée got as annoyed as I’ve ever seen her get at a reality show contestant when Kimberly whined that the ladder on the Roadblock wasn’t secure. One of the stupidest statements ever made on this show. As I mentioned earlier, this Roadblock was actually a lot easier than it seemed, as they were all harnessed in and surrounded by railings. About seven different things would have to go wrong for them to fall. Moron. The Ugly: I’m Melting!: I wanted to see Peter & Sarah try the Fast Forward simply to see how much heat Sarah’s artificial leg would handle. And while I’m at it, why the hell did she have to do the physical Roadblock AGAIN? Jesus, dude, grow a set. Then again, Sarah should have known better than to let him choose. Kuwait?: Kuwait, Vietnam, India… don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to be the ugly American here, but I’d be pretty disappointed taking a trip to these places.

The Amazing Race 10, Episode 6: Can’t Hardly Kuwait by Jenn Brasler -- 10/23/2006 Last week, David & Mary were marked for elimination, and if they don’t come in first on this leg, they have a 30-minute wait ahead of them. Will they have any help to get to the Pit Stop first? Or will they have to hope that another team screws up instead? Previously on Crocodile Rock: Seven teams left Vietnam for Chennai, India. Kandice & Dustin formed a flimsy alliance with Peter & Sarah. Teams wrangled crocodiles. Sarah verbally smacked Peter, but they came in first anyway. Mary & David had airport difficulties and came in last, but weren’t eliminated. This leg, though, they’re marked for elimination, and if they don’t come in first, they’ll be slapped with a 30-minute penalty. There are still seven teams remaining: Peter & Sarah - Recently dating/Sentimental favorites (well, not him)/Shut up already, Peter Dustin & Kandice - Friends/I hope you haven’t been underestimating them Rob & Kimberly - Dating/Need to stay as calm as they did on the last leg Erwin & Godwin (Team ErGo) - Brothers/Please make a shirt for me, guys! Lyn & Karlyn (Team Dublyn) - Friends/Meh Tyler & James (Team Zoolander) - Models/recovering drug addicts/Meh also Mary & David - Married/Sentimental favorites/Run fast! Thanks for everyone who e-mailed about the new non-elimination twist. The results are overwhelmingly in favor of the last team being “marked for elimination.” 19 voted yay, only one voted nay, and three said they would have to wait and see. Chennai is the gateway to south India, and the racers’ Pit Stop there is quite beautiful. Will Mary & David avoid their 30-minute penalty? Sarah & Peter are the first to leave at 12:54 p.m. They get a video phone message from Phil telling them to go to Kuwait and find a “mystery location,” which they only get a physical view of. They first have to go to a travel agency for plane tickets, then drive a marked car to the location. Peter is confident that they’ll keep doing well; even on their worst day, they’re better than a lot of the other teams. He notes that he needs to be careful about pushing Sarah, since her knee is shot. Sarah interviews that the last leg was tough because Peter kept pushing her and she couldn’t keep up. Dustin & Kandice leave second. Dustin says that some of the teams may be jealous because they came in second. Kandice doesn’t think anyone wants to be beaten by “a couple of blond girls.” Peter & Sarah get to the travel agency and Peter uses the medical emergency line. Sigh. Dustin uses a different tactic, telling a ticket agent that she and Kandice are Miss California and Miss New York and need seats on the plane. Eh, I’m sure he gets that one all the time. Both teams get a flight with a 7:50 a.m. arrival time. Dustin asks the ticket agent for a high five but he leaves her hanging. Sarah & Peter smartly get the name of the mystery location from some agents (it’s Kuwait Towers), plus a printout with some information on it. Rob & Kimberly leave third. Rob interviews that he’s dramatic and sometimes it gets him in trouble. ErGo leave fourth. Erwin is wearing his “let’s hug it out” shirt again, and