TAR: Cry Team Emo!

Amazing Race
Bees Are Much Calmer Than All This!

The beginning of Amazing Race is never very exciting since there are so many teams and everything needs to be edited to fit in an hour. You only get to learn a little bit about the teams and I usually get some confused. This time no one was yelling at donkeys right off the bat like the first team to get booted last season. They were whiny and horrible so I was glad to see them leave. The only team that seemed like they might get annoying was the separated couple where the former football guy cheated on his wife, so she was annoyed at everything he does. I have no idea why they are together since they don’t seem to like each other very much. I was also a bit disappointed about the guys from my alma mater, Arizona State University. When I attended, so many guys were actually good looking. They do not represent the school’s population! 😉 I’m from Oregon so the crazy old hippies are a little out there, but there’s a good section of Oregon that is just like them so I can’t say the same thing.

Airport Fun Times

Everyone started out at Los Angeles Coliseum where they had to run up the steps to their backpacks to get their first clue. Shockingly, the old people get up the steps last. They have to get on one of two flights heading to Salvador, Brazil. They will need to find the flagged lines at the airport and buy tickets from either American or United. While everyone comes out and gets on the freeway, the one person that grew up in Los Angeles, Terence, said they would take surface streets since the freeway is horrible. Where I have I heard people say that before? Has it ever worked for them in the past? I don’t think so. Everyone is shown driving on the freeway with no traffic. The long distance dating couple took the carpool lane when no one else did. They managed to pass everyone and get into the airport first.

Aja was looking for the flag while Ty checked with the desk lady to see if there was anywhere else to buy tickets. She said it was the only place so they stayed in the long line. The ASU guys decided just to follow the long-distance couple’s lead and stay with them. The gamers and separated couple showed up but insisted on finding the flag so they ran off and found it. The gamers arrived first and bought tickets for the earliest flight on American. The separated couple were second on it. The ASU guys realized there were no flags where they were standing, but they didn’t leave the line to go look. Terence & Sarah showed up to the correct American area while Aja and Ty realized when they got to the front counter that it was the wrong area. They took off to the right one, along with ASU guys, mom/son, siblings, blondes, Anthony & Stephanie and divorced ladies. That was a lot of people in the wrong area! After everyone got over to the correct American line, the old hippies finally showed up so they missed all the confusion.

People on the American flight that was scheduled to arrive three hours earlier than the United one:

  • Gamers
  • Separated couple
  • Terence & Sarah
  • Siblings
  • Long Distance couple
  • Divorced ladies

While Aja & Ty were buying their tickets, the blondes, old hippies and Anthony & Stephanie decided to head over to United. When the ASU guys got to the counter all the American seats were gone so they had to go over to United along with mom/son team. Mr. Worked In the Airline Industry ASU guy acted like it was the worst thing in the world that he didn’t get a seat on the first flight. He hasn’t even started the race yet! The siblings wanted to start a loose alliance with the separated couple since the siblings hoped the separated couple’s worldly experience would help them.

Those that ended up on the United flight:

  • Mom/Son
  • ASU guys
  • Old hippies
  • Blondes
  • Anthony & Stephanie

Salvador, Brazil

After the teams landed in Brazil, they had to take a taxi cab to a sandwich shop called O Rei Do Pernil to find their next clue. All the teams that were on the first American flight ended up delayed in Rio so they only ended up arriving about 90 minutes ahead of the second flight. While getting into taxi cabs, we had our first fabulous moment! It was separated couple lady, Tina, hitting Ken and saying he was supposed to learn Spanish. That might have helped some, but they speak Portuguese in Brazil. The gamers were the first to get to the sandwich shop.

Clue: They had to push a very narrow vending cart through the streets of Salvador to a plaza called Praca Da Se. They have to find a guy with a similar cart there to get the next clue.

