Recap, Episode 7: Alleppey, India
JOURNEY THROUGH INDIA Leaving the Gateway of India first at 12:51 am, best friends David & Jeff ripped open their clue discovering they must travel 860 miles by train to a place called Ernakulam Junction. Commenting on his Team, Jeff said, "I would say that David and I have a very good shot of winning. We had some rough spots where we were counting more on being physically fit than on our strategy. Now we're taking a step back, thinking about it a little bit longer. We're kind of firing on all cylinders now." Departing just moments later, married couple Reichen & Chip also made their way 43 miles to the Panvel Train Station, preparing for a 24-hour train ride. On his performance thus far, Chip said, "Sometimes, Reichen defers to me, and my conviction of saying, 'I know this is right' sometimes is a problem. I've made significant blunders, and that's something I need to work on, because I definitely want to win this Race." Following engaged couple Kelly & Jon's departure fifteen minutes earlier, 12-year dating virgins Millie & Chuck left the Gateway of India at 1:34 am. On the growing friction between her and Chuck, Millie remarked, "It has been very tense between us the last few legs, so we talked and we said we really hated the way we were treating each other. We were really going to try to be friends and be nice to each other. Maybe then we'll feel a little more positive about us as a Team." Moments later, friends and models Tian & Jaree departed for the train station followed, one minute later, by the last-place circus clowns Jon & Al. On their showing, Jon said, "The last leg was too close. We were almost eliminated, so we want to stay focused. We want to pay attention to details and push forward to the finish line." Rather than taking cabs to the Panvel Station, Kelly & Jon and Jon & Al went separately to the Victoria Train Terminal to take a train instead, but discovered the ticket window wouldn't open until 4 am. Knowing the train to Ernakulam from the Panvel Station wouldn't depart until late morning, both Teams decided to take advantage of the situation by sleeping at nearby hotels for the night. After a brief mix-up of being dropped off at the old Panvel Station, now a residential home, David & Jeff arrived at the new Panvel Station first. Also deciding that sleep was important, the pair departed for a hotel for the evening. Soon after, Reichen & Chip and Millie & Chuck made it to the station along with a shaken Tian & Jaree, who had a frightening taxi ride down the wrong side of the freeway. Upon seeing Chip at the station, Tian said, "We almost got killed. You have no idea." All three Teams opted to pull out the sleeping bags and stretch out on the concrete floor of the station for the night. The next morning, at Kelly's insistence on taking an early train to avoid the crowded rush, she and Jon departed for the Panvel Station at 6:40 am. Kelly was not amused when Jon jokingly pinched her from behind after she asked him to protect her on the train. About half an hour later, clowns Jon & Al boarded their train for Panvel. Commenting on the conditions of India, Jon said, "I always felt I was a good person and I've tried to be a good father and husband, but this makes you realize that you can always do better." Soon, Kelly & Jon, Jon & Al, and David & Jeff, coming from a nearby hotel, met the other three Teams at the Victoria Station. As the Teams boarded their train to Ernakulam, circus clown Jon remarked, "Ooh, it stinks." Jeff responded, "It only gets better guys." Once seated in a car, Reichen said, "This train smells so bad it makes you want to gag." Facing a full day in a hot, cramped train car, Jon & Al decided to take action and upgraded to a first class air-conditioned car. With the exception of a frugal Millie & Chuck, all other Teams followed suit, enjoying nicer accommodations for sixteen dollars a person. Jon (of Jon & Al) quipped, "Best money I ever spent." Enjoying the time apart from the other Teams, Millie commented, "We have not befriended the other Teams probably as much as they have befriended each other. There's always stuff that people say." Chuck added, "Sometimes we feel like we're back on the playground." Meanwhile, in first class, Kelly & Jon continued their jokes about "Millie Mole and the Werewolf" to an amused Reichen & Chip. Jon quipped, "I think the mole is growing throughout the Race just because of stress. I'm not even kidding." ON THE ROAD Once arriving in Ernakulam, Teams raced off of the train into nearby cabs. Getting an early lead, David & Jeff directed their driver along Highway 47, searching for a yellow and red billboard among hundreds of similar billboards to find their next clue. Already in last place, Reichen & Chip quickly encountered a problem, as their cab was low on gasoline. Having to stop at a gas station where the driver asked Chip for money only put the couple further behind. Although searching the