Amazing Race - 3.1.09

The race tonight starts out in Salzburg, Austria.

Tammy and Victor are much cleaner after the Pit Stop, and they are heading to Bukarest, Romania. They have to take a train to Munich, and then catch a plane to Bukarest, and then they have to get to the Gymnastics studio where Nadia Comanich trained.

They head out right away, and stop at a travel agent to book their flight.

Mike and Mel are out next, followed by Amanda and Kris, and then Luke and Margie. Luke wished that he could communicate with other teams, since he only does sign language. Brad and Victoria headed out next, followed by Cara and Jamie, Jen and Kisha, Mark and Michael, and Christie and Jodi.

First at the airport, Tammy and Victor are able to snag seats on what was a full flight, a different one than the one they had booked ahead of time.

On the train, Kris and Amanda met a nice man who called the travel agency for them, and found out the best flight for them, and they took the chance on running to the flight within 30 minutes. Others on the train got similar help, but Brad and Victoria decided to not book the first flight because it was too close a connection, and booked the flight that was 5 hours later. They decided to go with a different option, with a different connection, once they got to the airport.

Tammy and Victor got the first flight out, almost an hour earlier, but there was something wrong with the plane and they had to turn around. They then missed the next flight.

Mostly everyone else chose the Lufthansa flight which was at 9:30. Victoria and Brad got the flight connecting in Amsterdam, but there was some problem in the connection and they missed their connection.

This is the kind of Amazing Race I like to see - missed flights and luck and airport hi-jinx.

Brad and Victoria ran into a lot of fog in Amsterdam, and ended up getting stuck there until a 9:15 flight the next morning.

Meanwhile, the 9:30 flight arrived in Bukarest, and the teams made their way to the gymnastics studio.

Roadblock

Teams must perform balance beam, parallel bars, and floor exercises properly.

Kris and Amanda were first, and Amanda did a great job on the balance beam. Margie fell off the balance beam, as Amanda did the parallel bars and floor exercise. Nothing Olympic worthy, but a good job, and better than I could do.

Seriously. I am completely incapable of performing a cartwheel. I've tried. A lot. And I end up becoming a human bowling ball. It's not pretty. Someday, I would like to learn properly. Just saying.

The teams who finish the gymnastics have to travel by train to Brasov, Transylvania, and take a taxi to Biserica Niegra.

Margie finally finished the balance beam and Mike donned gymnastics suit to do the balance beam pretty well. They both finished the other tasks well, and were off.

The first train to Brasov is at 6:30 AM, which meant that teams had to spend the night at the train station. And that was sketchy.

The second plane arrived, and they found their way to the Gymnastics studio. Well, except for Tammy and Victor, because Victor seemed to lead them astray.

There was more trouble with this group, except Christie and Jodi seemed to do well. Tammy was focusing on how to catch up, instead of what she was supposed to be doing, and that didn't bode well for them. Kisha had some terrible trouble, and vowed to stick to basketball from this point on.

Tammy has a similar problem to me, in that she cannot do a cartwheel, and Victor was backseat gymnastics-ing something terrible, which was annoying to me. I can only imagine how annoying it would have been to Tammy. They finally got done, and she gave him some nasty looks in the car, and she cried about how she felt that he is domineering (in confessional, of course).

It didn't end up mattering much, because everyone (except for stranded Brad and Victoria) was on the 6:30 AM train.

Cara and Jamie were very sweet and communicated with Luke nicely mostly through writing. No one else seemed to take the time to talk to him, so I'm sure he appreciated it.

It's a mad dash to the Black Church, to a Detour

Gypsy Moves - Load a family's belongings onto a horse drawn cart at a gypsy camp, and then lead the cart to a new camp.

Vampire Remains - Drag a coffin through a trail in the woods, unlock and untangle a series of chains, to show antique frames. They would have to then impale the frames on stakes until they reveal a clue.

Amanda and Kris and Mel and Mike chose the Gypsy Moves, and Mel and Mike were regretting it instantly, since Mel's groin is still bothering him, and the items they had to load were not small. Kris was doing a fantastic job muscling everything up, but they had some troubles with things falling off the cart.

Kisha and Jen also did the Gypsy Moves.

Tammy and Victor and Christie and Jodi went to the Vampire Remains, and again Victor led them astray, off on the wrong path, which was not marked with the Amazing Race colors. Tammy voiced her concern, but Victor ignored her pretty much.

Meanwhile, Jamie and Cara and Margie and Luke got bad cabs that had a terrible time finding the location for Vampire Remains. They finally made it, though, while Tammy and Victor took a scenic hike up the mountain.

Kris and Amanda were the fist to finish the Detour, and headed to the Pit Stop, Vila Panoramic, by taxi. Mel and Mike finished not long after them. But wait! Kris lost their fanny pack, with all of their money, passports, etc. while doing the gypsy thing.

Margie and Luke and Christie and Jodi got to working on their locks first, followed by Jamie and Cara. Margie and Luke got their coffin open first.

(We see Victoria doing a very nice job at the gymnastics, and they headed off to Transylvania)

Tammy and Victor continued on their hike, and Tammy was completely annoyed at Victor. I would be, too.

Luckily, Kris and Amanda found their pack, but not before a very winded Mel and Mike got to the Pit Stop first! Good for them! They won a trip for two to Costa Rica. Amanda and Kris come in second.

Tammy still doesn't think they are right, and Victor told her that they have gone too far to turn back. I think I hate him a little. And her, because she's not being stong enough. He just kept insisting that they needed to keep going, so keep going they did.

(Meanwhile, Victoria and Brad are on the train)

Margie got the clue, and headed to the Pit Stop.

Victor sat down in the woods to have a little cry because I think he decided they were completely lost. He said "You can help make the decisions, too," and she said "I can make the decisions, now that we've walked up the whole mountain?"

Jamie and Cara got their clue on nearly the first frame, it seems.

Kisha and Jen came in 4th at the Pit Stop, followed by Margie and Luke, then Mark and Michael and Christie and Jodi.

Tammy and Victor finally got back to the actual marked trail, and got their coffin to the right area, but then he made the coffin more complicated than it probably was.

Jamie and Cara came in #7 at the Pit Stop.

Actually, Tammy and Victor broke a key off the coffin during the drag, and dug through the underbrush until they found it, and got to the Pit Stop 8th. Phil psyched them out a bit, saying he was "sorry to tell" them that they were second to last.

Tears from Victor, and a vow to do better at communication.

Poor Brad and Victoria dragged their coffin through the woods in the dark, got their clue, and were sadly eliminated, looking very macabre and bloody (thanks to fake blood in the frames!). I liked them a lot, so I am very sad to see them go. I prefer a more Karma-driven Amazing Race.