Post by bbfanatik on Mar 26, 2007 13:05:59 GMT -5
(Ugh...Charla and Mirna are first again)
Departing the Pit Stop in first place at 9:07pm, cousins Charla & Mirna opened their clue to discover they had to fly nearly 1400 miles to Dar Es Salaam, the largest city in the African nation of Tanzania. When they landed, they needed to travel ten miles by taxi to a ferry terminal where they would pull a number for one of four traditional boats, called dhows, to sail to the island of Zanzibar.
Arriving at Maputo International Airport, the cousins found it nearly desolate except for an agent who they promptly badgered for any available information. They learned that the earliest flight to Dar Es Salaam departed at 8:30am on L.A.M. However, they couldn't buy tickets until the next morning at 5:00am. While the cousins opted to return to the hotel, as did beauty queens Dustin & Kandice, married parents Teri & Ian staked their claim in line at the airport even over Teri's objections. Ian scolded his wife, saying, "I know it's an inconvenience. Do you want to be in the back of the line again or do you want to be a little inconvenienced?" An irritated Teri conceded the battle, replying, "Fine. I cannot believe that we're gonna stay here." Getting the last word, Ian responded, "I don't want to be seventh in line to get these tickets. Let's try to start racing smart. Stop, look, and listen."
TAKING A CHANCE
The next morning when the L.A.M. counter opened, married parents Teri & Ian received the bad news first that the 8:30 direct flight to Dar Es Salaam was fully booked. While Teri & Ian and five other Teams took their chances by placing their names on the standby list for the 8:30am direct flight, Charla & Mirna quietly snuck off and discovered a 7:00am flight to Johannesburg that connected to Dar Es Salaam. While the connecting flight from Johannesburg was fully booked, the cousins decided to take the risk of flying to the larger airport and figuring it out from there.
As the cousins flew off, Bill called Charla & Mirna's strategy "risky" and Kandice noted, "If we go to Jo'burg, there might not be flights out." However, the six Teams waiting in Maputo quickly learned just how smart the cousins were in leaving early when they didn't get seats on the 8:30am direct flight. An agent informed them their next best option would be with South African Airlines that opened at 9:45am. A disappointed Ian commented, "So now we have to go to Johannesburg whether we like it or not." Team Guido added, "Now Mirna and Schmirna look like geniuses."
Landing in Johannesburg, Charla & Mirna met an airport worker named Christo who helped the cousins in their quest to get on the connecting flight to Dar Es Salaam. After Mirna prompted Charla and Christo to hold hands with her and pray, their wish came true as tickets printed out for the flight. Before any Team even left Maputo, the thrilled cousins boarded their plane to Dar Es Salaam with a sizable lead.
Still waiting for the South Africa Airlines counter to open in Maputo, dating couple Eric & Danielle, married couple Uchenna & Joyce, beauty queens Dustin & Kandice, and best friends Oswald & Danny took a different tact by walking upstairs to the airlines offices where they booked tickets to Johannesburg and put their names on the waitlist for the connecting flight to Dar Es Salaam landing at 6:30pm. Meanwhile, the Guidos and Teri & Ian held firmly to their place in line at the closed counter, remarking, "They're just doing something to do something. We need to stay here." After the counter opened, the two Teams also bought tickets to Johannesburg and submitted their names for the waitlist to Dar Es Salaam, presumably behind the four Teams who walked to the office upstairs.
Landing in Johannesburg, the six Teams ran to the gates of Air Tanzania where a ticket agent informed them that enough space opened up for eight lucky people: Uchenna & Joyce, Dustin & Kandice, Oswald & Danny, and Eric & Danielle. While Joe & Bill and Teri & Ian stewed in complete frustration, the other four relieved Teams boarded their flight. However, the relief ended abruptly for Eric & Danielle when a worker came onto the plane to inform them they had accidentally been issued someone else's tickets. As Danielle was on the verge of tears, the level headed Eric asked to no avail if anyone would give up their seat for fifty dollars.
