TAR 16: Brothers Bring Their End Game!

After managing just one first place finish -- and that with the assistance of a Fast Forward -- brothers Dan and Jordan edged the cowboys to take home the million dollar first place prize.

Without a doubt, Dan and Jordan were the long shots to win the race, but for the first time in the entire race, the brothers demonstrated consistent competitive spirit through the entire leg.
I'll Have a Diet Coke and First Class Seat, Please
It started in the airport. Dan and Jordan arrived hours after second place team, Jet and Cord, but a strategically placed backpack enabled them to jump in front of the cowboys at the ticket counter. Fair or not, it's all part of the game. The cowboys were understandably upset, but it was not that move alone that made the brothers contenders. It was what happened on board the airplane that resulted in a decisive lead for Dan and Jordan. While the other teams slept, Dan talked the flight attendant into moving them to first class. A lot of people have cried foul to this move but it technically is not against the rules to move up to first class once the flight is in progress. Look for a rule change for next season, or everyone will be making the move to first class.

Once the plane landed, the pair ran down the bridge connecting the airplane to the airport. Now, I don't mean to be a downer, but in this day and age, is it smart to be running off a plane carrying backpacks?

The teams left the airport with Dan and Jordan in first, followed by Brent and Caite and finally the cowboys. The move to first class was huge in giving the brothers an edge off the starting line.

No Habla Ingles!
Brent and Caite found themselves at the mercy of a taxi driver who was unsure where to go. As a result, they were still looking for the first location while the other teams had already completed the first task. Tough break for the dating couple.

The teams had to solve a riddle in order to get to Coit Tower. Once there, they used a rope and pulley system to make their way up the outside of the tower. Dan was nearing the top when the cowboys arrived. Before Cord was even outfitted for the task, Dan was already on his way down.

Virtual Showdown!
The brothers set off for the Detour at Lucas Arts, developer of interactive entertainment software, founded by "Star Wars" creator George Lucas. Once there, the teams became part of an interactive video game in which one team member was part of the game while the other directed the action.

Dan directed Jordan through the virtual maze and were doing well until the cowboys arrived. For the first time in the game, Cord employed some dirty tricks by calling out confusing directions for turns, twists and backflips within earshot of brothers Dan and Jordan. His attempts were at least partly successful in aggravating the brothers.

Once suited and on the game board, Jet eventually found himself blocked by Jordan who had finished the game and was waiting for Dan to decipher the end message. Jet would not push past Jordan, so valuable time was spent waiting for Dan and Jordan to finish reading the clue.

By the time Jet and Cord reached the end of the game, Brent and Caite had arrived and were on the course quickly making up time. The key to reading the clue at the end was having the person on the course turn slowly in a circle which would slow down the text on the screen. Ingenious!

Jack Be Nimble!
The final task was to carry a trunk by foot to a destination about 10-15 minutes away, then assemble the enclosed photos in the right order indicating who was eliminated during which leg of the race. Jordan, a true fan of the show, had written down the order of elimination and they made quick work of the task. The final clue asked them to fill in the blank with "Candlestick Park."

Outside, the two had a difficult time locating a taxi while Jet and Cord were inside finishing up the final task. Eventually, they located a taxi but editing made it into more of a nail biter than it really was.

Racing into the stadium, Dan and Jordan were the first to arrive to the cheering eliminated teams. Jordan was grateful to his brother for helping him obtain his dream of being on "The Amazing Race." Jet and Cord place second, not too far behind the winners. They expressed gratitude for the experience. Coming in first four times resulted in some very nice gifts for the team that had seemed to have a lock on winning the whole race.

Sour Grapes!
Finally, Brent and Caite bounded in to a less than enthusiastic greeting from Carol and Brandy. Jordan called out, "Peach" a number of times, having apparently nicknamed Caite, Peach during the race. Phil asked a few questions and Caite reiterated her desire to change the perception of people regarding her intelligence.

Not surprisingly, Brandy and Carol rolled their eyes. Then Phil addressed the U-Turn that Brent and Caite used on Brandy and Carol. Caite, to her credit, attempted to apologize but Brandy was not having it. Still fuming, in spite of the fact their elimination was several days prior.

Brandy said the U-Turn would have been better used against the cowboys. That argument would have been more effective if the cowboys won but they hardly seemed the strongest team having come in second.

Overall, a good season. During the opening, though, I wondered if the strongest teams had survived or if it was pure luck that lead to the final three. Brent and Caite made mistakes from the beginning, and their lack of emotional control probably got the better of them right up until the end. None of the final three ran consistently from one week to the next.

Ultimately, I have to admit, though, that it was an entertaining season!

TAR 16: Final Three!

Okay. I admit it. For a few brief seconds, I felt genuinely sorry for Brent. He literally had to beg to use the bathroom. But, the feeling passed fairly quickly.

I think it's safe to say that Brent and Caite are my second least favorite team on TAR this season. They were edged out — just barely — by dating couple Carol and Brandy, and at times, were neck and neck with them.

Where in the World is Caite?
Brent and Caite simply don't inspire me to support them. Caite finally addressed the youtubes which show how geographically challenged she is or was or whatever the case may be. TAR seems to be her chance to show the world she knows where she is! She's playing her own version of "Where in the World is Caite Upton?"

Even Brent jumped on the "she's smarter than she looks" bandwagon. At least three times, Caite and/or Brent defended her intellect. Unfortunately, in between, we were still ringside for their verbal battles that included a variety of "shut ups" and "you're stupid." Seems like mixed messages to me!

The Cowboy Train Has Left the Station!
Right now, I'm firmly aboard the cowboy train. I like the way their story has unfolded week to week. Most recently, Cord recounted an incident where he caught a hoof in the head and was hospitalized with a crushed skull. Jet sat by his bedside throughout the ordeal.

Each week, Jet and Cord demonstrate phenomenal patience with each other and the obstacles they faced. Despite their second place finish, I look for them to do well next week in the finale.

What's English Got to Do with It?
Producers decided to throw a bit of a curve ball to the teams this week by identifying the first location by it's English name rather than by the common Chinese name that locals would know. As a result, the locals were not of much in help in identifying the "garden bridge."

Brent and Caite found it first and made their way to the temple. Caite again pointed out that she's good at reading maps. Actually, they were better at finding an English speaking local who wrote the Chinese name down and told them to give it to their taxi driver. Can't really fault them for that. Maybe it was pure, dumb luck!

The cowboys, Dan and Jordan, and Louie and Michael, all had a difficult time locating the garden bridge. Michael's answer to the problem was to whip out his binoculars and look around the city for the garden bridge. Not the best solution given the fact that they were facing a time crunch anyway. Finally, they called to find out the directions. Apparently, there's a service that allows those who are not fluent to get destination directions relayed to taxi drivers in Chinese.

'Ugly American' Revisited
Dan and Jordan's plan was to team with the detectives knowing they have a Speed Bump during the leg. There hope was to outrun them at the end. Unfortunately for them, Michael got the directions and gave them to his taxi driver. Dan and Jordan's taxi needed only to follow the detective's cab to the garden bridge.

Periodically, while watching the show, I realize why American tourists are universally disliked. Dan's meltdown was epic after he and Jordan attempted the "talk slower and louder and anyone can understand what you are saying." Dan's tantrum was unexpected and out of line.

1 Idol, 2 Idol, 3 Idol, More!
Counting the golden statues proved to be difficult for Caite. She counted, and recounted, and finally came out with her answer which turned out to be wrong. She described her method of counting up and then across, and even I was a bt confused by the end.

Jet arrived and methodically counted the statues and first time, exited with the right answer, 523. He noticed the two large gold statues which Caite overlooked in her first several attempts.

Dan and Jordan did well with this task too, but Michael and Louie wasted precious time with a wrong answer.
Like Finding a Needle in a Haystack
The Roadblock featured finding tiny stone statues with the names of each teammate carved on the bottom. It was during this phase that Brent's hands began to quiver with the need to go to the bathroom He begged Caite, who was as stony as the statues they were examining. Brent could not focus on the task and Caite was not budging. Finally, she relented and let him go across the hall to a bathroom.

