Recap, Episode 9: Sandakan, Malaysia
SWINGING FROM THE TREES After the mandatory rest period, circus clowns Jon & Al and married couple Reichen & Chip left the Pit Stop at Manukan Island at 2:05 am. Opening their clue, the two Teams learned that they must return by boat to the Kota Kinabalu jetty and take a taxi 78 miles to Poring Hot Springs. Once there, they would walk a series of roped bridges 100 feet above the ground to their next clue. Commenting on his Team, Al remarked, "A lot of Teams have said, 'You always seem to be laughing, always seem to be having a good time.' We're always thinking positive. Maybe, psychologically that gives an edge up to the other Teams." On working with his teammate, Chip said, "Reichen and I are just clicking without even asking, which is a really nice thing. We just do things for each other and don't step on each other's toes and realize that it's all for the same goal." As Reichen & Chip and Jon & Al got into their cabs, 12-year dating virgins Millie & Chuck departed the Pit Stop in third place. Commenting on the state of her Team, Millie said, "We haven't been getting a lot of sleep at all since we've started. We're talking and we're planning and we're strategizing. It's tiring. It's intense." Leaving half an hour behind the virgins, best friends David & Jeff headed for the shore of Kota Kinabalu. Describing a fault of his Team's, David remarked, "One of our biggest issues as a Team between Jeff & I is the fact that we're sort of impulsive. That's been one of our biggest problems and one that we need to work on the most." Finally, departing 45 minutes after David & Jeff, engaged couple Kelly & Jon tried to gain ground on the road to Poring Hot Springs. On her experience this far, Kelly commented, "We've learned a lot about each other as far as we've learned how to negotiate, compromise. We've learned the most important things in a relationship on this Race." After driving through the evening that included stopping for cattle lying in the middle of the road, Reichen & Chip arrived at Poring Hot Springs first at 5:02 am. The pair soon learned that the springs didn't open until 6:30 am, allowing most of the Teams to catch up. As 6:30 am approached, only a worried Kelly & Jon were still en route to the springs, realizing they would now be further behind. When the Poring Hot Springs gates opened, Millie & Chuck sprinted to an early lead as the four Teams raced through the Malaysian jungles. Following the trails, they ascended to the forest canopies, precariously walking across roped bridges that connected the trees together. On the experience, Reichen remarked, "I was afraid I didn't have my footing because the people behind us were kind of shaking the bridge, and it was making it really difficult to run in a straight line." Arriving at the clue box first, Millie & Chuck discovered they had to drive a marked car 145 miles to the Trushidup Palm Oil Plantation, where they would find the next route marker. As the four Teams made their way back down to the rain forest floor, Kelly & Jon arrived at Poring Hot Springs. An annoyed Kelly prodded Jon, who decided to take a bathroom break in a bush, quipping, "I shouldn't have drank those two cups of coffee." As they walked into the forest, Kelly & Jon just missed seeing the other four Teams, who came barreling out. Navigating the dense foliage by themselves, the engaged couple soon became very lost, unable to find the marked trail. Out of the parking lot, David & Jeff and Millie & Chuck took the early lead, but soon both Teams pulled over because their windows fogged up. Thinking ahead, Reichen & Chip and Jon & Al put on the defroster in the parking lot, allowing them to pass the other two Teams. Soon, Jon & Al had their windows fog up as well, giving Reichen & Chip a sizable lead. While the four Teams jockeyed for position on the Malaysian highways, Kelly & Jon finally found the route marker in the forest canopies. Fully aware of their last-place standing, Kelly told Jon to only read the Fast Forward clue. In this Fast Forward, Teams had to drive over 140 miles to the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary, home to the last wild orangutans in Borneo. Then, they needed to walk deep in the forest to a feeding station, where they would each feed two pieces of fruit to the orangutans to claim the Fast Forward award. HAULING OFF Meanwhile, having few directional difficulties, Jon & Al arrived first at the Trushidup Palm Oil Plantation to find a Detour clue in a nearby wheelbarrow. In this Detour, Teams chose either "Chop" or "Haul." Teams choosing Chop must use local tools to chop down palm nut bunches with clue envelopes attached. However, for every one envelope with a clue, three were empty. Teams opting for Haul must use a wheelbarrow to carry 25 nut bunches to a corresponding truck. Because the nut bunches are sharp and