Sep 25 2006
By: Katie Lee
Now down to 10 teams thanks to last week's double elimination (read the episode one recap), each team starts out from Beijing, China in the order in which they arrived at the last pit stop. They drive to a bus stop to catch one of two buses, which will drive them to a train station, where they will catch a train to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. From there, they drive to Terelj, where they must ride horses in order to reach the Detour.
The Wrong Fork in the Road
The gay couple, Tom/Terry, as well as cheerleaders Kellie/Jamie, get lost en route to Terelj when they make a right in the fork in the road, instead of a left. Both teams find themselves scrambling to catch up, with Tom/Terry stopping at a security checkpoint of some sort and amusingly miming 'horses' to the guards in order to get instructions. Somehow that works, because they arrive at the Detour before Kellie/Jamie.Car Trouble
Modeling friends, Tyler/James, who started the race in first place, end up falling behind when their car has a flat, and they don't know how to change the tire. And married couple, David/Mary, end up stuck tire-deep in the mud, and must wait for a replacement car, costing them valuable time.Not-So-Happy Trails
Kimberly/Rob literally hit a snag, when Kimberly is knocked off her horse by a low-hanging tree branch. And Kandice/Dustin – we couldn't quite tell who – falls off their horse and is dragged for several feet when her foot is caught in the stirrup. Thankfully, her foot gets free and she was uninjured.Fill It Up or Take It Down
This week's Detour involves tasks similar to those performed by the nomadic tribes in Mongolia. One requires teams to drive a cart pulled by an 'indigenous animal' (looks like an oxen to us) to the riverbed and fill up canisters with water, and then drive it back to a well, Teams must fill up their wells to the designated mark to complete the task. The other task requires teams to take down a tent, and pack it up on a camel. Teams must pack the tent so that the camel can stand up and the packed tent doesn't fall off the camel.Anything Can Happen In This Race
As proven by this leg's winners – Peter/Sarah. At the Detour, they originally decide to take down the tent, but when that proves too difficult, switch over to the water carrying task. That proves to be an even worse decision, when Peter is unable to control the oxen, making them waste time by having to repeatedly chase after the runaway oxen/cart. Peter/Sarah then switch back to the tent task, finish it this time, and then manage to pass the teams in front of them. For finishing first, Peter/Sarah are rewarded with a trip for two to Mexico.We Still Love
The father/daughter team of Duke/Lauren, who continue to demonstrate excellent teamwork and rapport. When the tent-dismantling task proves to be too frustrating to Lauren, who begins to freak out, Duke pulls her to him, gives her a gentle kiss and tells her to calm down because everything will be okay. In the midst of other teams yelling and screaming at each other, we found this moment between father and daughter refreshing, sweet, and 'aww-worthy.'Paging Dr. Phil!
If communication is the key to a successful relationship, then Rob/Kimberly aren't doing so well. Still bickering ceaselessly – one of their exchanges is reminiscent of teenagers arguing with 'Shut up!' followed by 'You shut up!' – Rob/Kimberly demonstrate just how connected they are as a couple, when after Kimberly is knocked off her horse, Rob doesn't even bother to dismount his horse to check on her.They Gave Them Wind-Up Cars?
On their way from Terelj to the next stop, the Mongolia Hotel, brothers Erwin/Godwin and single moms, Lyn/Karlyn, find that their cars won't start. Apparently, these models of cars require a hand crank to be inserted into the front and turned in order to get the car going again, making the cars look a little like wind-up cars.Fire!
The Roadblock requires a team member to fire a flaming arrow into a large, bowl-shaped target, which will ignite into a blazing fire, allowing the teams to proceed to the pit stop.The Last Hurrah
Cheerleaders Kellie/Jamie make one navigational mistake too many and get lost not only on the way to Terelj, which makes them the last team to arrive at the Detour, but they get lost on their way to Hotel Mongolia as well, which allows Lyn/Karlyn, who had car trouble and left Terelj dead last, to pass them en route. And once at the Roadblock, Kellie is unable to complete the task, forcing them to quit in dejection. Kellie/Jamie sum up their race on this leg by saying,"Today is our stupid day."