Now stuck in Johannesburg with the Guidos and Teri & Ian, Eric tried to calm a hysterical Danielle down before learning from an agent that they could attempt to buy tickets the next morning on S.A.A. departing at 9:45am. While the flight was fully booked at the moment, the dating couple's names were placed on priority standby. Meanwhile, growing increasingly irritable, Joe & Bill and Teri & Ian also became aware of the S.A.A. flight and placed their names on standby in hopes of escaping Johannesburg the next morning. An annoyed Teri asked, "I'm going to spend another night in an airport?"
OFF TO ZANZIBAR
Landing in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania alone in first place at 2:52pm, cousins Charla & Mirna found the ferry terminal to claim the first dhow to Zanzibar. However, because of stormy weather between Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar, the dhow wouldn't leave until the next morning at 5:30am. With no Team in sight, Mirna wondered, "Where the heck is everybody else?"
The second plane carrying Dustin & Kandice, Oswald & Danny, and Uchenna & Joyce landed at 6:50pm. Arriving at the ferry terminal together, the three Teams engaged in a footrace to claim numbers for the dhow. Oswald & Danny proved quick on their feet as they snatched the last spot on the first dhow with Charla & Mirna while Dustin & Kandice and Uchenna & Joyce settled for the second dhow departing three hours later.
STRANDED NO MORE
After dawn broke over the beautiful waterfront of Dar Es Salaam, the two dhows embarked on the voyage to Zanzibar while three very miserable Teams returned to the airport in hopes of leaving Johannesburg. After waiting with baited breath, the agent delivered his decree that only one Team would make the 9:45am flight on S.A.A. Eric & Danielle broke into huge smiles when told they were the lucky Team. A stunned Teri said, "I can't believe that this is happening again." After a day of misfortune, both Teams booked an Air Malawi flight that departed at 12:00pm. Bill quipped, "I've never been so happy to leave a country in my life."
Arriving in Zanzibar together, Charla & Mirna and Oswald & Danny opened their clues to encounter a Detour having to choose between Solve It and Schlep It. In Solve It, Teams had to make their way one third of a mile to the hotel known as Beyt al Chai where they would put together a 62-piece puzzle that recreates an image from a style of local artwork known as Tinga Tinga. In Schlep It, Teams made their way one mile to the Kijangwani Lumber Yard. Once there, they had to choose a local handcart and load two 50-pound logs into their cart. The uniquely shaped logs are highly sought after for use in the construction of the native dhow. Once loaded, Teams had to travel more than a mile to deliver the logs to a shipyard.
With the other Teams hours behind, the race for first place heated up between the cousins and best friends as both chose to Solve It. Arriving at the hotel together, the two Teams saw the puzzle consisting of different sized and colored fish and reacted in completely different fashions. While Charla & Mirna panicked, Oswald & Danny remained calm and methodical giving them a victory over the cousins. Opening their clue, the best friends discovered they needed to travel over fifteen miles to the tiny village of Kikungwi, home to the members of the Massai tribe on the island of Zanzibar.
TAKE A SHOT
While Oswald & Danny lead the way to Kikungwi, the best friends decided, after spending the day sailing with no food in the hot sun, to stop for some fresh fruit. Their dalliance allowed cousins Charla & Mirna to arrive in Kikungwi first to find a Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one Team member had to learn how to use a traditional wooden weapon, called a Rungu, used by members of the Maasai Tribe by throwing it 65 feet to destroy a clay target in order to retrieve their next clue from inside.
Mirna stepped out onto the grassy field where the Massai warriors jumped up and down at their arrival. After one of the warriors gave a demonstration, Mirna began tossing the Rungu with terrible results. When Danny joined her in the field, the race for first place resumed and this time Mirna triumphed when she hit her target. Opening their clue, the cousins learned they had to travel 15 miles to the Pit Stop at Old Fort, an 18-century fortress built by Omani tradesmen.
