Amazing Race: Pairs

Amazing Race
Ali Baba In a Suit

This entire leg had the teams separated up so much that they had no idea who was in first and who was in last. It seemed like each team only knew they were racing against one other team, but they didn’t know if they were racing for first or last place. It was weird, but at least two of them were together instead of one lonely team out there clueless about what anyone else was doing.

Leaving the Pit Stop

The doctors were the first to leave at 1:06 am. They were headed to a travel agency first and then to the airport.

Clue: Teams had to fly to the city of Muscat, Oman. Once they landed, they had to make their way to Burj Al Mubkharah to find a man who gave them a metal bar with an inscribed time when they could find a fort and their next clue.

The home shopping queens left next at 1:28 am. The tattoo couple left right after them at 1:29 am. The doctors were at a travel agency (they are open in the middle of the night?) and getting a flight that went through Amsterdam and arrived in Oman at 8:55 pm. The travel agent said it was the earliest arriving flight. The father/daughter team left at 1:46 am. The home shopping queens and tattoo couple found the same travel agency as the doctors. Jill & Thomas left the pit stop at 1:53 am.

All the teams were at the travel agency, except Chad & Stephanie. They were the last to depart at 2:45 am, but they were not at the mat ready to go. They were still sleeping. Uh-oh! At the travel agency, the doctors and home shopping queens got on the same flight. Those were the last seats on the plane.  That meant everyone else got on the next flight that would have them arriving at 10:35 pm. Well, everyone, that is, except Chad & Stephanie. They were still sleeping an hour after they were supposed to be leaving. Everyone was at the airport wondering if they had overslept. They did!

They finally woke up two hours after they were supposed to leave. Stephanie said it would be such a lame excuse to be out of the race. They finally left the pit stop at 4:45 am. When they got to the travel agency, they found out that the flights the other teams were on were full. Chad said that the entire game, it hasn’t been the other teams that have beaten them, but the mistakes they have made themselves. I agree with you Chad! They did get a on a flight that would have them land at 10:45 pm, which was only 10 minutes after the other teams. Will it not hurt them and allow them to race with the other teams while also getting two extra hours of sleep?

Hot & Humid

All the teams commented how it was super hot and humid in the middle of the night. They knew it would be worse in the morning. The first flight landed and the doctors and home shopping queens were in their taxis headed to the place with the name. The second flight landed and while they were trying to get out of the airport, Chad & Stephanie caught up to them since their plane landed early. The other teams were shocked to see them.

The first two teams arrived near the fort. They were wandering around looking for the guy. They found him. He gave both teams a bar that said 7:30. They set up camp since they had some time. Jill & Thomas arrived next and got 7:45. Chad & Stephanie, father/daughter and tattoo couple showed up around the same time. Chad & Stephanie found the guy first so they got 7:45 while the other two teams got 8:00.

The teams got up and started moving around at 6:00 am. Chad asked Stephanie to go take a walk with her. He decided that was a good time to ask her to marry him. So he did it in front of everyone and she’ll forever get to remember the day she was proposed to while wearing spandex and an awesome bandanna.

Jewel in the Desert

The first two teams headed up to the fort at 7:30 am. They opened up the clue.

Clue: Teams had to drive themselves to Jebel Shams, the tallest mountain in Oman. At the base of the mountain, they will have a safety driver take them to the top due to the treacherous conditions.

It really looked like it was treacherous since it was a dirt road going up the mountain and not really much of one. At the top, it looked like they would meet some lovely goats along with their next clue.

The teams found the cars and then tried to figure out where they were going. The doctors had a map that was pretty vague and the home shopping queens were looking for somewhere to stop and ask for directions. The next two teams got the clue and left. Chad & Stephanie stopped right away to ask for directions. They found they had been heading in the wrong direction so they took off back the way they came. Jill & Thomas were also looking for someone to ask directions. After giving Jill some attitude, Thomas did say the people of Oman were super nice giving them directions to the mountains. When the last two teams left, the father/daughter team had a map. The tattoo couple didn’t. Vicki wanted to follow them, but Nick wanted to ask a local that “for sure” would know where to go instead of depending on a map. While Vicki was getting directions, the home shopping queens pulled into the same station. Vicki pointed out the general direction to them, but when she got back into the car, Nick started going off on her saying she had no common sense and he was going to go home the next time she gave anyone advice. Someone likes to overreact!

Chad & Stephanie were the first team to find the mountains. They got their driver and took off up the mountain. Meanwhile, Gary was questioning Mallory’s navigational skills. She said the way they were heading was right, but he didn’t think it was right. They were stuck in traffic somewhere. Chad & Stephanie made it up the mountain before anyone else got there. They opened up the clue to find it was a road block.

Road Block: It asked, “Who wants to add a little magic to their life?” One team member would have to rappel 500 feet onto a narrow ledge and them search among hundreds of lamps to find the one containing Aladdin’s ring. They would get their next clue when they turn the ring into the clue-holding guy.

