Recap, Episode 7: Marrakech to Füssen
FLIGHT WOES After taking the lead in Morocco, Teri & Ian departed first from the Pit Stop, the Riad Catalina, at 3:25am. On his Team's chances down the stretch, Ian said, "If we run a clean race from here on out and not make any more major mistakes, we should be in a good position to run for the gold at the end." Upon opening their clue, the pair learned that they needed to fly 1500 miles to Munich, Germany and make their way to a statue called Friedensengel. Once there, they must locate Kasperle, a famous, centuries-old German and Austrian children's puppet, to find their next clue. Leaving in second place, Flo & Zach had difficulties finding their way out of the labyrinth corridors of the Riad Catalina. A frustrated Flo chastised Zach for not getting proper directions to leave the Pit Stop. On their occasionally volatile relationship, Zach commented, "There are definitely a lot of ups and downs emotionally. We don't go very long between yelling at each other and hugging each other and saying, 'Great job.'" Departing in third place, brothers Ken & Gerard remarked on their strategy. "We're going to get ahead in the Race by continuing to do what we've been doing. We're not obvious. We do things kind of on the side. We do things slowly sometimes. We let other Teams go ahead sometimes. We're under the radar." Departing immediately after, twins Derek & Drew again teamed with Ken & Gerard heading to the Marrakech airport. Teri & Ian caught an early break as they managed to take a 6:00am flight to Munich via Zurich. As Flo & Zach, Ken & Gerard, Derek & Drew and John Vito & Jill were arriving at the airport, Teri & Ian were boarding their plane, extending their lead on the others. The Teams quickly discovered that most of the flights were booked, and they all decided to fly to Casablanca in hopes of finding a flight out of Morocco from there. As the other Teams struggled to find an open flight, Andre & Damon departed the Pit Stop in last place. On their situation, Andre said, "Even when the chips are down, we're still going to be there until the end. We're not quitters. We don't give up." They arrived at the Marrakech airport to discover that all flights for the remainder of the day were closed. Andre suggested that they take a train to Casablanca and find a flight out from there. Damon reluctantly agreed and they took a taxi to save time. The pair received a pleasant surprise at the Casablanca airport when they found the others still scrambling to find flights. Damon said, "I'm happy as hell right now. We got Teams here. Game on, baby." The pair quickly tried to assess how the other Teams were faring in finding a flight. On Team 911's style of play, Flo remarked, "Damon & Andre piggyback on other people all the time. They don't do their own thing. So it's over for them." Flo did her part to make her statement come true by speaking to a ticketing agent in Italian. She explained how she wanted four tickets for herself, Zach, John Vito and Jill. She then added that the agent would be doing a great favor if he couldn't find room on the plane for Andre & Damon. When Team 911 made it to the counter, they were told the waiting list was full. Meanwhile, Ken & Gerard and Derek & Drew managed to get on standby for an Air France flight to Munich via Paris. John Vito & Jill also got on this 11:45am flight, leaving Flo & Zach behind with Andre & Damon at the airport. Realizing the futility of their situation, Damon remarked, "We may not get out of here until tonight or tomorrow morning." Andre replied, "I want to leave this place so damn bad." Flo & Zach then received good news getting onto a 3:00pm Lufthansa flight to Munich via Frankfurt. Soon after, Andre & Damon secured Air France tickets to Paris but still did not have a connecting flight to Munich. Teri & Ian led the way into Munich, taking a train to find Friedensengel. At the statue, the puppet Kasperle greeted them and handed them their next clue. Teri & Ian learned they needed to travel 50 miles by train to Innsbruck, Austria. Once there, they must search the streets for the monument, Annasaule, or the pillar of St. Anna, located near the Olympic Village. As Teri & Ian headed to Austria, John Vito & Jill, Ken & Gerard and Derek & Drew all landed in Munich and headed towards their rendezvous with Kasperle. Upon arrival in Paris, Andre & Damon only found misery as they could not find an available flight to Munich. The pair received help from a Lufthansa worker who tried to get them on a flight, but ultimately she could not help the Team. They were forced to spend the night at the airport, hoping to catch a flight the next morning. SURFING TO THE LEAD As Team 911 struggled in Paris, Flo & Zach landed in Munich at 10:30pm, realizing they had to make up a lot of lost time. Flo said, "This is serious. This is not a joke anymore." The good friends decided they needed to use the Fast Forward in this leg to catch up. In this Fast Forward, they needed to find a surfer riding a standing wave in the nearby Eisbach River. After spotting the surfer, they had to attract his attention so he could come over and deliver the Fast Forward. After spending a few hours in a hotel, the pair made their way to the river, claimed their prize, and could head directly to the Pit Stop in Füssen, Germany. (Flo & Zach spend money on a hotel) OLYMPIC DREAMS Teri & Ian made their way to Annasaule in Innsbruck to find a Detour, either "Sled" or "Skate." Teams choosing "Sled" had