Stepping onto the mat in first place, cousins Charla & Mirna claimed their second victory in a row. Phil informed the pair that they had won a pair of catamarans for their efforts. Best friends Oswald & Danny settled for second place.
NO STRESS IN THE MIDDLE
With little stress of elimination because Teri & Ian and Joe & Bill hadn't even left Dar Es Salaam, Uchenna & Joyce easily shrugged off their 30-minute penalty for the leg by finishing in third place. Opting for the puzzle made the difference for the married couple in beating beauty queens Dustin & Kandice who chose to carry the large heavy logs causing them to fall to fourth place.
Long after the sun set over Zanzibar, dating couple Eric & Danielle constantly looked over their shoulder in concern as they ran the course seeing absolutely no other Teams. After they put together the fish puzzle and Danielle threw the Rungu while Eric made jokes, the dating couple walked up to Phil to claim fifth place.
SHOWDOWN
As the final dhow docked on the shores of Zanzibar in the dead of the night, Teri & Ian and Joe & Bill knew the fight for survival came down to every decision from here on out. Seeing Teri & Ian choose the fish puzzle prompted the Guidos to choose the same task simply to keep an eye on their competitors. This proved to be a wise decision as the incredible exhausted Teri & Ian didn't realize the pieces of the puzzle were painted on both sides costing them valuable time as the Guidos flipped pieces over and places them on the puzzle board to take the lead.
As the sun began to rise the next morning over Zanzibar, the Guidos never looked back as they maintained some distance between themselves and their friends turned competitors. After Bill hit the target with his Rungu, the excited life partners arrived on the mat and happily claimed sixth place from Phil.
Stepping onto the mat in last place, married parents Teri & Ian received the bad news from Phil that they had been eliminated from the race. Ian remarked, "We're going home to our families, our children, to continue a great life. Teri's the love of my life. She's always been there for me. I wouldn't want to be in life without her." To this wonderful sentiment, Teri simply added, "Ian loves me like no one else can."
Departing the Pit Stop in first place at 9:07pm, cousins Charla & Mirna opened their clue to discover they had to fly nearly 1400 miles to Dar Es Salaam, the largest city in the African nation of Tanzania. When they landed, they needed to travel ten miles by taxi to a ferry terminal where they would pull a number for one of four traditional boats, called dhows, to sail to the island of Zanzibar.
Arriving at Maputo International Airport, the cousins found it nearly desolate except for an agent who they promptly badgered for any available information. They learned that the earliest flight to Dar Es Salaam departed at 8:30am on L.A.M. However, they couldn't buy tickets until the next morning at 5:00am. While the cousins opted to return to the hotel, as did beauty queens Dustin & Kandice, married parents Teri & Ian staked their claim in line at the airport even over Teri's objections. Ian scolded his wife, saying, "I know it's an inconvenience. Do you want to be in the back of the line again or do you want to be a little inconvenienced?" An irritated Teri conceded the battle, replying, "Fine. I cannot believe that we're gonna stay here." Getting the last word, Ian responded, "I don't want to be seventh in line to get these tickets. Let's try to start racing smart. Stop, look, and listen."
TAKING A CHANCE
The next morning when the L.A.M. counter opened, married parents Teri & Ian received the bad news first that the 8:30 direct flight to Dar Es Salaam was fully booked. While Teri & Ian and five other Teams took their chances by placing their names on the standby list for the 8:30am direct flight, Charla & Mirna quietly snuck off and discovered a 7:00am flight to Johannesburg that connected to Dar Es Salaam. While the connecting flight from Johannesburg was fully booked, the cousins decided to take the risk of flying to the larger airport and figuring it out from there.
