As always, if you don’t want to hear any spoilers, please leave the room now. Otherwise, let’s go! Last week we left off in Argentina, where Rob and Amber went from first place to last and were eliminated from the race. This week holds some more surprises….let’s find out what happened.
Since Oswald & Danny were the first to arrive last week, they’re the first to receive the next clue: grab a taxi and head to the base of the Martial Mountain chain where they’ll hop on a ski left and travel 1100 meters to the Martial Glacier. Each team is given an avalanche beacon which will be used to locate the next clue buried under snow and ice on the glacier. I’m not certain here, but it appeared that all of the buried clues responded to all beacons, instead of each individual team having their own clue to seek out. This proved to make the challenge more difficult, sending teams in circles as they followed the distance read-out on the beacon which is responding to 7 different clues at the same time.
Joe & Bill were the first to find a buried clue, which revealed they would finally be leaving South America for Maputo — the bustling capital and port city of Mozambique, Africa. The teams are also instructed that they must book their flights through a travel agent, as they’re the only ones authorized to handle international flights. As the teams finish the avalanche beacon challenge, they head back into Ushuaia to find a travel agent. The Race organizers gave the teams tickets to leave at 3:00 PM, telling them to search out earlier flights if they choose to do so. This is probably due to odd flying schedules out of Ushuaia, which could have left teams stuck for days if they happened to not get the 3:00 flight.
After flying over 7,000 miles, the teams land in Mozambique and are instructed to take a taxi to the Apopo Training Field for their next clue. On the way, Eric & Danielle mess with Joe & Bill, telling their driver to pass them up. After arriving, J&B confront E&D, telling them to watch their speed. This is confusing, because each team has a driver and is not actually in control of the car. Even so, J&B take it personally and flip out in classic style. It’s here that I realize Bill bares a striking resemblance to Growing Pains star Alan Thicke. Seriously, they look just alike!
Anyway, the teams bicker about something, and then move on to the next detour. One team member must assist a gigantic, mine-sniffing rat around a field where clues are buried under the ground. When the rat finds a clue (which smells like a mine, I guess?) it will begin to dig. Teams then call over a man with a metal detector and shovel to finish the job. I’m not sure why everyone is freaking out about the rats. I think they’re kind of cute.
Once teams find their clue (and I’ll spare you the details — they all do), they are instructed to find Praca dos Trabalhadores, a building designed by French architect, Gustave Eiffel. He’s done some other monument in France… a tower, though I can’t remember the name. You wouldn’t know it anyway.
After finding the building and subsequent clue box sitting outside, teams learn the next Road Block: Pamper or Porter. In Pamper, teams must harass local market-goers into letting them paint their nails. The team must earn 30 Mozambican meticals doing this, or about $1 USD. In Porter, teams must load 10 bags with 45 pounds of coal, and carry one bag to a house down the street. The teams that choose Pamper make it through the Road Block much quicker, though with much less dignity. Charla & Mirna choose Pamper, and end up shouting at the locals in every language imaginable — French, English, Spanish, Italian — hoping they will respond to at least one. I originally made fun of them for using Spanish while getting directions to the market, but I later learned that Portuguese is Mozambique’s official language, so it kind of makes sense. Sorry girls — I still despise you, but sorry.
Charla & Mirna breeze through the Road Block — who wouldn’t want to have their nails painted by a little person? — and are the first to arrive at the next pit stop located in the oldest building in Maputo: Fortaleza. Dustin & Kandice and Teri & Ian — also painting nails — are the next to arrive, with Oswald & Danny following behind. O&D, who chose to shovel coal, arrive completely covered in soot, and chase Phil around the Fortaleza grounds trying to give him a hug. I’m not sure what he was so afraid of — getting dirty, or getting a hug from O&D? Regardless, Phil prances around the grounds like a gazelle, which always makes for good TV. I always enjoy the pit stop antics of Phil — the dirty German, the Australian whip. Good stuff.
Joe & Bill and Eric & Danielle both arrive on the mat at virtually the same time, E&D arriving a few seconds later, thinking they’re last. Eric, as usual, performs his “worst boyfriend ever” duties by lashing out on Danielle for letting the two “weirdos” beat them to the mat. Luckily for them Uchenna & Joyce had yet to arrive, leaving E&D in 6th place and U&J in last.
Man, I’m 0-2 here. Up until last week, I was rooting for Rob & Amber. When they got the boot, I switched to Uchenna & Joyce, and now they arrive last. It’s the curse of Justin. Fortunately for them, it was a………wait for it……non-elimination round, so they will have to arrive first on the next leg or receive a 30 minute penalty.
Catch us next Monday for another recap of the Amazing Race: All-Stars!