to go to an Olympic bobsled track and ride along with a team of bobsledders. Traveling at 65 mph would be scary, but Teams would finish quickly. However, there are only two bobsleds, and the reset time for each could be as long as 20 minutes. Teams opting for "Skate" Teams had to go to an Olympic ice rink and run a skating relay with a pair of skaters. Both options operated between the hours of 8:00am and 7:30pm. Teri & Ian quickly realized that their lead would dissipate as the night wore on, waiting for the bobsled track to open. Their fears proved true as Ken & Gerard, Derek & Drew, and John Vito & Jill all decided to bobsled and caught up to the married couple in the middle of the night. Ian said, "Our placing went from first to all bunched up together. It was a little disheartening, to be honest." Bright and early at 8:00am, Teri & Ian took to the track first and completed the Detour. They received their next clue, instructing them to make their way across town to a cable car called the Gondola Nordkette. They had to ride the gondola to the Seegrube Station and locate the next route marker. Derek & Drew quickly followed and headed in a cab right behind Teri & Ian. Ken & Gerard and John Vito & Jill encountered a brief problem when their cabs did not show up after the Detour. After a quick delay, both Teams made their way to the gondola as well. As the other Teams completed the Detour, the still optimistic Team 911 finally landed in Munich. Damon said, "I think we can catch up. Situations change. Teams go from first to last in the blink of an eye." GOING DOWN All four Teams boarded the gondola and arrived at the Seegrube Station to find a Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one Team member had to put on safety equipment and descend 230 feet on rescue cable to receive their next clue. Teri, Drew, Jill, and Gerard all opted to descend for their respective Teams. While all four had some reservations about the height, all easily performed the task and received their next clue. They discovered they needed to return down the gondola and drive a marked car 70 miles to the town of Füssen, Germany. Then they had to find the Pit Stop in the meadow beneath the Neuschwanstein Castle, the inspiration for the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty. A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE PIT STOP Believing that they may still have finished in last place, Flo & Zach made their way to the Pit Stop. Phil greeted the pair and informed them of their first place finish and the prize of a Kodak Easyshare Digital Camera for their effort. As the other Teams waited to head back down on the gondola, Derek left his clue at the ticket counter. Trying to be a good sport, Teri informed him of this. Then, on the ride down, Teri & Ian tried to obtain help from Derek & Drew, who had a map. Derek told Drew not to give any information away, upsetting Teri, who felt he should offer information after she helped to recover their clue. While Teams raced to their vehicles for the drive to the Pit Stop, Andre & Damon encountered more bad luck as they slept past their train stop at Innsbruck, Austria. While Team 911 struggled at Innsbruck, the remaining Teams struggled to find the correct directions to Füssen. Derek & Drew, with a map, took one direction. Ken & Gerard took a different route, not trusting the twins' sense of direction. Teri & Ian and John Vito & Jill followed Ken & Gerard. Ken quipped, "They haven't gotten it right yet." Even with Derek yelling at Drew about directions, the twins did make the right choices in this leg. Ken & Gerard quickly became lost with the other two Teams behind them as the road turned into a private driveway. To make matters worse for the brothers, Ken & Gerard got a flat tire but continued to drive for a few miles until they found a gas station to repair it. Ian eventually stopped to ask a local vendor for directions to Füssen. ELIMINATION For their efforts, twins Derek & Drew stepped onto the mat beneath Neuschwanstein Castle in second place. Behind them, in third place, were John Vito & Jill, followed by Teri & Ian. After their delay, Ken & Gerard believed that they were eliminated. The pair were ecstatic when they learned they were in fifth place. Andre & Damon finally reached Annasaule in Innsbruck, where they opened their clue instructing them to go to the Pit Stop at Neuschwanstein Castle. When the firefighter and police officer from Los Angeles arrived there, Phil informed them that they had been eliminated from THE AMAZING RACE. On his goal for the race, Andre said, "I'm happy we did this. Damon's a firefighter. I'm a police officer. It will show that we eat and sleep just like everybody else. We bleed like everybody else. We're just everyday, common people. I think that will help bridge the gap between the police department and the community." Damon added, "We've been friends. We'll always be friends. We've been great friends and it's going to stay the same." FLO & ZACH CLAIM THE LEAD AS TEAM 911 CAN'T SAVE THEMSELVES As one of the last Teams out of Morocco, Flo & Zach decided to use their Fast Forward and took the lead in the seventh leg. Meanwhile, Andre & Damon were plagued by overbooked flights and became stranded in Paris overnight while other Teams raced to the Detour. The friends from Los Angeles became the seventh Team to be eliminated from THE AMAZING RACE. http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race3/show/episode07/ar3story01.shtml