When they returned, Brent was much more focused and quickly found his little statue. Caite found her statue and the two finished the task. Jet had already found his, and Cord was only moments behind Caite. Winning this leg of the race came down to finding a taxi quickly. Brent and Caite found their taxi and arrived on the mat just minutes before Jet and Cord.

Michael and Louie simply could not overcome the Speed Bump and the bungle in counting the statues. They came in last place and were eliminated. Overall, not a bad run for the two older teammates.

The finale is next week. Personally, I don't really see Dan and Jordan as top two contenders. They lucked out by the elimination of stronger teams earlier in the race to get this far. There will undoubtedly be an equalizer at the airport flying back to the United States, so all three teams will head home and start the final leg at the same moment.

Go Team Cowboys!

Goodbye Bitches!

For the record, I was not sorry to see Brandy and Carol go. I was even a bit excited that Brent and Caite chose to U-Turn them. At the same time, I would like to add that I'm no fan of the dating models either.

On the other hand, it would probably have been more advantageous to U-Turn the Cowboys or the Detectives. Brandy and Carol never really challenged for the top spot. Pure and simple, Brent and Caite made a simply personal move; albeit, an understandably personal move!

The fact is, Brandy and Carol were rude, inconsiderate and whiney. These two had the diva act down cold and I can't blame the other teams for disliking them. It had nothing to do with orientation (despite the fact that Caite usually referred to them as the lesbians), and everything to do with how condescending they were to the rest of the field.

Like it or not, "The Amazing Race" is a game of personalities, and Brandy and Carol rubbed people the wrong way. So, I'm glad they are gone and wish they had gone sooner.

In a perfect world, Brent and Caite will go next. These two show little maturity and a general lack of awareness. Minus the irritating imitation of their accents, Carol and Brandy's assessment was not too far off base. The two have stumbled their way through this taking potshots at each other and other teams as they went. This leg was the first one that they ran cleanly start to finish, so maybe they have learned something.

Fast Forward Reaps Big Rewards!
This leg also featured a Fast Forward, which incidentally, seems a little out of place among Detours and Road Blocks. Maybe it should be renamed, "Bypass." At any rate, Dan and Jordan decide to go for it, beating out Michael and Louie. They arrive at the Singapore Flyer to discover that the task includes climbing out of one capsule and crossing the track to another capsule. Piece of cake! Unless of course, you are doing it at a height of 541 feet!

At about the same time they discover what the task is, Jordan also discovers a near crippling fear of heights. Wisely, Dan sends Jordan out first. If Dan had went first, Jordan may have remained behind too paralyzed to move. I like the support that Dan has given his brother beginning with being his teammate to help Jordan fulfill his dream of being on TAR, and throughout the race.

As they finished up the Fast Forward and headed to the Pit Stop, I wondered what would have happened if someone had chosen to U-Turn Dan and Jordan. Would they have had to complete the Detours?

I've Got Rhythm ... Or Maybe Not!
The remaining teams were faced with a Detour that featured either replicating a complicated drum routine or making ice cream sandwiches with real bread. The vast majority of the teams chose the drum routine and showed a stunning lack of rhythm. Jet put it best when he said that the closest thing to a musical instrument they play is the radio!

The cowboys tried performing the routine first but failed. Their patience has been strong throughout but for the first time Cord seemed a little impatient with his partner who really wanted to count out the pattern as he drummed.

Tag! You're It!
Brent and Caite finished first and headed toward what they hoped was the site of the U-Turn. The two had single-minded focus to U-Turn Brandy and Carol, who were still back at the drum recital. They solved a riddle (surprised? yeah, me too) and arrived to U-Turn the women. This time the team who U-Turned had to reveal their identity, so a little picture of the two of them was placed on the post. I think it's better to reveal the identity because the entire focus of the U-Turned team shifts to the team who betrayed them.

Brandy and Carol finished the drum routine and soon discovered they had been U-Turned. Angry, upset and out-of-sorts, or, in other words their usual race personas, the two set off for the ice-cream sandwich making. Brandy and Carol raised their level of criticism of Brent and Caite to a new level revealing, in the meantime, an incredibly high opinion of themselves! Carol suggested the reason they were detoured was because Brandy was prettier than Caite. Okaaaay!

How to Count to 500
The Road Block was not the most difficult. The teams just had to count the links on an anchor chain. I doubt too many people in Singapore actually entertain themselves with this sort of thing, but it was a task nonetheless. Brent did the actual counting for their team and had trouble focusing with the noise level. Michael used a handheld counter, and Jet simply just kept track. Once again, Michael and Louie failed to read the clue correctly and missed a key element!

Cut to Brandy and Carol, in the back of a taxi, still bitching about Brent and Caite. This time, their impersonation reminded me somewhat of Forrest Gump. I really wonder what Carol and Brandy will think of their portrayal. Not the most flattering!

The end was a bit of a nail-biter if you were rooting for Michael and Louie. Their cab driver left them at the Road Block and they attempted unsuccessfully to hire Brandy and Carol's cab. Ultimately, they finished just ahead of Brandy and Carol.

By my calculations, this season of TAR should be wrapping up fairly soon, and to tell you the truth, I'm ready for it. This season has seemed a bit dumbed down compared to the past several season. Maybe they are finally running out of challenging tasks!

Cowboys Set a New Race Record!

Worst to first, Speed Bump included, the Cowboys are definitely contenders!

The two ran a great leg with a Speed Bump that involved sniffing a variety of teas to determine which one contained a blend of spices. Thanks in part to an airport equalizer, the cowboys overcame the odds and stepped on the mat in first place.

Now, interestingly enough, the Cowboys did make one mistake — letting their taxi go while obtaining their first clue at the Snake Temple. While eventually finding someone to call for a taxi, it did put the pair several minutes behind the rest. Fortunately for them, they chose the right task at the Detour.

First to Worst!
Steve and Allie, on the other hand, somehow managed to go from first to worst. I still don't know what happened to this team that had seemed stronger in recent weeks. Was it the loss of their backpacks that caused a lack of focus? Poor decision making? Random bad luck? Or maybe a combination of everything.

Whatever the reason, the two which seemed to be in a great position suddenly found themselves falling further and further behind.

Lesser of Two Evils
The Detour seemed to set the tone for the entire race. Only the Cowboys chose and successfully completed balancing a large flag pole on their foreheads while crossing a field. Sounds complicated, but between the two tasks, it turned out to be the lesser of two evils. Because of this, the two jumped into first place and found themselves heading toward the Road Block where their Speed Bump waited.

The other task, chosen by the remaining five teams, was to carry 12 extremely large incense sticks up 150 steps of a temple, place them in a burner and ignite them. Carol and Brandy arrived first, and got the complaining underway. Within a short time, Brent and Caite were there, ready to begin their task as well which seemed to be taking cheap shots at Brandy and Carol.

Side note: At the beginning of this leg, Detectives Michael and Louie were shown talking to Brent and Caite. Both teams have an obvious dislike for Carol and Brandy. (Understandable to me because of their negativity but Brent and Caite are in the running for the Most Negative Team Ever title too!) The Detectives pronounce Brent and Caite "good kids" and ones that you would be proud to call your own. (I would beg to differ!) Near the end of the discussion, they extract a promise from the models to U-Turn the dating couple if they had a chance.

Bad Advice = Bad Decision Making
Back to the race. Steve and Allie, Louie and Michael, and Dan and Jordan all got stuck in a traffic jam which put them behind the other teams. Based on info from their taxi drivers, Steve and Allie, and Dan and Jordan abandoned their cabs and took off on what they believed to be a four to five minute run to … wait for it … the wrong temple!

Michael and Louie who made a good decision to stay in the taxi, arrived to carry the incense sticks up the stairs. Louie is incredibly out of shape and his coughing, huffing and puffing had me worried that we might witness the first team to leave the race because of a heart attack. No kidding! He sounds terrible.

The task was grueling in the hot sun. Snide remarks by Brent and Caite made me hope they would be eliminated this round, but no such luck!

Steve and Allie, and Dan and Jordan, found running up the hill difficult in the heat but Steve and Allie had the forethought to ask their taxi driver to meet them at the top. When the cab arrived, they jumped in and soon discovered their driver had no idea where the temple was, so they switched tasks to the flag balancing.