Godwin’s shirt says, “Will flex for food.” Hee. They note that they’ll be sticking with Dublyn, who leave fifth. The two teams want to be in the final three with David & Mary. At the travel agency, Rob & Kimberly learn that one of the ticket agents lived in Kuwait, and they get info on the Kuwait Towers from her. Another smart move. Zoolander leave sixth as Tyler says that coming in sixth in the last leg was like “a dagger in the side.” James pretends to use the phone to call Phil and ask how to get to Kuwait. Try a plane, genius. Wow, there is a monkey sitting on top of a traffic light. That’s so cool. More travel agency stuff. Zoolander use the Internet to find the name of Kuwait Towers. Rob & Kimberly get the same flight as Sarah & Peter and Dustin & Kandice. Zoolander overhear and ask if they can get on the same flight. No, but there’s another one, and it leaves three hours earlier. David & Mary are the last team to leave, and they’re six hours behind Sarah & Peter. Ouch. Mary has never had a cell phone. That’s not a hick thing, by the way; I didn’t have a cell phone until about a year and a half ago. Mary interviews that this is a scary situation, especially with their competitors. “Nobody’s going to lay down and let you win a million dollars,” she says. I think she’s smarter than a lot of past racers who would probably say, “Why aren’t people helping us?” Yeah, that’s right, Mirna, I’m talking about you. What are you going to do about it? The other two-thirds of the Back Pack alliance (it’s just easier to type) get to the travel agency. Meanwhile, Sarah & Peter get to the airport, followed by Dustin & Kandice, Rob & Kimberly, and Zoolander. Mary & David meet up with the rest of Back Pack at the airport and Erwin tells an agent to get them on the same flight. David likes having friends in this race. Zoolander’s flight leaves at 8:05 p.m., before Back Pack even gets to the airport. They’re on the same flight as the other remaining teams, and at their layover in Mumbai, they all get on the same flight as a not-so-pleased Zoolander. So much for that lead. In Kuwait City, Dustin & Kandice are the first to the parking lot. Back Pack have met a local who will take them to the towers, but they have to wait for him at baggage claim. Dustin & Kandice have done one better by getting directions from the pilot. James thinks there’s a lot of oil in Kuwait, so gas must be pretty cheap. Rob & Kimberly pass Zoolander. The price of the gas doesn’t matter if you don’t drive your car fast enough, boys. Back Pack set out with David hoping they can pass up some teams. Peter talks about Saddam Hussein, and Kandice mentions that her father fought here, so it’s weird to be there. Rob & Kimberly and Zoolander reach the towers first. They have to go up an elevator to get to the clue box, and before they can get to it (it’s in a portion of the tower that doesn’t open until 11 a.m.), they have to take numbers. Kandice & Dustin get there third, followed by Sarah & Peter. Dustin & Kandice get off the elevator first, but Peter runs ahead of them and grabs a number. Kandice & Dustin complain that it’s annoying, but they don’t whine that it’s not fair. Take that, Tom & Terry and Dublyn. You snooze, you lose. Back Pack reach the towers in a convoy and head up to join the others. ErGo wind up in last place. They’re not sure what they’re going to have to do, but they’re not optimistic, since they both hate heights, especially Erwin. At 11 a.m., the teams get to draw their clues as well as the first of just two Fast Forwards of the race. This Fast Forward task requires teams to drive to an oil field and use a flame-retardant shield to approach a simulated oil fire and get their next clue. Rob & Kimberly and Zoolander decide not to use the Fast Forward and move on to the Roadblock instead. One member of each team has to climb a ladder outside the tower, grab a bag, and put together a puzzle back on the ground. The puzzle will reveal the name of the street where they’ll find a marked stall and their next clue. Kimberly takes the Roadblock, which