cumbersome, getting it done could take some time. Jon & Al decided to perform the Haul task, but quickly learned the difficulties of this choice. While loading the wheelbarrow, Jon remarked, "They make you bleed like crazy." At first, each time one of the clowns threw nut bunches onto the truck, he fell back to the ground. As David & Jeff arrived at the plantation, Jon & Al began tossing the prickly, heavy bunches into the truck with greater efficiency. The clowns got a laugh at David & Jeff when they couldn't find the Detour clues in the wheelbarrow. The grateful best friends thanked Jon & Al for pointing to the wheelbarrow right in front of their faces. After being led in the right direction, David & Jeff completed the Detour soon after Jon & Al. Opening their next clue, both Teams were instructed to drive 35 miles to the Gomantong Caves to find the next route marker. MONKEY BUSINESS On the way to the orangutan sanctuary, Kelly worried about the Fast Forward being taken by another Team. She said, "We'll have to go back and start at the palm oil place, so there would be no way to catch up." Jon confidently replied, "It does not make any sense for any of the Teams ahead of us to take the Fast Forward." While Jon may have been correct under normal circumstances, he didn't figure on one Team getting lost on the way to the Detour. Reichen & Chip realized they took a wrong turn and were headed directly for the orangutan sanctuary. Having gone too far to turn around, the pair decided to try for the Fast Forward instead. Arriving at the sanctuary, Reichen & Chip took their pieces of fruit and walked deep into the forest. After a long walk, they entered a clearing where they saw a mother orangutan with her child. Taking the fruit from their packs, the married couple carefully approached the orangutans with their offering. While timid at first, the orangutans accepted the fruit, touching Reichen & Chip in the process. Reichen immediately remarked on how human their touch felt. He later added, "That was probably the most memorable part of the experience." After the feeding, Reichen & Chip received the Fast Forward reward instructing them to go directly to the Pit Stop, the Sepilok Nature Resort. Meanwhile, after a long struggle and after asking several locals for directions, Millie & Chuck finally found the Detour. While Chuck thought they should consider Chop, Millie insisted they do Haul because they could "run fast." After loading one bunch onto the truck, Chuck thought they should try chopping instead. With the tool in hand, Chuck cut down branches, but failed to collect any palm nut bunches with clues which required a great deal more effort to chop down. Chuck then realized they needed to return to the wheelbarrow for Haul. The hauling task proved difficult for the pair because Millie was unable to throw the heavy bunches into the truck, forcing Chuck to bear the burden of the task. Eventually, they succeeded in loading 25 bunches into the truck and headed for Gomantong Caves, with Millie instructing Chuck to drive out of the plantation. As he pulled onto the highway, Chuck, unaware that he was given the wrong directions, drove past a sign for the Gomantong Caves pointing the opposite way. With fourth-place Millie & Chuck en route to the Roadblock, last-place Kelly & Jon received the shock of their life at the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary. Kelly discovered the red placard reading, "Sorry, Fast Forward taken." A disappointed Kelly said, "So that's it, babe. We're out. You're always right. I'm always wrong." Frustrated, Jon snapped, "Kelly, go **** yourself." A furious Kelly retorted, "You're walking a thin line. This was a chance we decided to take, but you will not talk to me like that." Kelly insisted that they go to the Detour and finish this leg, going out with dignity. LADDER PART OF THE RACE While Kelly & Jon struggled every step of the way, Jon & Al had few glitches, arriving at the Gomantong Caves first. Opening their clue, the pair found a Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one Team member had to climb a traditional rattan ladder to a point 50 feet above the stone cave's floor. Once there, they needed to retrieve their next clue hanging from a basket. Because of the duties he performs in the circus, Jon decided to climb the ladder for this Team. Entering the cave, the clowns were in awe of the majestic view of the mammoth cave lit by the sun through a crack in the ceiling. With the help of Al cheering him on, Jon nimbly climbed each rung to the top. After Jon climbed down, the clowns opened the clue to learn they had to drive to the Sepilok Nature Resort, the location of the next Pit Stop. As the clowns ran out of the cave, they were met by David & Jeff, still in close pursuit. After David completed the Roadblock for his Team, the best friends sped off to Sepilok as