TAR: Behold the Power of Cheese

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Amazing Race
Don’t Let a Cheese Hit Me

The first leg of the race is always difficult because I like to give the teams nicknames and I don’t have any of them off the bat. They earn them by their actions so I’ll go with the ones the show calls them unless I come up with something better.  The race began in Southern California  where Phil explained all the rules, which I won’t repeat since I’ve heard them too many times. You should know them by now or you will figure it out. They were given the go ahead to run like mad men over to their backpacks to get their clue while almost trampling Phil.

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Clue: Fly to either Zurich or Milan. Once teams land, they must take a train to Locarno, Switzerland.

Airport Fun Times

Everyone got into their rental cars and seemed to make it to the airport with no problems. The Lufthansa flight went through Zurich and left first, but did it land first? The siblings got on that flight. The flight attendants, NFL cheerleaders, stuntmen brothers, Brad & Victoria and Margie & Luke were also on the Lufthansa flight. The Air France flight left second and connected to Milan. Those on that flight were the sisters, Mel & Mike, Amanda & Kris, Preston & Jennifer, and Steve & Linda. The sisters said they found some information in the airport that led them to believe that the train ride from Milan was faster.

The Lufthansa flight landed first and the teams got on their train to Locarno right in the airport. The Air France teams had to leave the airport and catch their train in the city. Everyone got on the train except for Preston & Jennifer that missed it. Both groups appeared to be heading in the same direction at the same time with awesome views of the Swiss alps. Preston & Jennifer caught the next train, but there was no indication on how far behind they were. They started arguing of course about something that was out of their control at that point. While on the Zurich train, the flight attendantsfound a local lady who was going to Locarno and said there was a faster train. They went to follow her by changing trains. It worked! They arrived before anyone else.

Locarno, Switzerland

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Clue: Once in Locarno, teams had to make their way to the Church of San Antonio where they would sign a register to pick their departure time (7:15, 7:30, 7:45) and receive a message from the priest.

The flight attendants headed out to find the plaza with the church while the rest of the teams on the Zurich train were the next to arrive in Locarno. The flight attendants arrived at the church first and got one of the 7:15 am spots. After they signed in, the priest handed them a message that said to return the next morning to continue their journey and to follow the map to a campsite. The lawyer siblings were the next to arrive and get another 7:15 am spot. Margie & Luke and stuntman brothers were the last to get the 7:15 am spots. Brad & Victoria showed up next and signed up for a 7:30 am spot. The NFL cheerleaders joined them in that time spot. That left one spot for the Air France flight that was still on the train from Milan. Mel & Mike were the first team from Milan to show up so they got the last 7:30 am spot. That left the 7:45 am for the last arrivals–the sisters, Amanda & Kris, Steve & Linda and finally Preston & Jennifer. They at least caught up to everyone else so missing the train didn’t hurt them too bad.

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At the camp site, Steve was yelling at Linda for being too slow and that made them in the last group. She was crying and apologizing for being so slow. She said she was tired. He pointed out other people were too, but she countered with they didn’t have their husbands yelling at them. I’m not sure they will last if he’s going off about things on the first leg. They haven’t even gone through many legs of being exhausted yet!

The next morning, the 7:15 am group got their next clue from the priest.

Clue: The teams were given a picture of Verzasca Dam. They had to find it to get their next clue.

The stuntman brothers were the first ones to get a taxi followed by the sibling lawyers and Margie & Luke. The flight attendants didn’t get a taxi and apparently those were the only ones in town so they stood at the taxi stand looking lost. The 7:30 am group started off. The NFL cheerleaders asked a restaurant if they could borrow a phone to get a taxi, but they were told no. Mel & Mike found a taxi easily so I’m not sure what was up with the other groups. Mike said they went behind the church and there were taxis lined up. Brad & Victoria found the same group of taxis. The flight attendants were still standing around at the empty taxi stand. A taxi finally showed up so the flight attendants got in. They were now in sixth place. The NFL cheerleaders saw the flight attendants taxi drive by and thought the town was just dead with no taxis.

Valle Verzasca

The stuntman brothers were the first to arrive at the dam with the sibling lawyers right behind them. The clue was a roadblock.

Roadblock: It asked who had nerves of steel. Once they answered that question, they found out that one team member had to do a 70-story bungee jump. It is the second highest bungee jump in the world.

Michael and Victor decided to do it. Margie & Luke showed up next and Luke decided to do it. Mike & Mel showed up after them and Mike decided to do it. Brad & Victoria were next with Victoria deciding to jump. Back at the church, the NFL cheerleaders were still waiting for a taxi while the 7:45 am group was set free. The sisters ran into a market and asked if anyone knew where the dam was located. Amanda & Kris found the taxis behind the church. The NFL cheerleaders finally noticed where all the taxis were hiding, but that was after Amanda & Kris and Preston & Jennifer were already in taxis. When Steve & Linda got in their taxi, Linda asked the taxi driver to “drive fast, but not break the speed limit.”