Chad decided to do it. Chad said he wasn’t afraid of heights but his breath went away when he saw how tall the mountain was and where he was going to rappel. He was going down the mountain when Jill & Thomas arrived next. Jill was going to do the task. Chad got to the ledge where there was a person there to unhook him safely. He started heading to the ledge with the lamps while Jill started rappelling down the mountain. She was afraid of heights, but she was doing pretty well at going down without freaking out.

The doctors and father/daughter team thought they might have gone the wrong way. They both thought they should ask for directions. Jill thought it was pretty cool when she got to the ledge. She got to the part with the lamps around the time that Chad found the ring. He turned it in, got the clue and then just seemed to run around a corner to find Stephanie lounging around under a tent.

Clue: Teams had to drive themselves to a giant stack of books in the city of Nizwa.

Chad & Stephanie took off and were so happy they were in first place. Jill found the ring. As Jill & Thomas were leaving, the tattoo couple were arriving. Vicki decided to do it. While they were reading the clue, a helpful goat came up and tried to eat the clue. Nick kept having to grab it out of the goat’s mouth. While Jill & Thomas headed down the mountain, they passed the home shopping queens who couldn’t believe how behind they got. So much for getting the clue first! Claire decided to do it.

Meanwhile, the doctors finally asked for directions. They figured they were the only team that was lost. Nope! The father/daughter team finally stopped for directions. Mallory was crying about how lost they were. On the mountain, Vicki said she felt like Spider-man rappelling down the mountain. Claire was a tad more freaked out about going down the mountain but she was doing it.

Chad & Stephanie and Jill & Thomas arrived in Nizwa at the same time. They found the stack of books right away. The clue box was on top of the statue. It was a detour.

Making the Deliveries

Sorry, they say “making the delivery” in the detour explanation. I had to put the picture here.

Detour: In Water Table, teams had to pump water from an ancient well deep below the Earth’s surface. Once the water truck was full, they had to navigate the confusing streets of Muscat to find the designated house. After making the delivery, they would get their next clue. In Wedding Table, teams go to a traditional Arab market, where they had to purchase 25 frozen chickens and the rest of the ingredients for a wedding soup that was supposed to bring health and virility. Once they presented the bride and groom with the soup, they would get their next clue.

Chad & Stephanie decided to do the water task. They didn’t see Jill & Thomas until they were leaving. Jill & Thomas were trying to hide so the first team didn’t see them, but it didn’t work. Jill said they should avoid the cooking one since Thomas couldn’t cook and it could be time consuming. They decided to follow Chad & Stephanie. Vicki found a ring right before Claire found her ring. The home shopping queens took off while the tattoo couple did not since their back tire was leaking. Nick handled it well by pouting. He did change the tire, while yelling about it the entire time.

The first two teams arrived at the water trucks. They had to pick a marked water truck with a driver. The driver showed the teams how to get the water from the well. Stephanie watched the water fill up so she could tell Chad when to stop it. They got into the truck with their driver and headed out to find the neighborhood. They asked the driver if he could help them with directions, but he couldn’t. They decided to stop somewhere and ask. Jill & Thomas decided to waste tons of water and let it overflow before turning it off. Then they got into their truck to find their neighborhood. They were both going to be going to different addresses.

The home shopping queens arrived at the stack of books and decided to do the water table since they didn’t cook. The doctors arrived at the road block and Kat did it since Nat is afraid of heights. Chad & Stephanie stopped at a gas station to ask where their neighborhood was located. The guy said it was a new neighborhood so he didn’t know. Jill & Thomas asked a local and he said he would show them where it was located. They were thrilled at the nice people in the country.

The tattoo couple arrived at the stack of books and picked the water clue too. They saw a water truck and decided to follow it since it would be going where they were going? Would it? Or would it be heading to deliver water somewhere else? Jill & Thomas arrived at a house that they thought might be the right one, but they were going to get out and check. Chad & Stephanie were in a neighborhood and asking a local person if they could direct them to the address. They were pretty lost though. Meanwhile, Jill & Thomas showed the address to the guy that had showed them the neighborhood and he said it was his cousin’s address. What luck! They got the pipe hooked up and were pumping water while Chad & Stephanie drove by following a local that was showing them to their address. They were mad when they saw Jill & Thomas getting the next clue.

Clue: Teams had to drive themselves to the Muttrah Souq in Muscat and search for one store to pick up frankincense. Then they had to search for the Ali Baba to exchange the frankincense for the next clue.

Jill & Thomas took off to the next location while Chad & Stephanie found the right house and got it hooked up to the truck. Amazingly, Nick followed a water truck all the way back to the water truck place so they got there right before the home shopping queens. Their water truck was filled with water by the time the other team got their water going. Vicki complained that she was soaking wet. Nick said he didn’t care. While that wasn’t nice, I would have thought the water would have felt good in the heat. Evaporative cooling!