The gamers immediately started knocking stuff off the cart. They wondered how they would push it through the streets and keep everything on it. They said they had ingenuity and concocted a plan to tie their jackets around it to keep it all together. They were off cruising around with their carts. Meanwhile, the divorced ladies who got into a cab second from the airport were with a cab driver who was lost. Oops! Terrence & Sarah arrived at the cafe second and were able to move the cart pretty easily without anything falling off of it like the gamers. The siblings and separated couple showed up third and fourth. The gamers said it was like pushing the worst shopping cart in the world. Terrence & Sarah received some help from a local that told them they were pushing it backwards and then showed them where to go.  Nice! Sarah was talking to the helper lady in Portuguese and Terence was being an ass by saying “Sarah, I love you dearly, but you are saying things that I don’t know. Speak English!” Oh boy. What did Sarah do? She apologized. WAT! The siblings took off while the separated couple had the problem of knocking stuff off their cart right away. Kim said it was because she was doing it all on her own. I guess Ken doesn’t get to talk since he cheated. He just takes her berating silently.

The gamers arrived at the funicular, which is an elevator/escalator thing that would take them up a hill. Terence & Sarah caught up to them while they waited for one to arrive. Separated couple got the hang of their cart and were actually working together. Ken said they were having fun and while Tina did not look like she was having fun, she did agree. I don’t think she knows how to smile. While those two teams were still pushing carts, long distance couple, Aja & Ty arrived at the sandwich shop. The gamers and Terence & Sarah were getting off the funicular and finding the guy in the plaza. Terence & Sarah got to the guy first while the gamer guys were losing control of their cart while it tried to steer itself into a parked car.

Clue: The teams had to take a taxi to a Brazillian military base where they would spend the night in tents surrounded by mosquito nets. When they arrive, they had to sign up for one of three departure times the next morning: 9:00 am, 9:30 am or 9:45 am.

The gamers found the plaza guy second and were off to the military base. The separated couple were still having problems with their cart. Some of the items started dropping off again, which Tina blamed on Ken even though it was just the bumpy streets that made it happen.  They arrived at the funicular right when the doors were closing so they could not get inside. The siblings made it, so they were ahead of them. When Terence & Sarah arrived at the fort, they realized they were in first place. They had no idea. Sarah was thrilled and Terence wanted her to calm down. The gamers were stuck in traffic headed to the military base when the separated couple finally arrived in the plaza. The siblings managed to pass the gamers and get to the military base in second place. The long distance couple arrived at the plaza as the gamers were checking into the military base. They had made the first slot.

Around the same time, the divorced ladies, who I had completely forgotten about, were stopping at a mini mart thinking it was the sandwich shop. They were told it wasn’t the place and they were super behind the other teams! The other plane had landed while the divorced ladies were back in their cab trying to find the sandwich shop. The other teams were all in their cabs trying to find the sandwich shop. The blondes made the fabulous comment about being uncomfortable being at an unfamiliar airport in a foreign country. Uh, they are going to be uncomfortable a lot of this race then.

The divorced ladies finally arrived at the sandwich shop in sixth place. It appeared that the ASU guys arrived shortly after them. The lady that helped Terence & Sarah apparently liked helping since she was back again, helping the ASU guys. Everyone loved to drive the carts backwards. It is shaped like a truck. Why can’t people see that and make the truck face forward? Whoo boy! She turned it around for them and they were off.  The separated couple finally arrived at the military base and were still able to make it into the first 9:00 am group. I think Tina smiled! WAT! The mom/son team were stuck in traffic, while the old hippies got their clue and were pushing their cart away. Helper lady was with them, keeping them in line. Aja & Ty were arriving at the military base, but they didn’t make the first departure time. They were the first for the 9:30am departure.

The divorced ladies got into the funicular and took it up while the ASU guys got to it. They missed getting in the same one though. Mom/son, the blondes, and Anthony & Stephanie arrived at the sandwich shop at the same time. Where is helper lady? Mom/son really could have used her help! Their stuff was falling off everywhere. Some other local lady was helping them pick their stuff back up and put it on the cart. The divorced ladies were in the plaza finding the clue guy while ASU guys were getting on the funicular. They made off to the military base shortly after, but no other team had caught up with them. The old hippies and mom/son got to the plaza around the same time. Then, Anthony & Stephanie and the blondes were last taking off to the military base.