Confronted by the large flags and poles, they soon abandoned it in favor of the incense burning. See what I mean? Lack of focus, little mistakes, random bad luck, and poor decisions, all factored into their last place finish!

Good Luck at the Road Block
The Road Block was interesting as one team member had to break coconuts to find one with a brightly colored inside. Then, they had to make a traditional Hindu offering that would be set afloat.

Jet, or the quiet one as he's known at my house, took on the task and made quick work of it by smashing the coconuts on a concrete slab until he found the right one. After his float offering was accepted, the two took off for the Pit Stop, and easily won the race. I kept waiting for Phil to say that they missed some part of the task but instead they were rewarded with a romantic getaway. ;-)

Brent and Caite also suffered their share of bad luck with taxis when their driver could not find the site of the Road Block. This gave an advantage to Carol and Brandy who arrived, finished the task, and went on to claim second place.

Luck was with Michael and Louie who completed the Detour, and found the right coconut on their second attempt to quickly finish the Road Block, putting them on the mat in third place. Brent and Caite finished fourth, while Dan and Jordan took the final spot prior to elimination.

I was not happy seeing Steve and Allie go. Were they the most exciting team? No, but this season is a little blah in the exciting team field anyway. They were solid and positive but it was the little things. Bye dad and daughter!

One Mistake After Another!

Just because they are my favorites! ;-)

Watching the most recent episode, I again began to wonder where they found these people and why they chose these teams! Maybe the producers wanted drama or maybe they wanted the "perfect, imperfect race." Whatever the reason, this season of TAR is turning out to be everything I've never seen.

Let me rephrase. This season of TAR is like none that have gone before. Sure, several teams made missteps in the past, but usually it was one team and usually, it lead to their elimination because the other teams were that focused.


The most recent leg started in France and ended in Mahe, Seychelles off the coast of Africa. First, kudos to the producers for finding a truly unique location. On the other hand, boo to the producers for using airports to re-balance the game. An equalizer is great for the teams that are trailing but disastrous for the teams that are in front. It's kind of like a new school year with all teams leveled up. One flight was available to fly from France to their destination.

Surprisingly, two of the three teams to actually "get" the clue were Brent and Caite, and Jordan and Dan. The other team to figure out that seat assignments on the flight were important was Steve and Allie which was actually not too surprising as they have been running well lately.

Jet and Cord, and Louie and Michael went off to find something to eat, while Brandy and Carol were just happy to get seat assignments, although they did have some doubts about being stuck so far back.

So why were seat assignments important? Once the plane landed, all the teams had to find a kiosk and pull a number for the next part of their journey. The nearer the front of the plane, the better their chances of getting to the kiosk and getting a good number.

The teams soon discovered that helicopters would take them the final miles to Seychelles. The order of departure would be determined by the numbers on the kiosk. Brent and Caite flew out first, followed by Steve and Allie, and Jordan and Dan.

The remaining three teams were stuck in the airport waiting for the return of the helicopters and falling behind. Brandy notes that the three strongest teams were still in the airport. Strongest? Hard to tell as none of them can consistently run clean legs.

The Detour turned into a comedy of errors. Brent and Caite, who started the leg determined to do better, chose to load coconuts. The directions were explicit: each team had to load ALL the coconuts and use and ox cart to transport them.

Steve and Allie, meanwhile used a banana to lure a giant tortoise several feet to cross a line. They finished the task quickly and grabbed a bunch of bananas and began a 1.5 mile hike. Unfortunately, the pair left behind their backpacks and did not discover it until later.

Brent and Caite finished loading the coconuts but managed to overlook one coconut that had missed the target. An uncooperative ox made their journey an unhappy one as they quickly dissolved into their routine of backbiting and name calling but it also gave an opportunity for Dan and Jordan to catch up and pass them.

If there's a lesson to be learned from this Detour it's don't argue with the man who holds the clue, just go back and fix whatever it is that has been done. In this case, Brent and Caite argue with the man who says they did not pick up all the coconuts. Brent threatens to quit the race. Altogether, an annoying display of two players who feel that they are entitled to more leeway than the other teams.

Louie and Michael also caught up during this portion of the race. Only two teams took time to look around before hooking up the cart Dan and Jordan, and Michael and Louie.

Meanwhile, Steve and Allie discover their missing backpacks while aboard the boat headed toward the Roadblock. A minor disagreement ensues but Dad wins out and they continue on. Steve quickly swims to the buoy and dives for the bottle. The pair head for the shore, piece together their map, and head to the mat where they win 7-Up for life or some such thing.

Dan and Jordan struggle a bit with the Roadblock but end the race solidly in second place, having run their best leg to date.

Michael and Louie place third followed closely by Team Whinesalot. Phil asks the teams who they would like to see eliminated and both teams focus on Brandy and Carol. I'm the first to admit that Brandy and Carol are hardly my favorites, but Caite's insistence they have done nothing, is beyond ridiculous.

The Cowboys have left me shaking my head these past few weeks. Dumb mistakes have lead to them falling further and further back in the pact. Not only did they fail to get on one of the first three helicopters, they left a coconut and then left their bottle aboard the boat. Sheer luck brought them to the mat where Phil told them they had to go back and get their bottle.

Disappointed, the pair headed back to the boat, which allowed Carol and Brandy to come in fifth. The Cowboys stayed in the game, though, when they were told that it was a non-elimination leg.

Mistakes all around. Makes me wonder how any of the teams will pull out a win. One a side note: I hope that the climates are warm from hear on out for the sake of Steve and Allie. Backpacks may turn out to be the biggest mistake of the season.

One Mistake After Another!

Watching the most recent episode, I again began to wonder where they found these people and why they chose these teams! Maybe the producers wanted drama or maybe they wanted the "perfect, imperfect race." Whatever the reason, this season of TAR is turning out to be everything I've never seen.

Let me rephrase. This season of TAR is like none that have gone before. Sure, several teams made missteps in the past, but usually it was one team and usually, it lead to their elimination because the other teams were that focused.

The Great Equalizer
The most recent leg started in France and ended in Mahe, Seychelles off the coast of Africa. First, kudos to the producers for finding a truly unique location. On the other hand, boo to the producers for using airports to re-balance the game. An equalizer is great for the teams that are trailing but disastrous for the teams that are in front. It's kind of like a new school year with all teams leveled up. One flight was available to fly from France to their destination.

Surprisingly, two of the three teams to actually "get" the clue were Brent and Caite, and Jordan and Dan. The other team to figure out that seat assignments on the flight were important was Steve and Allie, which was actually not too surprising as they have been running well lately.

Jet and Cord, and Louie and Michael went off to find something to eat, while Brandy and Carol were just happy to get seat assignments, although they did have some doubts about being stuck so far back.

So why were seat assignments important? Once the plane landed, all the teams had to find a kiosk and pull a number for the next part of their journey. The nearer the front of the plane, the better their chances of getting to the kiosk and getting a good number.

The teams soon discovered that helicopters would take them the final miles to Seychelles. The order of departure would be determined by the numbers on the kiosk. Brent and Caite flew out first, followed by Steve and Allie, and Jordan and Dan.

The remaining three teams were stuck in the airport waiting for the return of the helicopters and falling behind. Brandy notes that the three strongest teams were still in the airport. Strongest? Hard to tell as none of them can consistently run clean legs.

Could Things Get Any Worse?
The Detour turned into a comedy of errors. Brent and Caite, who started the leg determined to do better, chose to load coconuts. The directions were explicit: each team had to load ALL the coconuts and use and ox cart to transport them. They spent way too much time patting each other on the back.

Steve and Allie, meanwhile, used a banana to lure a giant tortoise several feet to cross a line. They finished the task quickly and grabbed a bunch of bananas and began a 1.5 mile hike. Unfortunately, the pair left behind their backpacks and did not discover it until later.

Brent and Caite finished loading the coconuts but managed to overlook one coconut that had missed the target. An uncooperative ox made their journey an unhappy one as they quickly dissolved into their routine of backbiting and name calling but it also gave an opportunity for Dan and Jordan to catch up and pass them.