highway, which was filled with a dizzying array of yellow and red billboards, was difficult, David & Jeff had few problems locating the green clue box. Ripping open the envelope, the friends learned they must travel an additional 25 miles to the town of Alleppy and find a locally known sports field to find their next clue. With Kelly & Jon, Tian & Jaree, Jon & Al and Millie & Chuck all finding the clue box moments after David & Jeff, the race was on to Alleppy. Soon, Millie & Chuck also experienced taxi woes when theirs needed gas. Now in fifth place, their problems compounded as the taxi overheated. At this point, Reichen & Chip reached their clue at the billboard and narrowed the gap between themselves and Millie & Chuck. The virgins began calling for a replacement cab before their driver cooled the engine down, allowing them to continue and preserve their fifth-place standing. A LOAD OF BULL David & Jeff continued to set the pace as they arrived at the sports field in Alleppy followed closely by Jon & Al and Tian & Jaree. The best friends opened their clue to find a Roadblock. In it, one Team member would have to take part in bull racing, a sport invented by local farmers 100 years ago. The sport required participants to hang onto a team of bulls and race at top speed across a mud track roughly as long as an American football field, hanging on to the end to receive their next clue. Only one Team could race at a time, so if they didn't hang on, they needed to go to the end of any line that formed and wait to try again. David, Al and Tian all opted to bull race for their Teams. Going first, David put on a pair of goggles and grabbed the wooden bar hitched by rope onto a pair of bulls, as Jeff shouted, "Don't let go!" With two men prodding, the bulls began running through the muddy field, dragging David through the filth behind them. Crowds cheered as David kept a firm grasp on the bar and successfully completed the task. Once finished, David & Jeff opened their next clue, learning they had to drive through Alleppy to Beach Road to find the next route marker. After Al took his bull ride, becoming a muddy mess in the process, Tian took her turn. Performing the sixth consecutive Roadblock for her Team, Tian commented, "I've just been a boy on the trip. I don't care about getting muddy." Unfortunately, as the bulls began running, Tian couldn't hold onto the bar. This allowed Jon to go next, as partner Kelly screamed in support. With Kelly & Jon now racing to Beach Road in third place, Tian tried again. Because of the mud, Tian couldn't maintain a proper grip on the wooden bar, and it slipped out of her hands once more. When Millie & Chuck arrived at the field, Tian felt the pressure mounting. A supportive Jaree shouted, "You're a surfer chick! Surfer chicks hang on!" On her third try, Tian hung on and was dragged across the muddy field. Chuck followed closely behind, completing the task on the first try. Millie & Chuck hurried into their cab just as they saw last-place Reichen & Chip arriving at the muddy fields. Trying to keep cool, Reichen performed the Roadblock quickly and the married couple sped off to Beach Road still well behind the other Teams. ANIMAL OPTIONS With Jon & Al in the taxi directly behind, friends David & Jeff arrived at Beach Road in first place. Opening the clue, the pair encountered a Detour with the option of "Baskets" or "Trunks." Teams choosing Baskets had to load 10 live chickens into baskets on a traditional bicycle-powered wagon and navigate to a farm circled on an enclosed map. Riding the bikes in the sweltering heat could prove exhausting, but Teams could determine their own pace. The Trunks option required Teams to load two bales of traditional Indian fabric known as coir onto an elephant and navigate to the coir shop circled on the enclosed map. Riding the elephant shouldn't be tiring, but Teams could travel only as fast as the elephant would allow. Deciding that chickens were difficult to catch, David & Jeff opted for Trunks, as did clowns Jon & Al. Just as the clowns mounted their elephant, a task familiar to them from the circus, Kelly & Jon arrived, also choosing Trunks. Mounting the elephant, Kelly quipped, "It sure ain't like riding a horse." Soon, all three Teams were heading to the market to drop off the fabric. Arriving in fourth place, models Tian & Jaree encountered a few problems. Tian considered doing Baskets, but Jaree insisted on Trunks. Not wanting to fight, Tian conceded, but the pair forgot to pick up the fabric before the elephant stood up. In this time, Millie & Chuck grabbed their coir and moved ahead. As the models got their fabric and remounted the elephant, Reichen & Chip finally made it to the Detour. Realizing that choosing the elephant would most likely seal their doom, the couple opted for Baskets and quickly packed the bicycle wagon with chickens. After asking a few people for directions, David & Jeff arrived at the coir shop in first place. Handing