When the divorced ladies arrived at the military base and signed into the second departure spot, they realized how behind they were from the other teams while they were lost. I guess they had no idea how long they spent being lost. The ASU guys caught up and were the only team from the second flight to get into the second depature group. That left the rest of the teams in the last departure group. Before the teams went to bed, there was some flirting shown between Dallas (son from mom/son team) and Starr (former Dallas cheerleader from sibling team). Dallas was also not wearing his shirt. I declared that he really shouldn’t be allowed to wear a shirt for the rest of the race. Terence was pouting because Sarah was talking to the other teams. He wanted her to comfort him and connect with him. Get over yourself attention-whore. I shall now call him Mr. Emo.

Pelourinho

The next morning, the teams were directed to take a taxi to historic Pehlourinho to find their next clue at an old church. Ken told Tina good job when they are taking off and her response was, “Just go.” Ah, so pleasant. While trying to find a taxi, Sarah said outloud that they weren’t easy to find. The siblings ran by while she said it. She was annoyed later that they didn’t respond to her and said she should quit trying to be nice to them. What if they didn’t hear her or thought she was talking to Mr. Emo? Maybe she’s emo too. They are now Team Emo. Team Emo took off first while the siblings were stuck in a cab where the driver didn’t really respond when they asked if he knew where the place was located. The gamers, separated couple and siblings ended up taking off around the same time. The siblings had their cab driver follow someone else. While they were all driving, the 9:30 am group headed out. The divorced ladies got a cab first, followed by ASU and then Aja & Ty. The 9:45am group headed out to find taxis shortly after.

Team Emo arrived at the church and Mr. Emo complained that Sarah was running faster than him. It seemed to make him sad. 🙁 They ran inside the church, right past the clue box and asked random guy inside if he had a clue. The other teams arrived and they were all crowded inside when they discovered the clue wasn’t there. They came outside and realized they were dumb when they all found the clue box.

Detour: The teams had to choose between Hardy Way Up and Soft Way Down. In Hardy Way Up, they had to climb up the stairs outside a cathedral on their hands and knees like the locals do for a spiritual pledge. Once at the top, they would be asked a question. If they answered it wrong, they had to leave out the back, walk around, and climb again. In the Soft Way Down, the teams had to find Elevador Lacerda, make their way to the top, and climb down a cargo net to the street 240 feet below. Only three teams could be on the cargo net at a time.

Team Emo and the siblings decided to go with the cargo net, while the gamers contemplated if they really wanted to go down 240 feet on a cargo net. Ms. Emo commented that she didn’t want the siblings following her since she hated them so much right at that moment. Oh, so much angst! The separated couple arrived around the time the gamers decided to just do the cargo net. The separated couple decided the same thing.

Team Emo arrived at Elevador Lacerda first and were so concerned about getting away from the siblings, they got on an elevator, not sure if it was even right. The siblings ran in after them, unaware they were so hated at that moment, and reread the clue that said look for the marked service entrance door to get to the right place. They went back outside to find it while Team Emo was going somewhere wrong. The siblings got to the cargo net first and started going down. Team Emo got to the top of their elevator and realized they were in the wrong place. The separated couple arrived, followed shortly after the gamers. The separated couple got on the cargo net second. Ken said they could catch up to the siblings if they just kept moving quickly. Tina was cheerful when she said she was afraid of heights so he should be glad she was doing it and to shut up. The gamers started climbing down the cargo net when Team Emo finally found the correct door. The siblings were done and confused about where Team Emo had gone because they knew they were heading to the cargo net too.

Pit Stop

The clue told the siblings to head to the pit stop at Forte Sao Marcelo, which was a floating battlement once used to defend the city from pirates. Yaarg! Starr said they should find a cab driver that knows where he is going and Nick said they might not need to take a cab. They went off to ask directions. The separated couple got their clue after getting off the cargo net and ran to find a taxi. The siblings ask a cab driver where it was located and some locals said they would take them there since it was within walking distance. While driving in the cab, the separated couple told the cab driver where they want to go and he looked annoyed by pointing out it was right in front of them. They just had to run down a pier and take off on a little boat to take them to the fort. The siblings arrived in first place. They won a trip from Travelocity to Belize.

