Mathematical Detective

This was the penultimate leg where we'd find out who the top three teams will be. As such, I was expecting an episode filled with one physically demanding task after another wherein each team's physical endurance & mental fortitude will be tested. I was disappointed. This second to the last leg was just a series of clues that others will think it as "boring". Not me though. I think this is the 1st time Geoff and Tisha sucked in 90% of the tasks in this leg. Haha.. Villains they are but they add the excitement to the race and entertaining watching them scheming week after week. It's a good thing a surprising twist was added in the end, a task that jolted some excitement to this episode and, at the same time, allowed Geoff and Tish to recover.

Teams first set off to find a clue in India's Bhaja Caves. Leaving very early in the morning (Sam and Vince left at a few minutes after midnight) they found an "hours of operation" sign near the caves indicating 7 AM as the continuation of this leg. All teams then proceeded to the nearest hotel to get some rest. AD and Fuzzie, on the other hand, found a rather horrible establishment. I don't even think it's a hotel at all. The rooms were bare save for a wooden platform that served as the bed - no mattress, no sheets, no pillows, nothing else. In fact, AD said it looked more like a cell. I'd hate to see what the bathroom looked like. Despite this, the girls stayed put.

The next day, they were instructed to travel by train to Pune, taking note of a statue at the train station, and proceed to the the Standard Chartered Bank branch (another product placement). The train ride was uneventful, except for the fact that it was packed like sardines. That's the way it is in India as many of us have seen in various news ports, clips & documentaries about the country. Arriving in Pune, Ida & Tania (simply luv their zest & go-getter enthusiasm) were first to locate the statue of Mahatma Gandhi & read the inscription on the pedestal, while Sam & Vice and Geoff & Tish took some time to locate it. AD and Fuzzie, on the other hand, went straight to the bank. At the bank, the task was to enter the year of Gandhi's birthday on an ATM machine. If they are correct, a receipt will be generated with the next clue written on it. If they input the wrong pin 3 times, a ten minute penalty will ensue. Ida & Tania were successful. AD & Fuzzie, rather than going back to the statue to retrieve Gandhi's birth year, just decide to ask the locals for it. It was a smart move & they were successful too. So were Sam & Vince. Geoff & Tish, on the other hand, didn't read the instructions well & thus failed hahaha nyaman ko rasa...

Despite the ten minute penalty, they were able to catch up with the others at the airport for their flight to Oman, the next stop. Ida & Tania were again the quickest upon arriving in Muscat. they located their vehicle at once & were off to the next destination - Al Alam Palace. Teams drove around Oman using race-provided SUVs. They all made their way to Al Alam Palace with some teams, Geoff & Tisha and AD & Fuzzie, taking a bit longer than the others. Next stop was the Nizwa Fort. Ida & Tania's lead disintegrated here as they were greeted with another "hours of operation" flag.

The next day, the clue directed them to Mutrah Souq. Detour: Carpet or Count it. In 'Carpet', teams must find a design indicated on a Sony camera screen from a roomful of rolled carpets. In 'Count It', they must go to a market and correctly count the number of dried limes in a basket. Surprisingly, all teams chose 'Count It'. At this point, Sam & Vince and Geoff & Tish decided to work together. They agreed to help each other and compare counts. They didn't know, of course, that each bag contained a different number of dried lime (Nice trick, TARA3). It was a frustrating task as no team was able to get it on their first try, not even on their second, I think. But after failing once, team Philippines decided to try their luck in the 'Carpet' task, leaving the others counting. But after a few minutes of trying to locate the specific carpet design required, they gave up and returned to the market. It's a good thing the other three teams were still there, still counting. Ida & Tania were able to get it on their first try, as well as Sam & Vince, leaving the two teams still counting. Geoff's temper was starting to flare in frustration as he was expecting help from the Hong Kong boys. After another unsuccessful try, they decided to try their luck with the carpets again with the same result. Clearly frustrated now, especially upon seeing that AD & Fuzzie were successful in their third (?) attempt (it was actually a guess), Tisha tried to hold the fort & keep Geoff from imploding. Fortunately, they were successful. Though they are physically strong and determined, they tend to get frustrated easily & panic when faced with a difficult task. Geoff's temper always flares up at this point. It's a good thing Tisha always manages to calm him down.

The next destination was Wadi Tanuf but getting there was a problem. All teams got lost & they ended up bunched together again - a good break for the tail enders. It was a 'Roadblock' at Wadi Tanuf: Who's Ready for a Cliffhanger? Racers had to cross a deep gorge through a zip line to get their next clue. This is a daunting task. For one, you're suspended several hundred feet in the air. For another, it requires upper body strength & good pacing. But with an overnight leg that saw racers not having enough time to eat and sleep, not to mention being mentally drained from the previous challenges & the heat of the Arabian sun, this was one difficult task. Sam was first to try his luck. Getting to the other side was easy enough because the other ledge was lower enabling him to slide almost all the way through. But that only meant that the way back would be tough, an uphill pull that would test everyone's arms. Sam couldn't make it back. He stopped two-thirds of the way and was obviously physically drained. Despite continuous encouragement (that later turned into shouts of frustration) from Vince, he had no energy to go on. Meanwhile, Ida was able to pass him on the parallel line (this must have added to Sam's frustration). This enabled Geoff to use the same zip line right after Ida's stint & pass Sam who was till stuck on his line. Geoff just zipped through using his strong arms and upper body, to the cheers of Tish. As Fuzzie was starting on the line vacated by Ida & Geoff, Sam gave up. This meant that they would incur a four-hour penalty for not finishing the challenge. It was a good break for AD & Fuzzie, especially with a 30 minute penalty still hanging above their heads.

However, Fuzzie's next move surprised me. She turned back & gave up without reaching the other ledge. First of all, it still puzzles me why it was Fuzzie who took this roadblock. For one thing, she is heavier than AD & thus would require more strength to pull across the zip line. Second, why did she give up so easily? She knew Sam and Vince incurred a four-hour penalty so why rush it. She had more than three hours to finish the crossing! WTF was that?! Well, after that stunt she pulled, they really deserved to be eliminated. Sam & Vince practically handed them a sure pass to the final three & Fuzzie didn't take it.

Pit stop: Winners - Ida and Tania, followed by Geoff and Tisha and Sam and Vince. It's checkered flag time next week, and from a few snippets in the preview, I think the race will end in Thailand. Challenges will include camels and SUVs stck in the sand in Oman, then swimming, kayaking, a boat ride and a sprint on the beach, though not necessarily in that same order. I think it will be a race between Ida and Tania and Geoff and Tisha, as Sam and Vince will have to overhaul a four-hour penalty to at least be in the running. They'll need a miracle. One "hours of operation" stop will solve this. Will they get it? Who knows. TARA always has a way of evening out the playing field when one team gets too far ahead but with a last leg a virtual free-for-all, will they do it? Ida and Tania have gained our respect with every leg of this race so it won't be a surprise if they end up winning it all. But my money is still with Geoff and Tish. I think they have it in them to finish strongly now that they are in the final three. They're both physically strong and determined, and these may be enough to win it all. I also noticed one thing in the preview, the way AD was clapping as the racers were coming in to the finish line. She didn't seem too happy. And knowing how averse she is to Geoff and Tisha (Geoff most specially), I think her lack of enthusiasm is an indication that it was the Philippine tandem who reached the mat first.

So for those of you who know who is the winner already, or you think you know. Tell me tell me. Don't let the Sony ads fool you!