well. After a short drive, married couple Reichen & Chip arrived at the Sepilok Nature Resort. Having had two very close second place finishes in recent legs, the pair got the monkey off their backs, so to speak, with a first place finish. Phil greeted the pair and informed them they had won a festive Latin American vacation courtesy of American Airlines website. Still lost in the jungle landscape of Malaysia, Millie & Chuck desperately tried to reorient themselves. Crossing a bridge, a hopeful Chuck asked a lost Millie if she saw water on her map. On Millie's urging, the pair also continued to ask locals for directions with little success. Meanwhile, Kelly & Jon arrived at the Detour and opted for Haul after Kelly insisted. The duo soon encountered a problem when they couldn't find the corresponding truck to their wheelbarrow, even though both were clearly marked with the number 5. Kelly quipped, "How are we so stupid?" Not wanting to waste anymore time, Jon decided to cut down palm nut bunches instead. With relative ease, Jon chopped a palm nut bunch from the tree to discover an empty envelope. After a second chopping, Kelly & Jon got their clue and headed for the Gomantong Caves. DUEL IN MALAYSIA After roaming the highways for an hour, Chuck again saw the Gomantong Caves sign near the Detour, realizing he had turned the wrong way. An exhausted Millie, aware of her mistaken directions, said, "That was stupid of me. This is a bad day." Millie & Chuck finally arrived at the Gomantong Caves and got out of their car, only to see a stunned Kelly & Jon pull up. Kelly exclaimed, "That's Millie & Chuck! Come on!" Looking around for the Clue Box, the four racers sprinted for the cave. Jon later remarked, "That's when the adrenaline meter went from a -4 to a +20. The race was on then." In the cave, Jon and Chuck each put on their harnesses and climbed the ladder with all the speed they could muster. Chuck took an early lead, reaching the clue first. On the way down, though, Jon, with a screaming Kelly below, took the lead as he adeptly descended the rattan ladder. As both Teams headed out of the caves, Jon & Al finished in second place, followed closely by David & Jeff in third place. Jumping into their truck first, Kelly told Jon, "We can beat them! We are redeemed!" While guarded optimism reigned in Kelly & Jon's truck, only hysteria and panic was found in Millie & Chuck's. Chuck asked where they were headed, to which Millie replied that she was terrible at reading maps. Having already paid a visit to Sepilok for their failed Fast Forward attempt, Kelly felt confident that she could direct their Team to the Pit Stop. As the Teams got onto the freeway, Jon still maintained his lead over Chuck. Jon tried to pass to gain a greater advantage, but Chuck answered by passing vehicles as well. ELIMINATION Eventually, both Teams neared the Sepilok Nature Resort. A panicked Kelly told Jon, "If we screw it up here, we're over." Chuck instructed Millie to "be ready to sprint." Kelly doubted her running ability, but Jon encouraged her, replying, "They're not that fast. We can beat them, Kel." In the end, a relieved and grateful Kelly & Jon parked their truck and ran through the lush vegetation surrounding the Sepilok Nature Resort for a fourth place finish. Millie & Chuck arrived moments later, as Phil informed them they were the last to arrive and had been eliminated from the Race. On her experience, Millie commented, "I feel like we learned a lot about ourselves, about our relationship. I feel like we were there for each other and, in a lot of ways, we weren't." Chuck said, "We're both very stubborn and strong-headed. It's hard to keep peace in the relationship." Millie later added, "We really are doubting that we are the ones to make each other happy. If that is the case, then I want us to go our separate ways. I really want him just to be happy." Chuck ended by saying, "We're not certain about the future for Millie and myself. No matter what happens, she will always have a place in my heart that no one else will ever have." REICHEN & CHIP RISE TO THE TOP, MILLIE & CHUCK ELIMINATED Kelly & Jon began the ninth leg of THE AMAZING RACE with nearly insurmountable odds. Starting in last place, the pair missed the opening of the first route marker, pushing them even further behind. Then they arrived at the Fast Forward to discover it had already been taken by Reichen & Chip, who earned a first-place finish. The stunned Kelly & Jon carried on with the tasks, expecting to be eliminated, only to receive one last shock: encountering a hopelessly lost and frazzled Millie & Chuck at the Roadblock. The pair ultimately battled it out in a car race to the Pit Stop that Kelly & Jon won, forcing Millie & Chuck to become the eighth Team to be eliminated. http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race4/show/episode09/ar4story01.shtml