surprises me, since Rob has done most of the physical stuff so far. Tyler and Karlyn take it for their respective teams. Sarah & Peter debate using the Fast Forward, but Peter reasons that if they go all the way to the oil field (18 miles away) and don’t get it, they have to come all the way back and do the Roadblock. Sarah tells him to make the decision and he tells her to climb. Um… can’t he climb? Kandice & Dustin think about the Roadblock, too. Mary decides to do the Roadblock, then looks at the Fast Forward. Erwin takes the Roadblock, choosing to let Mary & David take the Fast Forward if they want it. Kandice & Dustin decide to go for the Fast Forward. ErGo spot them sneaking out and meet them at the elevator, telling them they’re going to do it. They’re basically stalling to let Mary & David decide what to do. Dustin & Kandice change their minds, since they’re not in last place, and Kandice takes the Roadblock. Meanwhile, David & Mary decide to do the Fast Forward and head off with ErGo’s blessing. Godwin tells them they were just bluffing to let them take it. Mary & David head back to their car, happy that ErGo put their own placement on the line for them. The brothers are a little disappointed because they could have used that Fast Forward, but Mary & David need it more. They wanted to play the race this way, and Mary & David have been good friends. They just hope they won’t be eliminated for this decision. Also, Erwin is probably hoping he doesn’t die doing this Roadblock. Erwin heads back up to the top of the tower, where everyone else has suited up for the Roadblock. He announces that they gave up the Fast Forward for David & Mary. No one says anything. Mary & David bicker and ask for directions. Kimberly is nervous and worried that the ladder isn’t secure. Sarah says she likes being in skyscrapers; she just doesn’t know if she’ll like climbing up one. Kimberly is the first to climb and she does an awesome job. She’s obviously nervous, but she stays pretty calm, telling herself not to freak out and praying for safety. Tyler does the climb next as Sarah says that he’ll climb like Spider-Man. He showboats a little, which annoys her. Eh, ignore him. That’s what I try to do. Kimberly comes back down with her puzzle pieces and starts putting them together. As Sarah prepares to climb, Karlyn and Kandice murmur that she shouldn’t have done this task. She does fine, though. Peter calls her the bionic Spider-Woman. Shut up, Peter. Sarah interviews that the view was great and this is something she’ll never forget. Tyler starts assembling his puzzle and tells James that the climb was easy. James wishes he’d done it. Kandice starts climbing, glad she has long legs. Sarah starts in on the puzzle, once again not taking Peter’s unnecessary advice. Kandice enjoys the climb and does a cute little dance at the top after she gets her bag. Karlyn climbs next as Erwin freaks out again about the height. As David & Mary approach the Fast Forward, Mary says that this will probably be the hardest thing she’s ever done. Karlyn completes the climb without incident. Erwin freaks out some more as the other racers keep going on the puzzles. Tyler is doing pretty well. Rob is unhelpful. Erwin climbs as Godwin tells him not to look down. He does great. Godwin yells that they’re not going home but Tyler says they will be. Oh, hush. At the oil field, Mary says she’s nervous but maybe Steven Seagal will see her and put her in one of his movies. Hee hee hee. She doesn’t strike me as a Seagal fan. David is excited and ready. “Am I just stupid?” Kimberly wonders as she keeps struggling with the puzzle. Oh, don’t set me up like that. Mary & David use the shield to approach the fire, which is pretty close to the clue box. David interviews that he always wanted to be a firefighter, and this seemed pretty real. He liked feeling important for a few minutes. It was like having his childhood dreams become reality. Aww, David’s so sweet. He and Mary get the clue, which sends them to the next Pit Stop, Al-Sadiq Water Towers. From fire to water - nice. Mary hopes that they’ll see Phil before anyone else. Tyler is the first to finish the puzzle, but the location he and James need is written in Arabic. Oops! They decide to pick up the puzzle and take it over to someone who can translate for them. Someone tells them the street is Souk al-Gharabally. There, they’ll have to get their next clue from a man at a bead shop. Sarah finishes next and she and Peter do the same thing as Zoolander. Kimberly is the next to finish. Erwin is getting frustrated. Kimberly & Rob’s translator tells them to turn at the Grand Mosque, which Kimberly spells M-A-S-K. Nice try. In the car, Rob tells her it’s a mosque; she says she doesn’t know what it is. The sound guys recycle last week’s doing sound effect. Karlyn finishes next, which leaves Kandice and Erwin doing their puzzles. Dublyn ask a man to translate their puzzle, and as another man is writing the name down for them, Kandice finishes and she and Dustin come over to get directions. Dublyn tell the men with them not to help Kandice & Dustin. Karlyn goes so far as to almost push Dustin out of the way to keep her away from the men. She keeps telling the men not to help Dustin & Kandice, then tells Lyn that they’re going to follow them. Dustin tells the men not to listen. Finally, another man tells Kandice & Dustin that he’ll take them to the street. “That’s not fair. That’s not right,” Dublyn complain. No, you know what’s not fair? Telling someone not to help Kandice & Dustin. Them getting help from someone is completely fair. “It’s tough when you have the sistahs, who are being big pigs and taking all the help when they already have their answer,” Dustin complains. Exactly. I don’t think she should be calling them “sistahs,” but I’m still on her and Kandice’s side. Also, I’d like to know who died and put Dublyn in charge of what’s “fair.” Erwin finally finishes, and he and Godwin get a police escort. I’m not so sure about that. I guess if he’s not, you know, passing by actual criminals to help them, it’s okay. Zoolander reach the street and start looking for the right stall. Sarah & Peter are lost. Kimberly & Rob find the mosque (which Kimberly calls a church). Peter & Sarah stumble across a market, but it doesn’t look to be the right one. Kandice & Dustin reach the right place while ErGo and Dublyn get directions and more help. Zoolander find the right place and get their clue, a Detour. The choices are Manual and Automatic. In Manual, teams go to a feed lot and fill ten 110-pound bags of camel feed. Then they have to put them on a pallet. In Automatic, teams go to the Kuwait Camel-Racing Club, where, yes, camels are raced. The jockeys are cute little robots complete with headdresses. The jockeys are controlled by voice activation. Zoolander decide to use their muscles in Manual. Mary & David find their way to the water towers and find Phil at the Pit Stop. They’re team number one! Not only do they not get a penalty, they also get a trip to Jamaica. Mary credits ErGo with them getting to the mat in first place. Everyone else wanders around the street, looking for the right stall. Rob & Kimberly find it next and hide from Dustin & Kandice. Rob wants to go back to the car before they choose a task so no one will see them. Sarah & Peter pick Automatic. On their way back out, they hide the clue and pretend that they’re heading back to their car because they’re illegally parked. ErGo don’t seem to fall for it. They pick Manual. Kandice & Dustin keep wandering. Dustin & Kandice finally get their clue and head to Manual. Dublyn get the clue last and pick Automatic. I would think that would be the faster one. Well, assuming your camel runs fast. Dublyn meet up with ErGo and head off to Automatic together. Peter thinks it’s funny that they’re going to the task with the robotic jockey with a “robotic babe.” Sarah notes the irony of a sign that reads “detour ahead.” Montage of racers getting directions. Fun, fun, fun. Dustin & Kandice find someone they can follow and Zoolander get together with someone at a gas station. Rob & Kimberly