Kat was still looking for the jewel in the lamp around the time that the father/daughter team arrived at the mountain to have the driver take them up to the clue box. Mallory made a comment that they had been driving for almost nine hours. WAT! Jill & Thomas had made it back to their vehicle so they could go to the next clue place. While they were driving away, Chad & Stephanie passed them. Thomas was mystified about how they could be finished already.

Kat was getting confused about which lamps she had checked already. She finally found it before the last team got to the top of the mountain. They passed the last team on their way down so Gary was very excited to see another team just finish. When the father/daughter team opened the clue, Gary told Mallory she wanted to do it.

Ali Baba


Jill & Thomas arrived at the Muttrah Souq. Chad & Stephanie were not too far behind them. They started looking for the right store to pick up the frankincense. Thomas found it fairly quickly. So did Chad & Stephanie. Both teams were wandering around saying “Ali Baba?” while searching for where he could be.

Back at the road block, Mallory had made it down the mountain and was about to search through some lamps. At the detour, the home shopping queens found a local lady to show them where to go. The tattoo couple found a local to help direct them too. Mallory was searching among the lamps as the doctors got the detour clue and picked the water. No one wanted to cook! The home shopping queens found their house and filled it up with water just before the tattoo couple got started on their house, which was right next to them. They both headed back to the water station around the same time. Mallory finally found the ring so her and her dad could get moving on with the race. Jill & Thomas found Ali Baba and got the next clue.

Pit Stop


Clue: Teams had to make their way to Al Alam Palace, the pit stop for the leg of the race.

Jill & Thomas took off just before Chad & Stephanie got there. Thomas found a cab driver. He said he would pay for the taxi driver to show them the way and they would follow in their car. While they were driving, the doctors got their water tank filled and were headed out to their neighborhood. Jill & Thomas arrived at the pit stop. Phil told them they were in first place, but they received a penalty. He said it stated in the rules that they cannot pay a taxi to lead them to a location. I guess that’s just a new rule and not just for specific tasks! They had to wait 30 minutes before Phil would check them in. oops! Thomas took the blame and said it was his idea and his fault.

Chad & Stephanie showed up next. Phil told them they had an emotional day. He said he wanted them to end it with some joy so he informed them they were team number one. They were shocked and thrilled. As the winners, they won a trip to Belize. Sounds like a honeymoon! Sometime after, Phil called Jill & Thomas over to check them in. I guess no other teams were close enough to get ahead of them. They were team number two.

While looking for the Muttrah Souq, the home shopping queens turned down a one-way street, the wrong way. They caused a major traffic jam and the police showed up to yell at them. As they were figuring out how to turn around, the tattoo couple found it. They found a local that was going to show them where the shop was located. When they picked up the frankincense, the guy told them, “Take it to Ali Baba in the souq.” Vicki said, “Ali Baba in a suit?” And away they went!

The father/daughter team arrived at the stack of books and picked the water tank. Sorry wedding task, no soup for you. The home shopping queens finally got turned around since they were in the shopping area picking up their frankincense. Thankfully, the tattoo couple had some help locating Ali Baba since they were still saying, “Ali Baba in a suit?” They found him and took off just before the home shopping queens did the same.

The father/daughter team filled up their water truck and took off for their neighborhood. The tattoo couple found the pit stop and checked in with Phil for third place. I guess they thought they were battling it out for last place since Vicki was so relieved to find out where they placed. The home shopping queens thought they were in last place so they were thrilled when they checked in with Phil for fourth. They tackled Phil when they found out.

The doctors were finishing up hooking up the water to the house and Kat got soaked in the process. They got the next clue to the shopping area. The father/daughter found a local to show them the neighborhood they needed to deliver the water. They passed the doctors on the way. That made them happy, while it worried worried the doctors that they were right behind them. The father/daughter team finished up the water task quickly and headed back to the water station.

The doctors were at the shopping area with their frankincense and looking for Ali Baba while the father/daughter ran up to pick up their frankincense. The doctors found him first, but the father/daughter found him soon after. They were both looking for the pit stop. It was a race for last place. The doctors got to Phil first though and checked in for fifth place. That meant that Gary & Mallory checked in with Phil for last place. They were eliminated from the race.

Order teams checked in at the pit stop:

  1. Chad & Stephanie – engaged
  2. Jill & Thomas – dating
  3. Nick & Vicki – tattoo couple
  4. Brook & Claire – home shopping queens
  5. Nat & Kat – doctors
  6. Gary & Mallory – father/daughter

Questions

  1. Are you sad to see Gary & Mallory go? Do you wish another team had been in last place instead of them?
  2. Would you have done the cooking task for the detour or gone with the water task like all the teams did? Do you think it could have been quicker?
  3. What happened to the Express Pass? I thought that Jill & Thomas had to use it by now. Did they just waste it?
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