Back on the cargo net, the gamers were taking a break and were letting Team Emo pass them. Sarah tried to talk to Terence and the gamers, but that made Mr. Emo angry! He said he could climb and talk, but she couldn’t. Apparently, she could since she was doing it! Team Emo got done with the cargo net second and the gamers third. Around that time, separated couple arrived in second place at the pit stop.

The ASU guys were seeing where they needed to get out of the cab, but the driver kept missing it. The mom/son, Aja & Ty and blondes arrived at the church to pick up their clue. They all picked the cargo net. The ASU guys showed up and were disappointed that they used to be ahead of tons of teams that just ran off with the clue in front of them. They decided to go with the steps since they just watched three teams head for the cargo net and only three could be on it at a time. The divorced ladies were at the cargo net just starting to head down it while Team Emo came in third place at the pit stop. I’m surprised they didn’t cry. Old hippies arrived at the church and decided to do the cargo net. The divorced ladies were halfway down the net when the mom/son team started going down on the cargo net. The ASU guys found the old church around the time the gamers were checking into the pit stop in fourth place.

The guys were climbing up the stairs while the divorced ladies were finishing up on the net. Aja & Ty were just getting started on it. The blondes were waiting to start on the cargo net and were freaking out about the height, saying they couldn’t even enjoy the view. The mom/son team finished climbing down when the ASU guys arrived at the top of the stairs. The question they were asked was how many steps had they climbed. They looked down quickly trying to count and guessed 40. They were wrong and had to try it again. The old hippies and Anthony & Stephanie (they need a team name!) were looking for the cargo net. The ASU guys made their way back around to the front of the building and started counting out loud while they went up the steps. The divorced ladies were arriving in fifth place around that time. Aja & Ty were almost done with the cargo net when the blondes and Anthony & Stephanie were starting. Mom/son checked in as team number six. Aja & Ty were heading to the pit stop as the guys were still climbing and the old hippies were starting to climb down. Anthony & Stephanie were done right after the blondes so they all started heading towards the fort while the old hippies were still climbing down. The ASU guys finally made it to the top of the steps and guessed 53 steps. They were correct and got the clue to the pit stop. They found a taxi and headed off. The old hippies were finished with the cargo net. The ASU guys in a taxi passed Aja & Ty running to the pit stop. The blondes and Anthony & Stephanie were standing on a corner looking confused while waiting to cross.

Aja & Ty were on the little boat with ASU guys headed to the fort while the blondes and Anthony & Stephanie were finally crossing the street. The hippies were elsewhere going to the fort. The ASU guys ran to Phil first, so they were in seventh place. Aja & Ty were right behind them in eigth place. Aja & Ty didn’t get to congratulate each other though since ASU guys were too busy hugging Ty. Would it be the blondes, Anthony & Stephanie or the old hippies in last place?  Anthony & Stephanie and the blondes came around the corner after getting off the little boat. The blondes weren’t even trying so Anthony & Stephanie got onto the mat first in ninth place. That made the blondes in 10th place. The old hippies were on the next little boat and arrived in last place. Too bad for the old hippies!

Here was the final standings:

  1. Nick & Starr (siblings)
  2. Ken & Tina (separated)
  3. Terence & Sarah (Team Emo)
  4. Mark & Bill (gamers)
  5. Kelly & Christy (divorced ladies)
  6. Toni & Dallas (mom/son)
  7. Andrew & Dan (ASU guys)
  8. Aja & Ty (long-distance)
  9. Anthony & Stephanie (dating)
  10. Marisa & Brooke (blondes)
  11. Anita & Arthur (old hippies)

Final Thoughts

Did you have any favorite teams? Ones that annoyed you? Did you come up with different names for the teams?

I currently like the siblings, gamers and mom/son teams. Team Emo is top of the annoying list followed by the separated couple for me.

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