manage to get themselves in the right direction and arrive at Manual at the same time as Dustin & Kandice. The filling begins. It’s not that interesting. Dublyn and ErGo aren’t sure they’re going the right way. ErGo stop at a gas station as well. Zoolander wind up at a grocery store, so no luck there. Sarah is frustrated that their map isn’t helping. Dustin & Kandice do well with their bags, though Rob notes that they’re not as full as his and Kimberly’s. Rob & Kimberly forget to staple one shut and have to shovel feed back in. ErGo arrive and start in. Zoolander stop for more directions. They learn that describing camel-racing in a language you don’t speak is difficult. Kandice & Dustin think they’re done with Manual, but their bags aren’t full enough. Peter & Sarah are still driving on the highway. He seems to be blaming her for getting them lost, but it’s hard to tell. Heck, it’s Peter - I’ll just say he’s blaming her. ErGo are happy to be catching up. Rob & Kimberly finish and get a clue that sends them to the Pit Stop. They’re happy to be back in the game. I didn’t realize they were out of it. Kandice & Dustin and ErGo are almost finished. Dustin & Kandice finish first and Kandice says that was the worst task. Dublyn reach Automatic and first have to wrangle an uncooperative camel with an attitude. On the highway, Peter spots a red-and-yellow arrow and starts celebrating that they’re still in the race. Zoolander are still driving around, upset that they’ve lost their lead. Peter & Sarah circle back around to the arrow… and find out that they’re at the Fast Forward. Oops! An exhausted ErGo finish up Manual and appear to think that they’re in last place, as they talk about going out in style. Rob & Kimberly have to stop for directions, but Dustin & Kandice seem to be on the right track. Dublyn let their camel loose, yelling, “Go, camel, go!” They get their clue and head off in fifth place. Peter & Sarah are driving around again and wind up back at the Roadblock. The get directions from the same guy and Peter complains about Sarah’s map reading. Oh, shut up. Zoolander reach Automatic and get their camel ready. “We’ve been looking for you for, like, four hours,” James tells him. “You suck,” Tyler adds. Hey, the camel wasn’t the one that couldn’t find the club. Dustin & Kandice reach the Pit Stop in second place. Good for them! Zoolander run with their camel, which is kind of funny, then head to the Pit Stop. Rob & Kimberly hit the mat in third place and Rob tells Kimberly he’s proud of her. Peter & Sarah find someone to follow at a gas station. Peter tells Sarah to get herself together; she says she already has. Zoolander hope they’re not lost on their way to the Pit Stop. Dublyn get to the mat in fourth place, followed by a thrilled ErGo in fifth place. Sarah & Peter wind up at a grocery store. Zoolander wind up at the Pit Stop in sixth place. Meh. It’s dark out when Peter & Sarah reach Manual. Either they don’t do it or they don’t show us because they’re suddenly getting their clue to go to the Pit Stop. When they arrive, Phil tells them that they’re eliminated. Yay! And boo because I picked them to win. But more yay! Phil asks about their relationship. Peter says they’ve both realized they’re good friends but they don’t balance each other out. They’re so focused and driven that they just don’t mesh. That might not make for the best couple. You think? And here, in all their glory, are Sarah’s final words about Peter: “I learned a lot about him in these stressful situations. He is a very strong go-getter, but he isn’t a very nurturing or kind individual. I want someone that’s driven and is strong, but I’m also looking for someone who is caring and compassionate.” She continues in an interview, “I really got to see a lot of sides to Peter on this trip, and he’s not the person for me.” They walk off together, about three feet apart. Sayonara, Peter. Don’t show your face around me again, please. Next week: Dustin & Kandice face off with Dublyn again, then crash their car. So… probably not their best day ever.