As the cousins flew off, Bill called Charla & Mirna's strategy "risky" and Kandice noted, "If we go to Jo'burg, there might not be flights out." However, the six Teams waiting in Maputo quickly learned just how smart the cousins were in leaving early when they didn't get seats on the 8:30am direct flight. An agent informed them their next best option would be with South African Airlines that opened at 9:45am. A disappointed Ian commented, "So now we have to go to Johannesburg whether we like it or not." Team Guido added, "Now Mirna and Schmirna look like geniuses."
Landing in Johannesburg, Charla & Mirna met an airport worker named Christo who helped the cousins in their quest to get on the connecting flight to Dar Es Salaam. After Mirna prompted Charla and Christo to hold hands with her and pray, their wish came true as tickets printed out for the flight. Before any Team even left Maputo, the thrilled cousins boarded their plane to Dar Es Salaam with a sizable lead.
Still waiting for the South Africa Airlines counter to open in Maputo, dating couple Eric & Danielle, married couple Uchenna & Joyce, beauty queens Dustin & Kandice, and best friends Oswald & Danny took a different tact by walking upstairs to the airlines offices where they booked tickets to Johannesburg and put their names on the waitlist for the connecting flight to Dar Es Salaam landing at 6:30pm. Meanwhile, the Guidos and Teri & Ian held firmly to their place in line at the closed counter, remarking, "They're just doing something to do something. We need to stay here." After the counter opened, the two Teams also bought tickets to Johannesburg and submitted their names for the waitlist to Dar Es Salaam, presumably behind the four Teams who walked to the office upstairs.
Landing in Johannesburg, the six Teams ran to the gates of Air Tanzania where a ticket agent informed them that enough space opened up for eight lucky people: Uchenna & Joyce, Dustin & Kandice, Oswald & Danny, and Eric & Danielle. While Joe & Bill and Teri & Ian stewed in complete frustration, the other four relieved Teams boarded their flight. However, the relief ended abruptly for Eric & Danielle when a worker came onto the plane to inform them they had accidentally been issued someone else's tickets. As Danielle was on the verge of tears, the level headed Eric asked to no avail if anyone would give up their seat for fifty dollars.
Now stuck in Johannesburg with the Guidos and Teri & Ian, Eric tried to calm a hysterical Danielle down before learning from an agent that they could attempt to buy tickets the next morning on S.A.A. departing at 9:45am. While the flight was fully booked at the moment, the dating couple's names were placed on priority standby. Meanwhile, growing increasingly irritable, Joe & Bill and Teri & Ian also became aware of the S.A.A. flight and placed their names on standby in hopes of escaping Johannesburg the next morning. An annoyed Teri asked, "I'm going to spend another night in an airport?"
OFF TO ZANZIBAR
Landing in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania alone in first place at 2:52pm, cousins Charla & Mirna found the ferry terminal to claim the first dhow to Zanzibar. However, because of stormy weather between Dar Es Salaam and Zanzibar, the dhow wouldn't leave until the next morning at 5:30am. With no Team in sight, Mirna wondered, "Where the heck is everybody else?"
The second plane carrying Dustin & Kandice, Oswald & Danny, and Uchenna & Joyce landed at 6:50pm. Arriving at the ferry terminal together, the three Teams engaged in a footrace to claim numbers for the dhow. Oswald & Danny proved quick on their feet as they snatched the last spot on the first dhow with Charla & Mirna while Dustin & Kandice and Uchenna & Joyce settled for the second dhow departing three hours later.
STRANDED NO MORE
After dawn broke over the beautiful waterfront of Dar Es Salaam, the two dhows embarked on the voyage to Zanzibar while three very miserable Teams returned to the airport in hopes of leaving Johannesburg. After waiting with baited breath, the agent delivered his decree that only one Team would make the 9:45am flight on S.A.A. Eric & Danielle broke into huge smiles when told they were the lucky Team. A stunned Teri said, "I can't believe that this is happening again." After a day of misfortune, both Teams booked an Air Malawi flight that departed at 12:00pm. Bill quipped, "I've never been so happy to leave a country in my life."