At the dam, the stuntmen arrived first, but Victor was the first to jump off since the lawyers actually got to the bungee jump spot first. They got their next clue.

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Clue: Teams had to travel by train to Interlaken to find Kleine Rugen Wiese.

The flight attendants arrived at the dam and Jodi decided to do the bungee jump. She said that the bungee jump was the one thing she did not want to do, but the decision for making the roadblock was already done and they couldn’t change their minds as part of the rules. Michael jumped off before Amanda & Kris arrived at the clue box and Kris decided to do it. The NFL cheerleaders were right behind them and Jamie decided to jump. Preston & Jennifer showed up with Preston deciding to jump. Where were Steve & Linda and the sisters? Luke and Mike jumped before the sisters and Steve & Linda showed up. Jen and Steve decided to jump.

Jodi finally jumped and survived around the time the sibling lawyers were at the train station trying to figure out which train to take. While they were waiting for the train, the stuntmen, Margie & Luke and Mike & Mel arrived. Victor told Tammy they shouldn’t make enemies since everyone that was there would end up on the same train anyway. He then changed his mind slightly saying that they could say they thought it was the right train, but they weren’t sure. Victor told people that a lady told them it was the right train to take but they hadn’t doule checked. Since the train was right there, they were going to risk it. Everyone looked at them slightly confused, but got on the train with them. Mel told them that they were keeping an eye out for them to see if they jumped off the train after everyone else got on. He said, “It isn’t like we don’t trust you, but it is like we don’t trust you.”

While their train took off, Kris was jumping from the dam. Jaime, Preston, Jen and Steve finished their jumps. Kris had his jump at 8:41 am and Steve was the last jumper at 9:14 am. The flight attendants and Brad & Victoria arrived at the train station at the same time. While in the cab over there, Brad saw there would be two ways to get to Interlaken–through Lucerne or through Italy. When they got to the train station, the flight attendants asked which one left first and grabbed that one since it left in a minute at 9:39 am. After the flight attendants were running to their train, Brad stepped up to the window saying he wanted the train that left at 10:40 am. Victoria asked why they were taking the train that left later. He said it was the one that arrived sooner. I don’t know why people don’t ask that question more often. They were going to act like they just missed the train the girls were on. The flight attendants were very happy they had made their train. They said they “had a plan!” Probably to be late.

Interlaken, Switzerland

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The first train of people arrived in Interlaken and ran towards Klein Rugen Wiese. Mel & Mike and Margie & Luke were the first ones to arrive and read the next clue.

Clue: Teams had get a wooden contraption and strap it to their back. Then they had to climb up a hill and get a huge 100 pound wheel of cheese. After getting the cheese on the wooden thing, they had to transport it down to the bottom of the hill. After they had stacked 200 pounds of cheese each, they would get their next clue.

The teams got their wooden planks on their backs and started walking up the hill. The stuntmen and lawyers arrived next. The grass was super slippery and wet with mud and animal poo. Fun! Mel had the added fun of a groin muscle that was acting up with each step he took up the hill. All the teams made it up there around the same time. Luke said he could take two blocks of cheese at the same time. Margie said she could only do one. Victor said he could do two but after feeling how one felt on his back, he told Tammy she was only going to be able to do one. Mike asked Mel if he could even carry one block of cheese. Teams were falling, wooden planks were breaking, and cheese wheels were rolling down the mountain. Locals were just standing around drinking beers and being amused. Mel wasn’t using the wooden plank to carry the cheese. He had it in his lap and he was sliding down the hill on his butt. After both of their cheese wheels rolled away, Margie & Luke found one that was near where they needed it to go. They put it down and went to go get more. Mike was the next one to get his cheese down. When Mike was going back up the hill, he passed by his dad sliding on his butt. He asked him what he was doing and Mel told him it was the only way he could hold the cheese. Victor told Tammy she would have to carry some cheese down and she should slide on her butt like Mel if she had to. When Margie & Luke were carrying their second wheel of cheese down, they did part of it by sliding on their butts. It was quite the popular technique.

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Margie & Luke were the first ones to finish and got their next clue. The lawyers and stuntmen had taken down their first cheese wheels already and were heading down with their second. Mike was at the top of the hill waiting for his dad to put down his first cheese and get back up the hill.

Clue: Teams had to go to the last bus stop in the town of Stechelberg. They would have to listen for a group of yodelers that would lead them to the pit stop.

Margie & Luke headed off to find the taxis. The lawyers finished next. Mike was helping Mel back up the hill. The stuntmen were done right after the lawyers so both teams got their clues at the same time.  While the first three teams headed off in their taxis, another group arrived at the cheese: sisters, NFL cheerleaders and Brad & Victoria.  Amanda & Kris and Preston & Jennifer showed up right behind that group.  While those teams headed up the hill, Mel & Mike were slowly coming down the hill. Steve & Linda arrived. The flight attendants were still on a train I suppose. Mike & Mel finished and were heading to the pit stop. Steve was carrying both wooden boards for him and Linda. Preston was doing the same for Jennifer. Linda was saying she was coming up the hill as fast as she could while she was behind and falling. Jennifer was complaining about Preston moving faster than her up the hill even though she was carrying nothing.