the coir to the shop owner, the pair received their clue directing them to the next Pit Stop, the Finishing Point, a waterside spot that traditionally serves as a finish line for the town's boat races. With Jon & Al directly behind them in a cab, David & Jeff found themselves in another tight race to the mat. As in the previous leg, David & Jeff maintained the lead and finished in first place. For their efforts, the pair received a seven-night cruise vacation to the Western Caribbean on Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas. Arriving moments later, clowns Jon & Al came in second place. ELIMINATION With Kelly & Jon finishing in third place and Millie & Chuck in fourth, Tian & Jaree and Reichen & Chip battled to complete the Detour. Riding the bike through the crowded streets proved difficult for Reichen as the pair frantically searched for the chicken farm. Meanwhile, Tian & Jaree continued to ask people where the coir shop was located. After each Team dropped off their respective cargo, they urged their cab drivers to go faster as they headed for the Finishing Point. Arriving in fifth place, married couple Reichen & Chip appeared shaken, and hugged each other in relief. Arriving minutes later, Tian & Jaree were told by Phil they were the last Team to arrive and had been eliminated from the Race. Tian smiled, telling Phil, "That's alright. We tried really hard. Thank you." Later she added, "I'm not disappointed at all. We did what we could, and I saw a lot of amazing things." Jaree added, "I'm sad because I know that Tian and I are tough enough to be on this Race and we should still be, but we're not." Tian joked, "Maybe arguing was better. We stopped fighting, and now we lose." DAVID & JEFF MAINTAIN LEAD, TIAN & JAREE ELIMINATED Trying to hold onto their lead, best friends David & Jeff found themselves together with the other Teams again as all waited for a train to Ernakulam. Once there, the dynamic duo set the pace for the entire leg, arriving first at the Detour, the Roadblock and a second consecutive time at the Pit Stop. Other Teams fared worse in the leg as Millie & Chuck struggled with an overheated taxi, while Reichen & Chip's cab ran out of gas. A few small but costly mistakes pushed Tian & Jaree into a virtual tie for last place with Reichen & Chip during the Detour. The married couple gave it their all and escaped defeat, as Tian & Jaree became the seventh Team to be eliminated from THE AMAZING RACE.http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race4/show/episode07/ar4story01.shtml
JOURNEY THROUGH INDIA Leaving the Gateway of India first at 12:51 am, best friends David & Jeff ripped open their clue discovering they must travel 860 miles by train to a place called Ernakulam Junction. Commenting on his Team, Jeff said, "I would say that David and I have a very good shot of winning. We had some rough spots where we were counting more on being physically fit than on our strategy. Now we're taking a step back, thinking about it a little bit longer. We're kind of firing on all cylinders now." Departing just moments later, married couple Reichen & Chip also made their way 43 miles to the Panvel Train Station, preparing for a 24-hour train ride. On his performance thus far, Chip said, "Sometimes, Reichen defers to me, and my conviction of saying, 'I know this is right' sometimes is a problem. I've made significant blunders, and that's something I need to work on, because I definitely want to win this Race." Following engaged couple Kelly & Jon's departure fifteen minutes earlier, 12-year dating virgins Millie & Chuck left the Gateway of India at 1:34 am. On the growing friction between her and Chuck, Millie remarked, "It has been very tense between us the last few legs, so we talked and we said we really hated the way we were treating each other. We were really going to try to be friends and be nice to each other. Maybe then we'll feel a little more positive about us as a Team." Moments later, friends and models Tian & Jaree departed for the train station followed, one minute later, by the last-place circus clowns Jon & Al. On their showing, Jon said, "The last leg was too close. We were almost eliminated, so we want to stay focused. We want to pay attention to details and push forward to the finish line." Rather than taking cabs to the Panvel Station, Kelly & Jon and Jon & Al went separately to the Victoria Train Terminal to take a train instead, but discovered the ticket window wouldn't open until 4 am. Knowing the train to Ernakulam from the Panvel Station wouldn't depart until late morning, both Teams decided to take advantage of the situation by sleeping at nearby hotels for the night. After a brief mix-up of being dropped off at the old Panvel Station, now a residential home, David & Jeff arrived at the new Panvel Station first. Also deciding that sleep was important, the pair departed for a hotel for the evening. Soon after, Reichen & Chip and Millie & Chuck