If there's a lesson to be learned from this Detour, it's don't argue with the man who holds the clue, just go back and fix whatever it is that has been done. In this case, Brent and Caite argued with the man who says they did not pick up all the coconuts. Brent threatens to quit the race. Caite pouts and cries. Altogether, an annoying display by two players who feel that they are entitled to more leeway than the other teams.

Louie and Michael caught up during this portion of the race. Only two teams took time to look around before hooking up the cart Dan and Jordan, and Michael and Louie.

7-Up for Life?
In the meantime, Steve and Allie discovered their missing backpacks while aboard the boat headed toward the Roadblock. A minor disagreement ensues but Dad wins out, and they continue on. Steve quickly swims to the buoy and dives for a bottle. The pair head for the shore, piece together their map, and head to the mat where they win 7-Up for life or some such thing.

Dan and Jordan struggle a bit with the Roadblock but end the race solidly in second place, having run their best leg to date.

Michael and Louie placed third followed closely by Team Whinesalot. Phil asked the teams who they would like to see eliminated and both teams focus on Brandy and Carol. I'm the first to admit that Brandy and Carol are hardly my favorites, but Caite's insistence she and Brent have done nothing to Brandy and Carol, is beyond ridiculous.
What Happened to My Boys?
The Cowboys have left me shaking my head these past few weeks. Dumb mistakes have lead to them falling further and further back in the pack. Not only did they fail to get on one of the first three helicopters, they left a coconut behind at the Detour, and then left their bottle aboard the boat. Sheer luck brought them to the mat where Phil told them they had to go back and get their bottle.

Disappointed, the pair headed back to the boat, which allowed Carol and Brandy to come in fifth. The Cowboys stayed in the game, though, when they were told that it was a non-elimination leg.

Mistakes all around. Makes me wonder how any of the teams will pull out a win. One a side note: I hope that the climates are warm from here on out for the sake of Steve and Allie. Backpacks may turn out to be the biggest mistake of the season.

Jeff and Jordan's Last Dance

I guess it's fair to say I could see it coming for the past few weeks. Jeff and Jordan were finally eliminated during this leg of the race, and frankly, it was kind of a relief.

They finished in first place during the opening leg but as the race progressed, they fell further and further behind.

TAR Fans vs. BB Fans
This could be an interesting time for TAR fans who find it much easier to let go of their favorites than BB fans. TAR fans never get as involved in the lives of the contestants as BB fans do. Maybe it's the nature of the games but it seems that TAR fans are more inclined to let the players return to "real" life. Not so with BB!

Suddenly there's a huge cross-over in the fan base and TAR forums have been inundated with the pre-show Jeff and Jordan fan base, and it will be interesting to see how the Jeff/Jordan love fest plays out.

I also think it will be interesting to see how Jeff/Jordan fans view the race and its outcome. Not necessarily the final outcome, but just the elimination of Jeff and Jordan. Is it Jeff's fault? Jordan's fault? Or do they share the blame mutually for not making it to the end of the race? I predict a lot of Jeff/Jordan fans are going to feel that Jordan is to blame because in their eyes she gave up on the race.

It All Comes Down to Choices
But, in reality, Jeff made some dumb choices in the race. While he chose the right course to find an alternate bus during the second leg, he did not find out if it left from the same terminal. During that leg, they fell five places to sixth place. During the third leg, they regained one place only to find themselves in last place in the next leg. Fortunately, it was non-elimination. Some would argue that it was the cab ride that cost them, but maybe it was Jeff's insistence on the sauerkraut challenge which they did not finish anyway. They were still in last place in the next leg, though still in the race, due to the U-turn imposed on Joe and Heidi. They just never got on track after the first leg.

During this leg, Jeff seemed more relaxed. Maybe he and Jordan had already conceded the race, who knows? Maybe their hearts weren't in it. Maybe it was too soon and mentally, neither was prepared for another hard fought, challenging game.

TAR Casting Nets Dumbest Cast Ever
This round of TAR has really left me wondering, though, at the future of the game. Are these teams really the best they could do in the casting department? Where did they find these players?

The Cowboys took off for a totally location without even bothering to find out what the clue meant. They were lost twice and still managed to come in third!

In fact, most teams got lost at least once during this leg. Navigation is hardly their strong suits. To top it off, Steve and Allie wrecked their car and duct taped it. They too, managed to finish well, coming in second.

None of these teams are doing anything to improve the view of Americans abroad. Whether it's mispronounced place names, or comments about people not speaking English well, they are a mostly rude group of American travelers. In fact, I found myself wondering if I would dare visit France after Daniel's comment about the locals not speaking English well!

Jordan's naivety was somewhat refreshing and at the same time, startling. While looking for the Joan of Arc statue, she recalled the story of Noah's ark, thinking them one and the same. So again, our educational system looks highly irresponsible at best.

Defying Explanation
But then there's the team that defies everything — Brent and Caite. In my opinion, they lead the way in totally STUPID behavior. Really, I would love for them to understand that looks only serve you to get so far in life. Every leg, they do something so ridiculous, that you think they can't possibly top it — until the next episode.

Let's see, during this episode, they happened upon Carol and Brandy and decided to follow them — right to Phil's mat. Only, they had not completed the Detour. So Jeff sent them on their way to the Detour. Brent suggests looking for the grapes rather than building a wine glass pyramid. A wise choice but Caite, who wanted to build the pyramid chooses to nag instead of look and walks right by the marked grapes.

Eventually she gets her way, insists on building it her way and watches as the glasses tumble to the floor. They end up back in the field where Caite spots the grapes and back to the pitstop.

Maybe Jeff and Jordan's problems started when they aligned with Brent and Caite. Wasn't it during the second leg?

If Brent and Caite go further than next week, I will be surprised and I might even call foul because they've been around longer than their racing skills should permit.

TAR is Hell!

OMG! The constant bickering is nerve-racking! The stress of the race is really beginning to show! What's worse is that none of the tasks has been really mentally challenging. Physically, yes, but no so much mentally — until this leg, and only one team had to do it!

Somewhere in France...
The teams were taken by bus to an undisclosed location in northern France. Michael and Louie referred to the trip as a "mobile pitstop". Somewhat surprising that the "mandatory rest period" was spent aboard a bus!

Once at their location, the teams took off in search of a bakery where they were instructed to obtain a baguette — loaf of bread — and their next clue. Some of the teams were "clueless" as to what a baguette and fortunately were not expected to know as the baker simply handed it to them on their arrival.

Michael and Louie were the first team to leave. They quickly found the bakery and their clue, and left for the Detour. Sleepers Steve and Allie left next. Why are they sleepers? Because no one is expecting them to do well, not me certainly, and none of the other teams are either. Yet, from the first leg onward, they have been moving up so I'm going to call them my "sleepers." They might challenge for the final three if they keep this up!

Joe and Heidi were the third team to leave, and Joe was still suffering from his knee injury from the last leg. Joe limped down the street as Heidi ran ahead, and frankly, I felt a little sorry for him. A little sorry!

Speaking of injuries, Caite managed to recover well from her leg injury that nearly put them in last place during the previous leg. I'm a little suspect of her injury, but that's just me. Maybe she was thinking they were in last place and was hoping for a little sympathy.

Only Jeff and Jordan struggled to find their way to the bakery. They ended up in the maze of streets that are legendary throughout that area. Jeff does not handle stress well, and his reaction is to lash out. Jordan, on the other hand, comes close to shutting down. The more upset he becomes, the less Jordan responds — until she's had enough. Jeff was supposed to be navigating and he should have taken some responsibility to get them to their destination, instead he became agitated with her driving skills.

Detour to Hell!
The Detour for this leg of the race was a re-enactment of a World War I battle. The teams chose between a Morse Code translation task and traversing a field of barbed wire mesh while "under fire" to retrieve a message and bring it back.

All the teams chose "Under Fire". Michael and Louie hit the field first and Louie became extremely winded while crawling under the wire. They managed to maintain their lead, however, and headed south down the road which lead to a blind "U-Turn".