Meanwhile, the flight attendants were shown still on the train talking about how they had to be faster than one other team. Amanda was getting cheese strapped to her saying it was her body weight and she couldn’t carry it, while the cheese fell off her back. She hadn’t started to move down the hill yet. Brad & Victoria had some cheese and were slowly heading down. Steve was on the hill pushing Linda up it.They hadn’t grabbed any cheese yet. The flight attendants finally arrived at the cheese. Steve & Linda finally made it to the top of the hill and the NFL cheerleaders hadn’t started going down the hill with the cheese yet when the flight attendants were walking up the hill.

Pit Stop

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Margie & Luke arrived in Stechelberg. He asked his mom if she could hear the yodelers. She said she could, but it was echoing. The lawyers arrived soon after them. They ran off in a direction they thought the yodelers were. Margie & Luke were the first ones to find the yodelers and Phil. Phil signed to them both that they were team number one. As the winners, they won a trip to Puerto Vallarta. Tammy & Victor  and Mark & Michael were not far behind, coming in second and third place, respectively.

Back at the cheese, Preston was carrying two things of cheese down while Jennifer had none. She was dragging her wooden board behind her. WAT! The sisters and NFL cheerleaders were falling down the hill and everyone’s wooden planks were breaking. Steve said that Linda was going to take one cheese and he was going to take three. I thought that would be impressive if he was carrying it, but he had three strapped to the wooden plank and he was just sliding it down the hill while slowly walking backwards and guiding it. She was sitting on her wooden plank with the cheese and sliding down too. After Preston fell and broke the wooden plank, both he and Jennifer were carrying his plank together with two wheels of cheese.  Amanda & Kris made it back to the top to grab more cheese. Kris just put a wheel of cheese on each shoulder right next to his ear and started walking down the hill.

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While others were falling and slowly walking, or sliding, down the hill, Amanda & Kris made it down and started to head to the pit stop in fifth place. With their crazy wooden plank sliding technique, Steve & Linda were finished in sixth place and headed to the pit stop.  Soon after they left for the pit stop, Mel & Mike were the fourth team to check in. When one of Preston’s cheese wheels went rolling and flying down the hill in some far off direction, he said that he didn’t like cheese and may never eat it again. Brad & Victoria finished up in seventh place and headed to the pit stop. The flight attendants had all of their cheese on the boards so they just had to make one trip down the hill. One of them realized she was missing cheese. It had fallen off and was sitting on the hill. At least it didn’t roll off somewhere! She ran back up the hill to retrieve it, while the NFL cheerleaders finished in eighth place and headed to the pit stop.  The sisters finished up soon after the cheerleaders and headed to the pit stop in ninth place.

At the pit stop, Amanda and Kris (or “Amander” as Phil says) came in fifth place. The flight attendants finally got the missing cheese and started down the hill as Preston & Jennifer put their last cheese on the pile. They were headed to the pit stop in tenth place. The flight attendants finished up and headed to the pit stop in last place. Meanwhile, Steve & Linda had arrived in Stechelberg. Linda noticed where all the footsteps were leading, but Steve said it was a river so they would have to cross it. He looked for a way around it. Brad & Victoria arrived and heard the yodeling and started going in a direction that was not where Steve & Linda were heading. Brad & Victoria came in sixth place. Phil asked how they did with the cheese. They said they thought they were the only team that did it right by walking upright the entire way down with the cheese on their backs. Phil asked them to turn around so he could examine their butts for any grass or other stains. Their butts were clean!

Steve & Linda were still wandering around the parking lot trying to figure out where to go when the NFL cheerleaders arrived to the pit stop in seventh place. Steve & Linda found themselves in a dead end. I don’t think they ever started at the bus stop and went from there so they were getting all turned around. The sisters arrived at the pit stop in eighth place. Steve & Linda finally heard the yodelers and found Phil. They came in ninth place. It was down to the last two teams. It appeared the flight attendants were still driving when Preston & Jennifer arrived in town. The flight attendants got to the parking lot and saw Preston & Jennifer. They both started racing where they thought they should go. The flight attendants ran faster than Preston & Jennifer since Preston was carrying Jennifer on his back. Christie and Jodi made it to the mat and came in tenth place. That meant that Preston & Jennifer came in last place and were eliminated from the race.

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Pit Stop Order:

  1. Margie & Luke
  2. Tammy & Victor
  3. Mark & Michael
  4. Mel & Mike
  5. Amanda & Kris
  6. Brad & Victoria
  7. Cara & Jaime
  8. Kisha & Jen
  9. Steve & Linda
  10. Christie & Jodi
  11. Preston & Jennifer – eliminated

Questions

  1. Do you  have any team favorites so far?
  2. Any teams driving you crazy?
  3. Any good team names for these people?
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