Amazing Race - 11.15.09

The Globe Trotters take off first, from the Stockholm area towards Tallinn, Estonia, across the Baltic Sea.  Teams then have to figure out how to open a door to the secret lair of the Brotherhood of the Blackheads.  I'm thinking not so secret anymore, after being on television.

The next ferry is at 5:45 the next afternoon.  That's the only boat all day, apparently.  It's a bottleneck!

Most of the teams manage to wrangle taxis to the side of the road to follow to the ferry.

The Gary & Matt came in last in the non-elimination leg, so they have a Speed Bump.

The ferry ride is 16 hours long, across the sea. 

Once there, the race was on again.  Taxi taxi taxi.

First to arrive at the building were Megan & Cheyne (and the speed bump was right before the building), followed by Sam & Dan.  Ericka & Bryan showed up next.  Before they got in, Megan & Cheyne got in.

Roadblock

Teams must join the ranks of the 600 year old brotherhood of the blackheads.  They have to go into the basement and get a candelabra with a room number attached, then find the room, and get a scroll that looks blank, but has a message hidden in invisible ink, which becomes visible when put over the lighted candle. 

Speed Bump for Gary and Matt

They have to find a sauna bus, strip down, and take a 5 minute sauna with the locals before they can continue.  They don't know what a sauna bus is, so they are in for a treat.  Turns out, they are of Finnish decent, so it's not as uncomfortable as it could have been.  I love saunas.  I want a sauna bus.

Meanwhile, back at the Roadblock, Sam & Cheyne are having a hard time finding their room numbers.  Ericka and The Globe Trotter arrived to do the Roadblock next.

The Globe Trotter tried to solve his clue by scribbling on it with red crayon that he found, but everyone else figured out to use the candle.  The next clue sent them to Pik Herman Tower Garden.

After their sauna, Gary & Matt headed to the task.  Matt had no idea what a candelabra was, and pronounced it like "candelabra", akin to "abracadabra."  Very odd.  He was asking people if they were candelabra.  He finally figured it out and was on his way.

Finally, the Globe Trotter figured out the clue, and were off.


Detour

Serve - Volleyball in bogs, against a local team, and they have to score 5 points.

Sling - Teams have to hit a moose sign with slingshot balls, while standing in the bog, to make lettuce fall.

There was a note - "Teams may perform the task in their underwear"

Back at the Roadblock, Matt finally figured out his clue, but got Pik Herman Tower, but not the Garden part.   I don't know if that will come back to bite them.  In fact it does, and they spent a good long time trying to get into the Tower itself, before finding the clue.

Sam & Dan and The Globe Trotters fought over a taxi, and ended up taking a van style taxi together.

Meghan & Cheyne showed up at Bog Volleyball first, and they both have volleyball experience.  They wasted no time in getting their points.

The Globetrotters, Sam & Dan, and Bryan & Erika had arrived at the same time to Volleyball, and had a really hard time seeing the markings on the path.  They finally found it.

Sam & Dan got to the Volleyball and were excited about the "hottie Estonian Guys."  The Globe Trotters were in the second put at the same time.

Neither of them were nearly as good at the Volleyball as Meghan & Cheyne were.  They Globetrotters came out first, but then started the wrong way to the Pitstop.

Bryan & Erika and Gary & Matt are the only teams to do the Slingshots.  Ericka & Bryan were done just as Gary & Matt were almost there.  It was not a very exciting Roadblock.

The Pit Stop is Keava Raba Overlook Tower, in the bog.  They have to run for it.

Meghan & Cheyne are first to the Pit Stop.  They win a red cedar sauna.  I am green with jealousy.  I want a sauna so badly.

On the road to the Pitstop, The Globe Trotters and Sam & Dan were in a footrace, and Sam & Dan a Globetrotter collided, and the Globe Trotters were pissed off.  Ericka & Bryan came in next, and Gary & Matt were last, eliminated from the race.

And someone told Matt how to pronounce "candelabra" before his exit camera interview.  Bonus.

Yay!!!!  Next week they are going to Prague!!!  I can't wait! (I've also been to Prague)

Amazing Race - 11.8.09

(Because of football, I've missed the end of the episode.  I am sad.  Zap2it ought to have a recap up soon)

I've been to Stockholm!  I've been to Stockholm!  I've actually spent a lot of time in Stockholm!

I have not been to their destination, Grona Lund, though... oh, well.

I have been to about 18 museums in Stockholm.  It was a 17-year old mission.  It was crazy.  And it was awesome.

Back to the race, Meghan & Cheyne and Sam & Dan were at the airport first, and camped out at the KLM counter, waiting for them to open at 5:30 AM.  The first flight was at 6:55.  The next flight was at 9:25 AM.   The Globe Trotters, Meghan & Cheyne, and Sam & Dan got on the first flight.  At the airport, the Globe Trotters missed the first train out of the airport. 

At Grona Lund, one member of each team have to ride a ride that goes up 24 stories and then drops at crazy speeds, and they have to spot an arrow pointing to their next clue at the top.  Meghan & Cheyne and Sam & Dan had no troubles spotting the arrow.

Their next clue sent them to do a Roaming Gnome Ring Toss, and they have to ring a gnome hat until they reveal a gnome underneath.  They have to keep the gnome with them to the next pit stop.

Detour

Nobel Dynamite - Teams have to build a bunker and blow up a rock wall with their clue hidden inside.


Viking Alphabet - Teams must decipher a rune stone to get their next clue.

Big Easy was too tall to ride the ride at Grona Lund.  That was kind of sad.

Back at the airport, Erika & Bryan got to the train first, leaving Gary & Matt behind.

No one had any trouble finding their next clue, thought, and the gnomes were not too hard to get.

Everyone headed to the dynamite detour.  That does sound like more fun.  Rune stones are awesome, but blowing things up are better.

Sam & Dan blew things up first and their next clue.  Meghan & Cheyne fought some but blew stuff up and were headed out as well.  So did the Globe Trotters.

The teams headed to Bogs Gard farm (I don't have the proper symbols on my computer to spell things right) in Vasby.

It was raining as Sam & Dan and Meghan & Cheyne got to the farm.

Switchback (Roadblock Redux)

This is the roadblock that eliminated Lina and Kristy after 8 hours of unrolling hay bales.

Sam was the first one out in the bales, and Dan wasted no time in telling him that it took one team 8 hours the last time the challenge was seen.  Sam was not interested in listening to him, and kept unrolling.  Meghan decided to do the challenge, and Cheyne gave her her gloves, which was a good plan.  Hay is sharp.  Flight Time went out to do the bales, since it was Big Easy's birthday.  Meghan decided it was the worst thing she'd ever done in her life.  Dan yelled at Sam for looking through the hay instead of just unrolling it.  Sam told him to f-off, pretty much, and mumbled that he stopped listening to his brother about 10 years ago.

For a birthday present, The Globe Trotters found their clue.

Then my show cut off.  Booooooo.  Stupid Football.