made it to the station along with a shaken Tian & Jaree, who had a frightening taxi ride down the wrong side of the freeway. Upon seeing Chip at the station, Tian said, "We almost got killed. You have no idea." All three Teams opted to pull out the sleeping bags and stretch out on the concrete floor of the station for the night. The next morning, at Kelly's insistence on taking an early train to avoid the crowded rush, she and Jon departed for the Panvel Station at 6:40 am. Kelly was not amused when Jon jokingly pinched her from behind after she asked him to protect her on the train. About half an hour later, clowns Jon & Al boarded their train for Panvel. Commenting on the conditions of India, Jon said, "I always felt I was a good person and I've tried to be a good father and husband, but this makes you realize that you can always do better." Soon, Kelly & Jon, Jon & Al, and David & Jeff, coming from a nearby hotel, met the other three Teams at the Victoria Station. As the Teams boarded their train to Ernakulam, circus clown Jon remarked, "Ooh, it stinks." Jeff responded, "It only gets better guys." Once seated in a car, Reichen said, "This train smells so bad it makes you want to gag." Facing a full day in a hot, cramped train car, Jon & Al decided to take action and upgraded to a first class air-conditioned car. With the exception of a frugal Millie & Chuck, all other Teams followed suit, enjoying nicer accommodations for sixteen dollars a person. Jon (of Jon & Al) quipped, "Best money I ever spent." Enjoying the time apart from the other Teams, Millie commented, "We have not befriended the other Teams probably as much as they have befriended each other. There's always stuff that people say." Chuck added, "Sometimes we feel like we're back on the playground." Meanwhile, in first class, Kelly & Jon continued their jokes about "Millie Mole and the Werewolf" to an amused Reichen & Chip. Jon quipped, "I think the mole is growing throughout the Race just because of stress. I'm not even kidding." ON THE ROAD Once arriving in Ernakulam, Teams raced off of the train into nearby cabs. Getting an early lead, David & Jeff directed their driver along Highway 47, searching for a yellow and red billboard among hundreds of similar billboards to find their next clue. Already in last place, Reichen & Chip quickly encountered a problem, as their cab was low on gasoline. Having to stop at a gas station where the driver asked Chip for money only put the couple further behind. Although searching the highway, which was filled with a dizzying array of yellow and red billboards, was difficult, David & Jeff had few problems locating the green clue box. Ripping open the envelope, the friends learned they must travel an additional 25 miles to the town of Alleppy and find a locally known sports field to find their next clue. With Kelly & Jon, Tian & Jaree, Jon & Al and Millie & Chuck all finding the clue box moments after David & Jeff, the race was on to Alleppy. Soon, Millie & Chuck also experienced taxi woes when theirs needed gas. Now in fifth place, their problems compounded as the taxi overheated. At this point, Reichen & Chip reached their clue at the billboard and narrowed the gap between themselves and Millie & Chuck. The virgins began calling for a replacement cab before their driver cooled the engine down, allowing them to continue and preserve their fifth-place standing. A LOAD OF BULL David & Jeff continued to set the pace as they arrived at the sports field in Alleppy followed closely by Jon & Al and Tian & Jaree. The best friends opened their clue to find a Roadblock. In it, one Team member would have to take part in bull racing, a sport invented by local farmers 100 years ago. The sport required participants to hang onto a team of bulls and race at top speed across a mud track roughly as long as an American football field, hanging on to the end to receive their next clue. Only one Team could race at a time, so if they didn't hang on, they needed to go to the end of any line that formed and wait to try again. David, Al and Tian all opted to bull race for their Teams. Going first, David put on a pair of goggles and grabbed the wooden bar hitched by rope onto a pair of bulls, as Jeff shouted, "Don't let go!" With two men prodding, the bulls began running through the muddy field, dragging David through the filth behind them. Crowds cheered as David kept a firm grasp on the bar and successfully completed the task. Once finished, David & Jeff opened their next clue, learning they had to drive through Alleppy to Beach Road to find the next route marker. After Al took his bull ride, becoming a muddy mess in the process, Tian took her turn. Performing the sixth consecutive Roadblock for her Team, Tian commented, "I've just been a boy on the trip. I don't care about getting muddy." Unfortunately, as the bulls began running, Tian couldn't hold onto the bar. This allowed Jon to go next, as partner Kelly screamed in