The Amazing Race 10: Thinking Smart in Episode 6 by Jeffrey Clinard -- 10/25/2006 In the most recent leg of the race, the Detour itself didn’t matter nearly as much as finding it. But teamwork paid off for at least one team. Who was thinking smart, and who was just going in circles? One of the major obstacles teams faced in the latest leg was driving themselves to the Detour locations. Some teams who wanted “Automatic” went with “Manual” because they could find it, while one went in the other direction. The ability to find a Detour was much harder than completing it. Teams with the better navigation skills or ability to get directions from locals went to the top of the leaderboard in this episode. Still, there are ways around almost any problem if teams think of it and/or have the money. Erwin & Godwin got a police officer to direct them out of the Kuwait Towers and tried to get him to take them to the Detour location. Lots of teams asked locals. Still, if all else fails, teams should consider hiring a cab driver to act as a lead car. The cab drivers either know the location or can usually get directions from their dispatcher. It costs a bit of money, but it’s better than elimination. The first part of the Roadblock was a simple ladder climb, though the height made a few people nervous. The more interesting part was the puzzle, then getting it translated. Some teams fell a bit behind during that phase, but it didn’t make any difference in the long run. The Detour was a choice between “Manual,” loading camel feed bags, or “Automatic,” mounting a robot jockey onto a camel for a race. Which was faster? Automatic. It wasn’t hard to put the robot on the camel, and the race was fairly quick. But in practical terms, the faster task was the one teams could find. Teams can’t perform tasks if they can’t find them. The Fast Forward showed up in this leg, giving Mary & David a chance to use it and avoid the 30-minute penalty. It worked, largely because Erwin & Godwin risked their own position to trick the beauty queens into not going for it. Mary & David looked on it as an act of kindness, while Dustin & Kandice might look at it as a dirty trick. Actually, I’d love to see a set of race rules, mostly to find loopholes. I’ve already thought of a half dozen really dirty tricks racers could use. If anybody has any interest, I’ll start including them in my articles. Seven teams started in a leg from India to Kuwait; only six teams are left in the race. Which teams were thinking smart in episode six? David & Mary: It’s not often that good relations with the other racers pay off, but David & Mary were handed a huge gift by the Cho brothers, and took full advantage of it. Still, this team is constantly in the back of the pack, and the few parts of the race they completed on their own had them trailing the other teams. They are in first place for now, but they need to step up or it’s only a matter of time before they are eliminated. Dustin & Kandice: The beauty queens raced well, though they continue to show they are takers, not givers. They got a little taste of their own medicine when Lyn & Karlyn convinced the local not to help them. Plus, while being Miss New York or Miss California might not give them priority ticketing on aircraft, it was worth a try, even if the locals were skeptical. Still, they were smart enough to get directions to the towers from the airline pilot, and get a local to lead them to the Detour location. What they didn’t do was read their clue correctly at the Detour. Somewhere they missed the part on filling the bags up to the line, and it cost them time. Despite that blunder, they finished in second place. Rob & Kimberly: This team has really stepped up their racing with a strong third place finish. While Kimberly had a few problems with the puzzle, the team was the first to arrive at and finish the Detour. They dropped a slot to Dustin & Kandice by asking directions, but in contrast to teams that didn’t take the extra time and got lost, it was a smart trade. Lyn & Karyln: The single moms got a bit lost a few times, but were wise enough to get directions. They also told a local man not to give the beauty queens directions. It wasn’t against the rules, and they slowed Dustin & Kandice down a bit, but given the results they should focus on their own game and how to get directions in strange cities. Overall, I think they had a decent result in a tough leg. Edwin & Goodwin: Helping Mary & David was kind, but it wasn’t particularly smart. It put them in last place, though it was still fairly early in the leg, which meant there were opportunities to catch up to the other teams. Plus, it ties in nicely with my ideas on helping the weak competition. The brothers were smart enough to ask a police officer where to find a clue box, and tried to get him to lead them to a Detour, which was thinking smart. After that they had a few navigation problems, but are still in the race. James & Tyler: What I like about this team is that they are playing to their strengths. They initially picked the feed bag Detour because they have physical strength on their side. What they didn’t have was the ability to navigate or get directions. They spent a long time finding a Detour, and it wasn’t even the one they really wanted. As it stands, they are still in the race, but only because another team had even worse problems navigating. Two next-to-last finishes make me start to question their racing abilities. Peter & Sarah: What went wrong? In a word, navigation. No team can afford to drive around in circles all day. It usually means they lose. I don’t know how they managed to get so lost or why they had such problems getting directions, and it seems the production crew wanted to call it a day and left the directions to the pit stop in a clue box for them at some point.