Decisions, decisions! Should they U-Turn Steve and Allie who placed second in the last leg, or Joe and Heidi, who are a thorn in their side? The decision is finally made, and Joe and Heidi's photo is slapped onto the U-Turn, meaning they had to do the other part of the Detour too. Michael and Louie's rationale was that Joe was cocky on the bus. They may have been, in light of Joe's injury, a bit too self-assured, but then again none of the teams would have started the race if they did not feel they had a shot at winning!

U-Turn are the Worst Turns!
Steve, the oldest contestant left in the game, and Allie made it through the task with very little complaining, and they were followed closely by Joe and Heidi. Upon reaching the U-Turn they discovered that Joe and Heidi had to go back and do the Morse Code portion of the Detour.

Unfair? Maybe. But at the same time, it's a game. So Joe and Heidi headed back to do the Morse Code. I know this was a difficult challenge but it was one that could have been accomplished if they had settled down. Dots and dashes — dots are single tones, dashes are multiple tones in quick succession. Each letter is signified by a different series.

Following the Detour, each team changed into early 20th century bike riding clothes, complete with mustache, and headed off on a four-mile bike ride to the pitstop. Michael and Louie arrived first, with Steve and Allie on their heals.

Bickering Will Get You Nowhere!
Meanwhile, back at the Detour, Brandy and Carol complained about the task not being "what they signed up for." Ummmm! It's The Amazing Race! Nothing that says they can't re-enact World War I as a task. Brandy was decidedly worse than Carol, in my opinion. It's a game for a million dollars and doing things like this is all part of the game. Brent and Caite arrive and exchange words with them showing that the bad blood from the start of the race remains.

At this point, I have to say that the amount of energy many of the teams are expending on complaining about tasks, other teams, etc., is going to cost them in the end. It's simply not good strategy to waste time and energy tearing down their teammate or another team while trying to do a task.

Returning to Jeff and Jordan, we discover they are still trying to locate the bakery. Once they do, Jeff seems to have trouble figuring out the clue is inside the bread. It's the little things that are setting this team back as the other teams somehow managed to find the clue more quickly. Back in the car, Jeff continues to complain about Jordan's driving. There's a correlation between Jeff's attitude and Jordan's performance. The worse his attitude gets, the worse Jordan's performance.

Great Representation of our Educational System!
In one of the dumbest moves of the show, Brent and Caite are shown reading the clue which says to go south down a road. Brent consults his watch compass, which "astoundingly" and obviously has North at the top. He turns and points to North as being into some field ahead which would mean that south was behind them at that point. Instead, Brent points to his left, which if North were in front of him should have been West but was really North. Confused? Well, then you know how Brent feels every time he navigates!

So the pair sets off in the opposite direction of their clue happily walking "south."

Joe and Heidi are still trying to resolve the Morse Code. They listen, think they hear a "V" and quickly write down the message they received on the "under fire" portion of the Detour. Maybe I would have done the same thing but they should have listened to at least the first word to determine that it was not the same. Shear desperation to move beyond the Detour lead to a downward spiral for this team.

Bringing Up the Rear
This year, it seems like the producers are focusing more attention on the teams that are not doing as well. We know exactly what is going wrong for them, and I will admit that it's entertaining!

Jeff and Jordan finally arrive at the Detour, long after Louie and Michael have already won this leg of the race. Jeff continues to criticize Jordan for her driving, for her pace, for her decisions! It's almost like he did not spend two months locked in a house learning how she functions under pressure, which is not well when someone is harping at her.

In a separate confessional, Jeff is critical of the fact that Jordan is not putting in the effort for a million dollars that he thinks should be there. I wonder if it occurred to Jeff that her share of the prize would be $500,000. She's already won $500,000 and she's already aware that Uncle Sam takes a large share. Add to that the fact that only two months before, Jordan won BB, a show that she really was not that interested in. Now, she finds herself in another reality show that she's never viewed except youtubes. I think she's done amazingly well!

So when I see Jordan, walking slowly, laces untied, leggings flopping to the side, it's not really surprising. Jeff's impatience grows and they still have to accomplish a "Speed Bump" before they can move on to the Detour. The Speed Bump resulted from their last place finish during the non-elimination leg. Their task is to reinforce the trench with tree branches.

Their arrival, gives hope to Joe and Heidi who seem to have resorted to pulling random phrases out of thin air to try them. Jeff and Jordan finish the Speed Bump and move to the Detour, where Jeff continues to prod Jordan to finish the task.

Clueless
At about the same time, Brent and Caite have stumbled upon the clue to the pitstop, donned their bicycling gear, and headed off to find Phil. As they step onto the mat, Phil informs them of their sixth place finish and gives them the bad news that they missed a clue and will have to go back to retrieve it. So off they go, south this time, to find the missing clue.

Joe and Heidi are equally clueless as they listen to the morse code again. Is it a "T"? How about an "H"? They would have been better off simply choosing random letters and rushing them to the man standing to the side. Dismayed, they watch as Jeff and Jordan finish the Detour and head off to find their next clue.

Unfortunately for Joe and Heidi the Detour was too much and they gave up on even finishing. Fortunately for Jeff and Jordan, the Detour was too much for Joe and Heidi, and they finished in seventh place, still at the bottom but in the race.

I did not expect Joe and Heidi to go this round. I halfway expected it to be Brandy and Carla!

Looks like next week Caite and Brent disintegrate, but the previews are always a little misleading.

Worst to first!

Absolutely incredible! The fortunes of this game turn so quickly, it's dizzying.

First place, two weeks in a row, the cowboys should have been shoe-ins for another top three finish. Louie and Michael had continually been among the bottom dwellers, and my expectations were not high for them to get on track.

This episode turned everything on it's ear, so to speak.

Intersection Introduction!
The teams spent their mandatory rest period on a farm in Argentina prior to embarking on an 8,000 mile flight that would take them to Germany. Once in Germany, the teams faced the very first "Intersection" in the history of the game. The Intersection required a member of two different teams to work together. The task was a 150 ft. bungee jump.

Jet and Michael paired up and were the first to jump. Jet jumped with his cowboy hat on and somehow managed to keep it on throughout the bouncing and spinning! At the end of the task, Jet and Cord made a decision to ride the Metro while Louie and Michael chose a taxi. Those decisions were pivotal in determining the course of the race.

Joe and Allie jumped together and Joe suffered an injury which would bother him throughout the leg. Steve and Allie are doing surprising well, and if he can hold up, they may be one of the teams to beat in all this!

Daniel was teamed with Brandy, and they worked together well. Daniel provided Brandy with assurance during the task. He seems like a nice guy. I also like the fact that he's doing the race for his brother who has wanted to be on TAR for several seasons. Just can't believe neither can drive a stick shift!

That left Jordan and Caite to work together, although Jordan pointed out that have been somewhat aligned throughout the race. Unfortunately, they got off to a bad start by getting on a train going in the wrong direction. Once they arrived, however, the girls pulled it off in great fashion. As they went off the platform, they hardly uttered a sound! Incredible because I probably would have been screaming my guts out!

Disastrous Detours!
The teams moved on to a Detour, and had to decide between eating a plate of sauerkraut or kicking soccer balls through five targets. Personally, I would have went for the soccer ball challenge any day of the week!

Michael and Louie chose the sauerkraut challenge which required them to eat a very large plate of sauerkraut while a band played in the background. The teams must finish eating before the song ended. In short order, Michael and Louie finished the sauerkraut and moved onto drinking a "boot" of beer.

Steve and Allie, Joe and Heidi, chose the soccer challenge. Steve made two of five goals, while Allie racked up the remaining three, making the challenge appear quite easy. Joe and Heidi meanwhile were hobbled by Joe's knee and had to abandon the kicking in favor of sauerkraut.

The cowboys tried their luck with the soccer challenge. It took them a kick or two to find the right technique, but they too mastered the challenge and went on to the beer drinking. I was amazed to discover that Jet had never drank a beer and struggled with this task.

Jeff and Jordan arrived at the Detour in fifth place. Jeff made the decision to eat sauerkraut. Giving the directions to the taxi driver, Jeff and Jordan soon found themselves on a long drive to nowhere. Jordan lamented that they should have chosen the soccer challenge and Jeff responded that they probably would have ended up in Switzerland. After driving several miles out of their way, they discovered that the taxi driver had input the wrong address into his GPS, and they miles from their destination. This Detour turned into a huge detour for the team as they lost valuable time.

