Amazing Race - 2.28.10

I wonder if they will bring up the earthquake in Chile, since they filmed there.

The Cowboys were the first to get their clue - they have to take a 6 hour bus ride through the Andes to Argentina, to a pub where Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid hid out, and find the gnome and play poker against the Gnome in the Wall gang.

The Cowboys are very familiar with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.  They headed to a bar to ask if anyone knew about the place they were going to, and ended up finding someone who lived in Argentina for years and gave them some great info.

And Brent & Caite?  ER - food poisoning apparently.  They missed their scheduled departure and got IV fluids.  They left the hospital 3 hours after their scheduled departure.

Louis & Michael were still at the hotel when they got back from the ER.

At the bus station, Carol & Brandy tried to question the Cowboys about how they got ahead in the previous route.  It was more like an interrogation.  They didn't answer.  Along with Joe & Heidi, those three teams set out on the first bus.  The other teams all headed out maybe 20 minutes later.

In Argentina, the Cowboys took the lead, and the other teams followed them.  They decided to pull over and check out the map and let the other teams go ahead of them, so they wouldn't just lead everyone to the right place.

The other teams arrived, and there were still problems finding directions and driving stick for some.

All three first teams seems to arrive at the bar at about the same time, and tried their luck at poker against the gnome.

Jow & Heidi won right off and got their (Travelocity) gnome.  Carol & Brandy also won.  The Cowboys lost their first round.  They claimed it was because the gnome (statue) had a really good poker face.  The Cowboys won the third game.

At the next clue, it was a Roadblock.

Gaucho Festival!

Steer Roping!  Teams choose a roping station, watch the demo, and try to rope a target 18 feet away.

Brandy complained that the Roadblock wasn't fair because the cowboys have an advantage.  The Cowboys wisely said that they don't throw a fit because other teams know Spanish and they don't.  True nuff!

The Cowboys got the steer (statue) roped with no trouble (well, on the second try), and headed off for the Puente Nirihua and they have to search the cliffs for their next clue.  Everyone else was having lots of trouble with the roping.  Finally, Carol got it, and so did Heidi. 

The Cowboys got the clue first.


Detour

Horse Sense - Directional coordinates from a gunslinger, get a compass, and find a buried bag of "treasure."

Horse Power - They have to move a practice polo pony down a field and score a goal in 9 swings or less.  If they fail, they have to start over.

The Cowboys chose the polo ponies.  They were disappointed when they had to use fake horses instead of a real one.  It was really cute when they tried to go sweet talk one of the real horses.

Carol & Brandy were fighting on the way to the route marker and were annoyed with each other.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys got their next clue, after completing the polo task, and were sent to the Pit Stop, which is a ranch at the base of the Andes.

Carol & Brandy chose the searching task.

Joe & Heidi decided to do the searching task, and Joe decided to use the compass on his watch instead of counting.  Carol and Brandy fought about their coordinates.  They decided to give up and go do the horses.  They were crazy annoyed at each other.

 Caite and Brent?  Still driving.  Brent can't drive the stick shift, so sick Caite was stuck with it.

 Heidi & Joe?  Not counting steps brought them to fake bags.  Oh, fun.  They found the lead bandit, but had the wrong bag, and decided to go back and do the polo ponies.

Team Big Brother?  Right bag, wrong lead bandit.  They thought they had the wrong bag and went back for a different wrong and presented it again to the wrong bandit.

Steve & Allie and Carol & Brandy were on to the horses.  Allie & Steve got it first, followed by Carol & Brandy.  Joe?  Kept falling over on the pony.

Back at the bar, Caite & Brent finally arrived, and the Attorney Moms (Monique & Shawne) were still lassoing.  Brent got it on the first throw and pulled ahead of last place.  They did some praying, and Shawne finally got the steer, and thanked the lord for helping.

The Cowboys handily got to the Pitstop first.  They won a 10 day trip for 2 to Patagonia.  Wow.

Team Big Brother finally realized that they were barking up the wrong bandit.  They found the right one and were off.

 Dan & Jordan tried the ponies, and Jordan picked the fake pony that had polo jersies that coordinated with their outfits.  They missed the first and second attempts and tried again.  The detectives and the moms and Caite & Brett were also there.  Jeff & Jordan got it first out of those groups. Caite & Brent got it next, followed by the Detectives.  The Moms failed and gave up, because they were worried they would injure their backs with the polo.

Steve & Allie came in 2nd at the pitstop.  Carol & Brandy came in 3rd.  Joe & Heidi came in 4th.  Team Big Brother came in 5th..  Dan & Jordan came in 6th.  Brent & Caite came in 7th, and I have to say, I'm impressed.  The Detectives came in 8th.  Monique & Shawne got to the Pit Stop last and were eliminated.

Next week, the Cowboys get their drink on in Germany.  Brandy & Carol and Dan & Jordan team up.  Could be fun.