Okay, so now that those annoying complainers are gone, was that a good episode or what? It was one of those episodes we all love. You know what I mean. The kind of episode filled with people saying ridiculous things, making dumb mistakes and bad choices, and even a few bad cab drivers thrown in just for the heck of it.
AND IT IS EXACTLY THE REASON WHY INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL HAS TO BE A PART OF THE SHOW.
It's the uncertainty of foreign travel, new customs and different languages that puts the "Amazing" in the race. It's what makes them do and say the most ridiculous things, things they wouldn't normally do amid the comfort of "home."
Jon does the intro from The Toronto Railway Museum (but we knew that already) but the teams actually read their first clues from Canoe Landing Park (we knew that too). They must make their way to Santiago, Chile. Here are the departing times of each team:
Gino and Jesse 1:32 PM
Nic and Sabrina 2:51
Brent and Sean 3:34
Hamilton and Michaelia 3:40
Simi and Ope 3:54
Nick and Matt 4:05
Dana and Amanda 4:11
Dujean and Leilani 4:20
Brian an Cynthia 4:22
Neil and Kristen 4:27
Susan and Sharnjit 4:41
Usually those departing times are important. But with only one possible flight to Santiago, everyone is starting off on an equal footing. At the very least, they tell us how far the teams placed behind the winner. Once in Santiago, teams must make their way to Geoaventura Park. There are two Express Passes up for grabs at some point during the leg. No time is wasted, as the episode immediately jumps into a few "stupid moments".
Stupid Moment #1:
Teams were given $275 on their BMO card for this leg of the race. Okay...now for the ridiculous part. The Air Canada agent at Pearson asks them how they will be paying. Susan and Sharn use the card. I just want to know one thing...was there some kind of Super Seat Sale going on at Air Canada? Because if so, sign me up!
Stupid Moment #2:
In the cab on the way to the airport, Jesse asks Gino, "Is Chile in Europe?" Gino doesn't know. DING, DING, DING! We have a winner! I think this may just be the best line in the whole episode. But don't worry, the cabbie tells them it's in South America. Still...something tells me these two won't fair well on international legs. Just saying.
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| No wonder they thought it was in Europe. |
How do you spell "Santiago"?
S-A-N-T-I-G-A-G-O
Ooopsie. I think it's safe to say this production error may be a bad omen of more stupid things to come.
The task at Geoaventura is a Roadblock called, "Who wants a better view?" One person from each team must paraglide in tandem with a guide, taking a running jump off a very tall cliff. Okay, so the teams find themselves at a place with "aventura" within it's name, and they are given THAT clue. I think it's a pretty safe bet there is going to be some altitude involved in the task. Which leads us to...
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| Oh...wait! It's paragliding? What? |
Sean volunteers to do this, without noticing all the paragliders circling like vultures overhead. It was at that moment he decides to panic. Sean, you need to understand the show you are on. Geesh.
From here the teams must make their way to the San Miguel district and search for their next clue at a mural called "Sanacion Equilibrio". This is a two part challenge. First, they must locate 5 murals and take selfies in front of each. When they have completed this, they are given a wooden case (it's full of art supplies) and told to volunteer helping kids paint murals at Centro Cultural Angela Davis, Recoleta. A little backstory. The San Miguel district has dozens upon dozens of murals. This outdoor art exhibit began as a means to revitalize the neighbourhood. So locating 5 specific murals is no easy task. Something else that some teams found difficult? Apparently, selfies. Nick & Matt, Brian & Cynthia and Susan & Sharnjit have no experience taking pics of themselves.
Nick says, "I'm 35. I don't think I've ever selfied before." Well, thanks Nick for putting it that way. And thank you also for that image I now have thoroughly engraved in my mind.
However, they were given cameras - not cellphones, and these things don't even have a preview screen. No wonder some teams found this part of the task difficult - it was pretty much hit or miss. And if it wasn't a proper "selfie" they had to go back and take the picture again. Hamilton and Michaelia are the first to finish, while Susan and Sharnjit's inexperience with selfies drop them to last place. The best part of this task goes to...Dujean and Leilani.
The second part of this challenge was so heart-warming. When each team finishes the mural with the child they were assigned, they give them the case of art supplies. Lots of hugs all around. And a few tears too.
The clue received here offers the teams a choice. They can either go directly to the Detour or try for the two Express passes first. To claim the passes, they must find two dancers performing the national dance "La Cueca" at Patio Bellavista. And yes, that's all they had to do...just find them. There was no task given to earn the passes, so we were denied the drama of teams battling it out. Nick & Matt and Brian & Cynthia race to get the Express Passes, but are beaten there by Hamilton & Michaelia.
The Detour was called "Motion or Emotion". In Motion, teams had to go to Plaza de Armas where they had to learn and perform a traditional Rapa Nui (Easter Island) dance...in full costume. Perhaps I should say in LESS costume, because there was a lot of exposure. For Emotion, teams had to make their way to the Chilean National Library where they were given the poem, "Valle du Chile" by Nobel Prize winner Gabriela Mistral. They must memorize and recite this poem, and of course it is in Spanish. So this one would be easy for a team like Nic and Sabrina, who just happen to speak the language. And all of this leads to...
Stupid Moment #6:
Hamilton and Michaelia decide to dance, but when Hamilton sees the skimpy outfits he (understandably) says there is no way he can do it. BUT instead of attempting the other side of the Detour, they cash in that Express Pass they just earned. I think they may have panicked. You may disagree with me, but it was a stupid move. They were in first place!!!
Stupid Moment #7:
Gino and Jesse decide to memorize the poem, but after going over it a couple of times decide to switch to the dance. They head back out to the cab that they asked to wait there while they went inside, but lo and behold...he's gone. Cabbies. The scourge of the Race! Yes, the stupid moment was depending on the cabbie, but then Gino and Jesse decide to run to the Rapa Nui dance. Wow!
Hamilton and Michaelia head to the Pitstop at Jardin Botanico Mapulemo atop San Cristobal Hill. They win two Premium Economy tickets to Delhi, India and 6 months of free gas from Petro Canada.
Nick & Matt and Brian & Cynthia are the first ones to successfully perform the dance, while Nic & Sabrina correctly recite the poem. Now everyone else is scrambling to do the dance, except Susan and Sharnjit who are still at the Cultural Centre painting with the kids. Oh, oh.
Brent and Sean's ITM comments on seeing the scantily clad Gino and Jesse, "Abs are not going to win you this clue!" rang true for this task. But those marvellous, beautiful abs sure will come in handy in a strength challenge somewhere down the line, won't they?
Stupid Moment #8:
Dana and Amanda leave the dance Detour and head off to the Pitstop firmly in 4th place, but encounter some cabbie troubles of their own. He drops them off at the bottom of the hill...far, far, far from where they need to go. So I have to ask why they didn't direct the driver to the botanical gardens - not just the hill, and why they didn't question him about their whereabouts before leaving the frigging cab?
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| Bad Idea: Running 2 km to the Pitstop when you're tied for last place. |
Yes, Susan and Sharnjit are the last to arrive at the Pitstop and they are eliminated from the race. They later said they couldn't get the knack of taking those selfies, but it also could have been their warm hearts that kept them from rushing through their time with the kids.
Check out my Leg by Leg Results to see the complete team placements by CLICKING HERE
Next week the ten remaining teams head to Buenos Aires, Argentina where I am sure these guys will run into more troubles.