Chug-a-lug!
Dating couple Carol and Brandy went to the Sauerkraut challenge and managed to finish the plate prior to the end of the song. They left for the bar for their boot of beer only to encounter the cowboys still struggling to down their boot.

By this time, Louie and Michael, Steve and Allison, and Joe and Heidi had found the tiny bar in the red light district where the Beatles had played decades ago that was the pitstop for the race.

Dan and Jordan, meantime, were finishing up the soccer challenge. Dan was very excited to play in a soccer challenge and did well. Caite and Brent were also happy with the Detour, but soon after Caite hurt her leg which hampered their efforts. The team pushed on though, and managed to complete the task with Caite hitting three of the targets.

Jeff and Jordan finally returned from their tour of Hamburg and arrived at the Sauerkraut. Holding her nose, Jordan dove into the dish but they did not finish in time. Jeff conceded that they should have went for soccer because he's athletic.

At the bar, the cowboys had finished their beer and Jet said that he will never drink another beer as long as he lives! The two arrived in the Bible belt and exclaimed, "We are no longer in the Bible belt." Yet, another title of an episode.

Based solely on the fact that so many of their quotes are being used as titles of the episodes, I'm thinking they are among the top finishers!

Carol and Brandy polished off their boot quickly and arrived in fifth place at the Pitstop. Dan and Jordan were not too far behind and arrived at the Pitstop in sixth place.

Back at the Bar
Meanwhile, back at the bar, Brent was struggling to drink the beer while Caite looked on expectantly. Apparently, Brent is the beer drinker but midway through, he went outside to vomit. He came back in to finish the remainder of the beer and the two set off in search of the Pitstop.

Jeff and Jordan were aware of their standing about this time. Jeff finished the beer much to the appreciation of the bar full of Germans who had enjoyed the spectacle up to that point. They arrived at the street not too far behind Brent and Caite who were looking for the Pitstop. Brent and Caite found it first and managed to limp to the mat just minutes before Jeff and Jordan.

As Jeff and Jordan stepped on the mat, Phil informed them that they were in last place but it was non-elimination week. So, next week the two will have to perform a Speed Bump to stay in the race.

Looking Ahead
Louie and Michael's performance gave me hope that my pre-race assessment would work out this time. I still look for the cowboys to continue to do well. Up until now, many of the assignments have been "country" so the cowboys showed their lack of "urban savvy" during this leg. Too many "big city" challenges could take its toll on the cowboys.

Carol and Brandy kept their race cleaner this time, and their personal disputes to a minimum. At least they recognize their mistakes!

Joe and Heidi, and Brent and Caite, are injured and that could work to the advantage of Jeff and Jordan next week if they want to stay in the game.

Jeff and Jordan need to run a clean leg next week. Jeff needs to be a little more open to letting Jordan make decisions. It's definitely a partnership!

Speaking of the next leg, looks like they are recreating World War I. Good luck to them! Could be interesting with a U-Turn involved!

Ropin' and Ridin' Argentina Style!

What an episode!

I'm not afraid to admit that I underestimated the cowboys. Now, however, I am firmly aboard the "cowboy train." They may not be the sharpest tools in the shed but they are resourceful, and that might be the best characteristic going into a game like this. I will also say they are lucky!

Little Bit of Luck Goes a Long Way!
The first part of this leg is to travel by tour bus to Argentina and find the hideout of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The cowboys are the first team to leave and they find a bar and ask a pair of Americans in the bar if they know where their destination happens to be. By chance, one of the Americans has lived there and gives them the exact location. How lucky can you get?

Under the "how unlucky can get you" heading, Brent and Caite get sick in the middle of the night from either dehydration or food poisoning. They end up in the hospital on IVs and miss their start time. As far as I remember, this is a first in race history to miss because of medical emergency. One thing this team has is determination to stay in the game!

At the bus station, Carol and Brandy demonstrate again why I'm not overly fond of them as they grill the cowboys about which bus they were on the previous day. Not even a "Hey, how ya doin'." What difference did it make at that point? None. That leg of the race was over and very little chance they would do it again.

Poker Face
On the way to their destination, Jet and Cord are in the lead car with others following close behind. While Carol and Brandy discuss how slow the cowboys are driving, Jet and Cord decide to pull to the side of the road and let the other teams pass as they pretend to look at their map. It would have been a smart move if the others did not already know their way.

However, Carol and Brandy, and Joe and Heidi, arrive at the destination first and face off against the Travelocity gnome in a game of poker. The cowboys arrive shortly after but both of the other teams manage to win during the first hand against the gnome.

The cowboys won on the third hand remarking that the gnome had a great "poker face." :) They have a great sense of humor about the entire situation which makes them a fun team to watch. In fact, it seems like a lot of one-liners are coming straight from the cowboys, including the title of this episode: "Run like scalded dogs."

At this point, I need to point out that the men have a real lack of car expertise. Not all of them, but some of them to be sure. Jordan and Daniel stall out on a hill and Jordan jumps out to push the car and I find some comfort in hearing Jordan mention neutral. Brent also lacks experience with a manual transmission leaving Caite to do the driving and Brent seemingly unaware of where they are at any given moment. I can't help but wonder who would take on TAR without some knowledge of how a manual transmission works.

Frustration = Mental Roadblock
At the roadblock, the teams discover a roping challenge. They must rope a steer head attached to a bale of hay and drag it back across a line. This task seems to favor the cowboys but personally, if I were the other teams, I would just be glad that I did not have to sheer those sheep running around!

As Carol and Heidi find their ropes becoming more and more tangled with each attempt, Jet picks up a lasso and ropes the steer on his second attempt. That's right, second attempt. I mean really! You would think a "real" cowboy would have made it on the first attempt. Joking!

Jeff and Jordan arrive for their round of poker and, for the second time during the show, Jeff utters the phrase, "let's dance." Either Jeff has run out of cute one-liners, or the editors are just not picking them up like the "Big Brother" editors did! Around back at the roping, Jeff tried several times and conceded that he was a city boy and had to think like a cowboys.

At this point, it's important to point out that frustration is like a third player in the game. Once frustration sets in, the task becomes more difficult. Frustration played a role in the game for several teams, including Monique and Shawne at the roadblock, and numerous teams during the Detour.

Quickest way between two points...
The Detour is a task which both members of the team participate in. The two tasks were "Horse Sense" and "Horse Power." In Horse Sense, the team was given coordinates which they must follow to find a bag buried in the dirt. After finding it, they had to deliver the bag to the lead bandit. If the coordinates on the bag matched those on their clue, they received the clue to the next destination.

In Horse Power, the team went to a polo field and put on the appropriate polo equipment. Alternating turns, the team used a practice pony to maneuver the ball through the goal in nine or fewer strokes.

The cowboys chose Horse Power and expected to use a real horse, as did most of the teams. Instead, they found a wooden horse which they carried from one position to the next. Still, they made the task look like a cinch and crossed to the goal quickly, and under the nine stroke limit.

Meanwhile, Carol and Brandy have begun to show the strain of the race as they bickered quite a bit both during the drive to the Detour and even during the challenge itself. They chose Horse Sense or well, at least one of them chose Horse Sense. A word of advice: stick to the clue! The team discovered a shovel along their path to their bag and rushed toward it abandoning the coordinates. This led to even more bickering. I vicariously enjoyed seeing them dragging a shovel that was not even part of their challenge around the field.

Jeff and Jordan arrived next, and chose Horse Sense. As Jeff read the clue, he immediately mistook the man who handed him his coordinates as the lead bandit. He and Jordan worked together well, found their bag quickly and then took it to the wrong person. Stymied, they headed back out to return the bag.

Joe and Heidi, who left the Roadblock in second place, found themselves in fourth place because of poor navigational skills. They should have taken that piece of information to heart when they chose their challenge, Horse Sense. Declaring that he had a compass on his watch, Joe said he did not need to count the paces as they were for the people without a compass. (I originally gave this team credit for smarts. Not so sure anymore!) Okay, the compass does not tell whether or not to stop. So, they wondered around until they found a rope sticking out of the ground and pulled a bag out. Must be it!