Arriving in Zanzibar together, Charla & Mirna and Oswald & Danny opened their clues to encounter a Detour having to choose between Solve It and Schlep It. In Solve It, Teams had to make their way one third of a mile to the hotel known as Beyt al Chai where they would put together a 62-piece puzzle that recreates an image from a style of local artwork known as Tinga Tinga. In Schlep It, Teams made their way one mile to the Kijangwani Lumber Yard. Once there, they had to choose a local handcart and load two 50-pound logs into their cart. The uniquely shaped logs are highly sought after for use in the construction of the native dhow. Once loaded, Teams had to travel more than a mile to deliver the logs to a shipyard.
With the other Teams hours behind, the race for first place heated up between the cousins and best friends as both chose to Solve It. Arriving at the hotel together, the two Teams saw the puzzle consisting of different sized and colored fish and reacted in completely different fashions. While Charla & Mirna panicked, Oswald & Danny remained calm and methodical giving them a victory over the cousins. Opening their clue, the best friends discovered they needed to travel over fifteen miles to the tiny village of Kikungwi, home to the members of the Massai tribe on the island of Zanzibar.
TAKE A SHOT
While Oswald & Danny lead the way to Kikungwi, the best friends decided, after spending the day sailing with no food in the hot sun, to stop for some fresh fruit. Their dalliance allowed cousins Charla & Mirna to arrive in Kikungwi first to find a Roadblock. In this Roadblock, one Team member had to learn how to use a traditional wooden weapon, called a Rungu, used by members of the Maasai Tribe by throwing it 65 feet to destroy a clay target in order to retrieve their next clue from inside.
Mirna stepped out onto the grassy field where the Massai warriors jumped up and down at their arrival. After one of the warriors gave a demonstration, Mirna began tossing the Rungu with terrible results. When Danny joined her in the field, the race for first place resumed and this time Mirna triumphed when she hit her target. Opening their clue, the cousins learned they had to travel 15 miles to the Pit Stop at Old Fort, an 18-century fortress built by Omani tradesmen.
Stepping onto the mat in first place, cousins Charla & Mirna claimed their second victory in a row. Phil informed the pair that they had won a pair of catamarans for their efforts. Best friends Oswald & Danny settled for second place.
NO STRESS IN THE MIDDLE
With little stress of elimination because Teri & Ian and Joe & Bill hadn't even left Dar Es Salaam, Uchenna & Joyce easily shrugged off their 30-minute penalty for the leg by finishing in third place. Opting for the puzzle made the difference for the married couple in beating beauty queens Dustin & Kandice who chose to carry the large heavy logs causing them to fall to fourth place.
Long after the sun set over Zanzibar, dating couple Eric & Danielle constantly looked over their shoulder in concern as they ran the course seeing absolutely no other Teams. After they put together the fish puzzle and Danielle threw the Rungu while Eric made jokes, the dating couple walked up to Phil to claim fifth place.
SHOWDOWN
As the final dhow docked on the shores of Zanzibar in the dead of the night, Teri & Ian and Joe & Bill knew the fight for survival came down to every decision from here on out. Seeing Teri & Ian choose the fish puzzle prompted the Guidos to choose the same task simply to keep an eye on their competitors. This proved to be a wise decision as the incredible exhausted Teri & Ian didn't realize the pieces of the puzzle were painted on both sides costing them valuable time as the Guidos flipped pieces over and places them on the puzzle board to take the lead.
As the sun began to rise the next morning over Zanzibar, the Guidos never looked back as they maintained some distance between themselves and their friends turned competitors. After Bill hit the target with his Rungu, the excited life partners arrived on the mat and happily claimed sixth place from Phil.
Stepping onto the mat in last place, married parents Teri & Ian received the bad news from Phil that they had been eliminated from the race. Ian remarked, "We're going home to our families, our children, to continue a great life. Teri's the love of my life. She's always been there for me. I wouldn't want to be in life without her." To this wonderful sentiment, Teri simply added, "Ian loves me like no one else can."