The Amazing Race 10, Episode 6 First Class and Cargo Class Awards: And the First Shall Be Last by Sandy Lamparello -- 10/26/2006 Episode 6 of The Amazing Race 10 took our racers from Chennai, India to Kuwait City, Kuwait. Getting from destination to destination provided a problem for some teams, and it was a topsy-turvy world as first finished last and last finished first. Now it’s time for some awards. Who’s First Class? And who’s Cargo Class? Read on to find out! Please forgive me for missing last week’s awards. I was stricken with a nasty flu that left my brain functioning about as well as a puddle of goo. Had I tried to write an article it likely would have looked something like this: Fsbif snf stu gomodjrf ;sdy. (Incidentally, if anyone can figure out what that sentence should read, e-mail me. I might give you a mention in next week’s article!) By now you’ve undoubtedly read Jenn’s always-thorough recap, so it’s time to move on to the awards! I decided to award a joint First Class award this week. Working with another team is not usually a smart move once the race really gets going, but that didn’t stop David & Mary and Erwin & Godwin (Team ErGo) from doing it on this leg. These two teams, along with Lyn & Karlyn, formed the Back Pack Alliance fairly early on, and they’re still looking out for each other. Mary & David were marked for elimination due to their last place finish on the last leg, which was the first non-Philimination leg of this year’s race. They needed the Fast Forward so they could ensure that they would not incur the 30-minute penalty for not finishing first. Though they finished in the middle of the pack on the last leg, Team ErGo arrived at the Roadblock in last place. Team ErGo really needed the Fast Forward too. They both stated they are deathly afraid of heights, thus making the Roadblock task a very difficult one for them, safety gear aside. They told the other teams they were considering it, and went so far as to talk Dustin & Kandice out of it. Knowing David & Mary were debating, ErGo headed down in the elevator with them to stall and allow them to make their decision and get a head start to discourage another team from trying to jump on the Fast Forward too. I’ll be honest, I considered giving ErGo Cargo Class for this move, because were it not for Tyler & James and Sarah & Peter’s navigational nightmares, it could have really come back to bite them. However, it didn’t, and it definitely did endear them to Mary & David. So, David & Mary and Godwin & Erwin, we have four lovely, oversized, comfy leather seats for you on this flight. Kick back, relax, sip some champagne, and enjoy the in-flight movie. You’ve earned it on this leg! Cargo Class this week was a no-brainer. Do I even have to explain why Peter & Sarah are riding with the baggage? OK, I will. The Roadblock presented yet another climbing task. While I admire Sarah’s drive and determination to overcome her disability, I have to wonder why she was the one to perform all of the climbing tasks on the race. This is doubly puzzling due to her malfunctioning knee. Could Peter not do a single climb? Then, after berating Sarah on several occasions during the race for talking to him when he was trying to complete a task, Peter offered useless “advice” to her while she was working on the Roadblock puzzle. She was able to complete the puzzle in spite of her partner, but sadly the rest of her performance on this leg was not up to par. It’s somewhat ironic that it was a task that was not at all physical that led to Sarah & Peter’s demise. Sarah was apparently navigating on the road to nowhere. How they became so hopelessly lost is quite puzzling, especially if the location they were looking for was marked on the map as was indicated. What’s more puzzling though, is why they continued to drive for hours. Other teams stopped for directions, or got locals to lead them where they needed to go. Surely either Sarah or Peter should have realized they were hopelessly lost and tried to do something about it rather than driving aimlessly through Kuwait City. Mercifully, Peter & Sarah’s time on the race has come to an end. I’m sorry to see Sarah go, and I wish she had had the chance to go on the race with a partner who would have really appreciated her for the person she is. Kudos to her for standing up to Peter on the Philimination mat and saying flat out that he wasn’t the person for her. I literally started clapping when she said Peter wasn’t a nurturing person and that a relationship wasn’t going to work out between them. So, even though you’ll be riding in Cargo Class, I’m going to provide you with pillows and blankets for the trip. Don’t share them with Peter. Next week Dustin & Kandice fight with Dublyn and play bumper cars.