Calling over his shoulder to Jeff about the train station, Joe and Heidi disappear in search of the lead bandit. Jeff wonders what Joe is talking about as he and Jordan continue to look for their bag. It was a costly error because they found their bag quickly and would have been in second place.

Horse Power, meantime, provided a few laughs. Father/daughter team Steve and Allie finished the task but Steve barely managed to mount his horse; however, grace was not a factor in this task and therefore they finished the leg in a surprising second place.

After A LOT OF DEBATE, Carol and Brandy abandoned the Horse Sense task, as did Joe and Heidi, and moved to the Horse Power. More complaining, but both teams managed to finish and ended up in third and fourth places.

Jeff and Jordan finally figured out that the lead bandit was not the gun slinger and headed off to the train station where they delivered the bag they had found earlier. They received a gold coin with the name of the pit stop on it.

Dan and Jordan's attempt at Horse Power was hilarious with the horse bucking one of them off. The only team to require two turns to make it through the challenge they finished in sixth place.

And then there were eight!
Rounding out the finishing teams were Brent and Caite, Louie and Michael and finally, Monique and Shawne, who were eliminated.

After watching 15 previous seasons of TAR, it's obvious that keeping emotions in check is probably a key element in doing well. Once the team descends to bickering or frustration it's hard to get back on track.

The teams head to Germany next week and even though Louie and Michael have been at the bottom lately, I think they will make it through this leg. Steve and Allie were a complete surprise to come in second this time and may do well in the coming weeks if Steve can hold up physically. As to who will be eliminated? Anyone's guess, Brent and Caite could be eliminated if they are not physically strong. Jordan and Daniel could be eliminated if they have to drive another stick shift.

Amazing Race 16: Buses and more buses!

The second episode of "The Amazing Race" had all the elements of a great story: drama, suspense, intrigue and comic relief!

Racers Jeff and Jordan were the first to leave. Here's the catch though, and this has often been a point of contention for me with TAR. A mandatory 12-hour rest period means that many times the front runners leave in the early morning hours when virtually nothing is open. As a result, the other teams often times catch up at this point.

Jeff and Jordan were instructed to travel by bus back to Santiago, and then board another bus to Puerto Varas, Chile. At that point, they were to take a car to Hotel Petrohue, a boat to Isla Margarita, and climb to Mirador for their next clue.

Sure enough, Jeff and Jordan arrived at the Valparaiso bus station to find it closed until 5 a.m. which allowed the other teams enough time to catch up.

Carol and Brandy gave kudos to Jeff and Jordan, and Brent and Caite for being smart, while underhandedly dissing them. At the same time, they were beginning to make plans to align with Joe and Heidi, because Joe is a strong competitor. While I agree they would probably be a great team to align with, I have some problems with aligning this early in the game.

I've sometimes wondered what I would do if I were a contestant on a show, and someone approached me about aligning with them. There are really only three choices: a.) align with them and hope they are at least as strong as my team; b.) don't align with them and become a potential target for them; or c.) align with them and take the first opportunity to ditch them and run.

I've already mentioned that I'm not big fans of team Carol and Brandy. They have too many diva-like qualities to be strong racers. On the other hand, I think that Heidi and Joe might go far, and was hoping they would stay away from entanglements.

What ensued was reminiscent of the elementary school lunch line, "save my place." Ummm. It does not work that way. Or, let me rephrase, it should not work that way. Nothing bothers me more than having someone save a seat or a place. The other racers were understandably irked when Joe and Heidi managed to capture the last four seats on the first bus to Puerto Varas, The other teams would be stuck on the second bus leaving about two hours later.

Then, in a potential stroke of genius, Jeff re-reads the clue and suggests connecting through a different city. In this case, there was a quicker route through the city of Temuco. The bus was departing within a few minutes and would arrive around 6 p.m. in time to catch the 6:30 p.m. for Puerto Varas.

The cowboys, meantime, had also learned about the connecting bus and bought tickets for Temuco and then a 7 p.m. bus to Puerto Varas.

All three teams found themselves on the 9 a.m. bus bound for Temuco, and feeling somewhat confident that they would arrive well ahead of the others.

The rest of the teams spent a long day in the bust terminal waiting for their respective buses. Shortly after Joe and Heidi, and Carol and Brandy boarded their bus, the teams routed through Temuco were reaching their destination.

Here's where the drama, suspense and intrigue comes in. The cowboys asked Brent what time their bus left and discovered their bus left at 6:30. Hoping to get on that bus with a half hour advantage, Jet and Cord went into the station to try to buy tickets. There, they are told that the 6:30 bus leaves from a different station.

Now, either the cowboys are one of the smartest teams in race history, or one of the luckiest, I'm not sure. They were smart to keep this info to themselves as Brent and Caite, Jeff and Jordan waited outside for their bus.

I don't know how much experience these four have traveling, but one of the cardinal rules of travel is "never assume." Don't assume that your connecting flight is in the same terminal. Don't assume that a taxi will be waiting outside your door. Don't assume anything! They were smart enough to get on a different bus. They should have been smart enough to follow up and make sure that the bus was on time which would have clued them in that they were waiting at the wrong station.

The cowboys were clearly enjoying themselves as the minutes ticked by. Finally, about a minute before they were scheduled to leave they find out their bus is some 10 minutes away at another station. Here, again, they were faced with a decision, go to their original bus which was probably already gone, or stay and book a ticket on the 7 p.m. bus.

I think their best choice would have been to get tickets on the 7 p.m. bus but instead they rush for taxis noting that the departure time is already past. By the time they get back to the first station, the 7 p.m. bus is already on the road with some happy cowboys on board.

Dealing with the disappointment, they get tickets on the 1 a.m. bus which rolls in just after the bus with Joe and Heidi, and Carol and Brandy.

The cowboys arrive at 11 p.m., get in their car and drive to the hotel, only to discover the path does not open until 7:30 a.m. The two sleep in their car, and manage to be the first headed out on the lake. Where rough weather is the order of the day.

Jet and Cord arrive at the Detour to be given the choice between llama adoration or condor consternation. Llama adoration calls for the team to "dress" a llama using a blanket for its back and a scarf around its neck. Condor consternation instructs the team to dress as birds by putting on yellow and orange feet, and a huge pair of wings and "fly" to the target located several feet in the water.

Jet and Cord, along with most of the other teams, selected llama adoration. Using a handful of feed, the two make quick work of the task. Llamas are notoriously stubborn animals that like to spit or kick when threatened.

Joe and Heidi, Carol and Brandy also chose the llama adoration task. After some stops and starts, they finally are successful "dressing" the llamas.

Meanwhile, Brent and Caite, and Jeff and Jordan, have selected the condor consternation task. These two teams introduce the comic relief of the episode as they dawn large bird feet and a condor "two seated" costume. Their goal is to race to the edge of the dock, jump and "soar" to the marker several feet away.

You could see it coming! For a moment, I wondered if there was some kind of harness to keep the costume in place. I also wondered if there was a trick to it. No, no harness and no, no trick. Brent and Caite went first and plunged off the end of the deck into the water. They swam the rest of the way to marker. The comedy effect is lost in the retelling, but trust me, I rewound a few times while viewing it. Jeff and Jordan faired no better.

Father/daughter team Steve and Allie also completed the condor task with the same results!

Brothers Dan and Jordan were apparently incapable of driving a stick shift. Having watched many seasons of TAR, the stick shift is a staple form of transportation. Finally, Dan took the wheel and Jordan navigated. Unfortunately, he navigated them to a dead end and they were perilously close to last place.

The roadblock was at the Onces Bellavista Farm and required one team member to gather the five fresh ingredients to bake a Kuchen, brought to Chile by German immigrants and continued to be made the old fashioned way. The five ingredients are a cup of milk (straight from the cow), a baker's dozen of eggs (13) collected straight from the chickens, a sack of flour, bowl of sugar and butter. At least they did not have to churn the butter!

Cord went to the barn and promptly milked the cow noting it was not the first cow he had milked. Next, he collected the eggs, and then went to the outdoor pantry to get the remaining ingredients.