support. With Kelly & Jon now racing to Beach Road in third place, Tian tried again. Because of the mud, Tian couldn't maintain a proper grip on the wooden bar, and it slipped out of her hands once more. When Millie & Chuck arrived at the field, Tian felt the pressure mounting. A supportive Jaree shouted, "You're a surfer chick! Surfer chicks hang on!" On her third try, Tian hung on and was dragged across the muddy field. Chuck followed closely behind, completing the task on the first try. Millie & Chuck hurried into their cab just as they saw last-place Reichen & Chip arriving at the muddy fields. Trying to keep cool, Reichen performed the Roadblock quickly and the married couple sped off to Beach Road still well behind the other Teams. ANIMAL OPTIONS With Jon & Al in the taxi directly behind, friends David & Jeff arrived at Beach Road in first place. Opening the clue, the pair encountered a Detour with the option of "Baskets" or "Trunks." Teams choosing Baskets had to load 10 live chickens into baskets on a traditional bicycle-powered wagon and navigate to a farm circled on an enclosed map. Riding the bikes in the sweltering heat could prove exhausting, but Teams could determine their own pace. The Trunks option required Teams to load two bales of traditional Indian fabric known as coir onto an elephant and navigate to the coir shop circled on the enclosed map. Riding the elephant shouldn't be tiring, but Teams could travel only as fast as the elephant would allow. Deciding that chickens were difficult to catch, David & Jeff opted for Trunks, as did clowns Jon & Al. Just as the clowns mounted their elephant, a task familiar to them from the circus, Kelly & Jon arrived, also choosing Trunks. Mounting the elephant, Kelly quipped, "It sure ain't like riding a horse." Soon, all three Teams were heading to the market to drop off the fabric. Arriving in fourth place, models Tian & Jaree encountered a few problems. Tian considered doing Baskets, but Jaree insisted on Trunks. Not wanting to fight, Tian conceded, but the pair forgot to pick up the fabric before the elephant stood up. In this time, Millie & Chuck grabbed their coir and moved ahead. As the models got their fabric and remounted the elephant, Reichen & Chip finally made it to the Detour. Realizing that choosing the elephant would most likely seal their doom, the couple opted for Baskets and quickly packed the bicycle wagon with chickens. After asking a few people for directions, David & Jeff arrived at the coir shop in first place. Handing the coir to the shop owner, the pair received their clue directing them to the next Pit Stop, the Finishing Point, a waterside spot that traditionally serves as a finish line for the town's boat races. With Jon & Al directly behind them in a cab, David & Jeff found themselves in another tight race to the mat. As in the previous leg, David & Jeff maintained the lead and finished in first place. For their efforts, the pair received a seven-night cruise vacation to the Western Caribbean on Royal Caribbean's Voyager of the Seas. Arriving moments later, clowns Jon & Al came in second place. ELIMINATION With Kelly & Jon finishing in third place and Millie & Chuck in fourth, Tian & Jaree and Reichen & Chip battled to complete the Detour. Riding the bike through the crowded streets proved difficult for Reichen as the pair frantically searched for the chicken farm. Meanwhile, Tian & Jaree continued to ask people where the coir shop was located. After each Team dropped off their respective cargo, they urged their cab drivers to go faster as they headed for the Finishing Point. Arriving in fifth place, married couple Reichen & Chip appeared shaken, and hugged each other in relief. Arriving minutes later, Tian & Jaree were told by Phil they were the last Team to arrive and had been eliminated from the Race. Tian smiled, telling Phil, "That's alright. We tried really hard. Thank you." Later she added, "I'm not disappointed at all. We did what we could, and I saw a lot of amazing things." Jaree added, "I'm sad because I know that Tian and I are tough enough to be on this Race and we should still be, but we're not." Tian joked, "Maybe arguing was better. We stopped fighting, and now we lose." DAVID & JEFF MAINTAIN LEAD, TIAN & JAREE ELIMINATED Trying to hold onto their lead, best friends David & Jeff found themselves together with the other Teams again as all waited for a train to Ernakulam. Once there, the dynamic duo set the pace for the entire leg, arriving first at the Detour, the Roadblock and a second consecutive time at the Pit Stop. Other Teams fared worse in the leg as Millie & Chuck struggled with an overheated taxi, while Reichen & Chip's cab ran out of gas. A few small but costly mistakes pushed Tian & Jaree into a virtual tie for last place with Reichen & Chip during the Detour. The married couple gave it their all and escaped defeat, as Tian & Jaree became the seventh Team to be eliminated from THE AMAZING RACE.