Finishing the task, the cowboys left for the pitstop at Gruta de la Virgen in Puerto Varas, and stepped onto the mat in first place. For their efforts, they each won a sailboat.

Back at the farm, Carol and Heidi worked together on the task. Neither had milked a cow before and both were very vocal about the smells, as well as the sights, in the barn. They too, managed to complete the roadblock and moved on to finish second and third.

Jeff and Brent completed the task for their teams. Monique struggled with the unruly cow but managed to get past the task.

Brent and Caite arrived in fourth place. Monique and Shawne came in fifth, and Jeff and Jordan placed sixth after struggling to find the pitstop.

Place seventh were father/daughter team Steve and Allison.

Brothers Dan and Jordan came in eighth, followed by detectives Louie and Michael, who got lost on the way to the roadblock.

Grandmother/granddaughter teammates Jody and Shannon, placed last after completing all tasks. They made a great effort though and remained positive at the end.

Next week, should see the teams leaving Chile for a brand new destination. Will Joe and Heidi continue their alliance with the oft irritating Carol and Brandy? Will the cowboys continue their resourceful ways? Will other teams form alliances to edge other teams?

Amazing Race 16: Where did they find these racers?

The 16th season of "The Amazing Race" got underway this past Sunday in what is one of the most highly anticipated seasons to date. The only problem is, it's not necessarily highly anticipated by die-hard TAR fans but by fans of another reality TV series, "Big Brother."

In what can only be described as stunt casting, last summer's sweethearts, Jeff and Jordan from "Big Brother" were cast on "The Amazing Race." The pair is billed as "newly dating"; however, a clip from last season's "Big Brother" makes the cross-over casting clear.

Good casting? Bad casting? If Jeff and Jordan make the final three teams, everyone will be patting themselves on the back. If they are eliminated early, producers might be shocked at how quickly their new "fans" quit watching the show!

Each season, I like to look over the teams and decide who I think will go the furthest. I read the bios, watch some tape, and then make an "informed" decision. Usually I am wrong! But it's fun to speculate and I like it. For the record, I thought "detectives" Michael Naylor and Louie Stravato would go far but the premiere has left this theory in the air.

Anyhow, the show started off in Los Angeles, a now predictable setting for the start of the race. Phil gave another version of his standard starting speech with a twist. This time, transportation was not waiting a short run away. Instead, they had to navigate the public transportation system of LA to reach LAX.

For those less schooled in TAR, that was potentially a brilliant move on the part of the producers as it took the racers immediately off guard. First destination: Chile, and let the race begin!

The Cast
Now to the racers themselves. I like a lot of the teams but I found myself asking where did they find some of these racers?

Jet and Cord are brothers who happen to be cowboys. Yeeee Haaaawwww! At first glance, they seemed down-to-earth but damn, who wears cowboy boots while RUNNING a race? First bonehead move of the game? Cashing in their American dollars for Brazilian currency. Helloooo! Brazil and Chile are two different countries!

Brent and Caite are billed as dating models. He's 28 and she's 20 but there's more to their story too. Caite was a beauty pageant contestant who came in third but managed to solidify her "celebrity" by having the worst answer to a geography question EVER. If you have not found it on youtube, look! I won't spoil it but one of the contestants had a dead-on impression of her.

Monique and Shawne are moms and attorneys. Obviously, this pair has the smarts to go far, but an all woman team has never won the race. They do seem to have it together though and seem to know the game. (Understanding the game, IMO, is an important factor in how far teams go in TAR.)

Dana and Adrian are married from Texas. High hopes for this team but the roadblock proved to be too much for them. I think they will forever regret the decision that brought the game to an end. More later.

Steve and Allison are father and daughter from California. They seem to have a good relationship but a problem reading the clues! Hard to say how far they will go but personally, I don't see them in the final three. They provided one of the most hilarious moments that I can recall in TAR history when they misread a clue, wandered inside a house that just happened to have an unfinished wall in similar shade of red as they were supposed to paint on the OUTSIDE of a house! They painted quite a lot before they discovered their mistake.

Daniel and Jordan are brothers who are very similar yet different as Daniel is quick to point out. A big difference is their sexual preferences. If you are not aware, I won't spoil the surprise. Jordan is a sarcastic delight doing a dead-on impression of Caite. He also seems to understand the game better than his brother. This team also made a bonehead mistake and needs to clean things up.

Joe and Heidi are married and ran a great first leg. They were the first to realize the need to switch flights before time ran out. As the race tightens, I look for them to run consistently and smartly.

Jody and Shannon are the sentimental favorites as grandmother and granddaughter. I honestly thought they would be the first eliminated so more power to them for making it through the first leg.

Carol and Brandy are a dating couple living in LA. Every season there seems to be one team that kind of rubs me the wrong way and this season it just happens to be Carol and Brandy. I haven't decided why just yet, maybe it was because they give an air of being better than other teams.

The Race
The first leg of the race generally sets the tone for what is to follow. Carol and Brandy complained that no one uses public transportation in LA. That may be so, but on the other hand it's part of the game so who cares?

Airports can be the great equalizer and it was in the first leg when the three teams that were supposed to be on the first flight experienced a delay due to mechanical failure. Ouch! All teams ended up on the same flight.

Once in Chile, everything progressed pretty quickly to the the roadblock. The females definitely did a better job with this challenge than their male counterparts. The challenge was to cross a space by walking on one wire while holding another. It was not for the faint of heart as the wind was gusting and created an even more difficult challenge.

The challenge was so difficult, in fact, that one team failed to even complete it. Adrian fell off the wire once and was pulled back. Weak from his first attempt, he failed to make good on his second attempt either. His weight probably was a factor in his unsuccessful attempt.

Jordan (Jeff's partner) did a great job of cheering herself on and telling herself she could do it! Caite also made quick work of the task. Some of the men definitely struggled in this task!

The Detour was unique. Explaining that brightly colored houses are part of the local setting, Phil says that the city pays for them to be repainted. The task is simple: each team carries four buckets of paint and a ladder to a house with an unpainted section. The teams must locate the house with the same color as they are carrying. Sounds easy enough but teams had a hard time finding the houses in need of painting.

Once the teams arrived, they painted a small patch at ground level. Scratches head and wonders why they needed to carry the ladder? Of course, this is TAR and sometimes you just need to do things to make the task more difficult.

Jeff and Jordan quickly located their house and made short work of the task and on to the pit stop where Phil declares them the first team to arrive. Their reward for being first is a 5-day trip to Vancouver.

Brent and Caite arrive second but Phil explains that they failed to follow directions between the Roadblock and Detour. The instructions clearly stated that they must take a 120-year-old funicular down to the Detour. Instead, they chose to walk down. As a result, they incurred a 30-minute penalty.

Monique and Shawne stepped on the mat and into second place while a sulky Caite and Brent watched from the sidelines.

Arriving in third place was the surprising duo of cowboys Jet and Cord. Honestly, I had about given them up for dead after their debacle with the money exchange.

Next on the mat were brothers Daniel and Jordan. A misplaced paintbrush cost them a 15-minute penalty which in a tight race like this could have been the end of their run.

Eventually, 10 teams made it to the mat but Adrian and Dana remained back at the Roadblock. Their disappointment was obvious. Adrian commented, "Going out in the first leg is not something that we planned on doing." Obviously!

Teams to Watch
Previews of next week's episode show that alliances are being formed which might impact the gameplay of other teams. Jeff and Jordan appear to be one of the teams that are being targeted by the others. In the meantime, though, they seem to have the stamina for this game. While Jordan has never been out of the country, Jeff seems to have some travel experience. Tough call right now as to how much the alliances will actually affect them.

The female team, Monique and Shawne, are showing a competitive edge that could make the race interesting. If they can avoid the usual pitfalls of a single sex team, they will go far in this game.

I also think that Daniel and Jordan will be a force in this game. They need to clean up the small mistakes. Daniel's goal, according to his pre-interviews, is not necessarily to win but to go far enough so that true fan of the game, Jordan, can feel like he accomplished his dream. Might need a mindset change on Daniel's part to really make a run for the final three.

Even though they finished further back in the pack than the others, I really like Joe and Heidi. They seem to have great communication skills and I really enjoyed watching them race.