We open with a quick bit from Hayley & Blair, who says he'll continue to work on listening and Hayley will continue to work on not . . . freaking out. Yes, he actually paused there. Laura & Tyler were first in on the last leg and will be leaving the Pit Stop at 12:40 am. They're on their way from Amsterdam to Trujillo, Peru where they must catch a cab to Plaza De Armas and join the firework festivities. It's Laura's 30th birthday and she's hoping for some birthday luck and glad she's not racing with an actual boyfriend as she feels she'd argue more. Interesting point of view, maybe that's why Hayley does it.
Hayley & Blair are close behind at 1:07 am and Blair admits that 90% of their day is fine and 10% is hell. That'd be the 10% they edit in for our enjoyment. Laura & Tyler find a travel agent that's open and get tickets for a flight that will get them in to Peru around 8:00 am. They meet Hayley & Blair as they leave to enjoy Amsterdam while Hayley & Blair manage to find an earlier flight that will get them in around 11:00 pm. Now Hayley's really happy and Blair is a bit surprised that the first team never asked about an earlier flight.
Jenny & Jelani leave at 1:20 am and end up in the same travel agency to find Hayley & Blair just finishing up. Laura & Tyler have gone for drinks to celebrate her birthday and this is exactly what Wayne and I would do. Why not, right. Mike & Rochelle leave at 1:30 am, and finally Matt & Ashley are on their way at 2:27 am. All teams are told to monitor their FitBit chart and it's about time that little item played into the race. It's gotta be better than the selfies.
Everyone arrives at as Schipol Airport and it looks like Hayley & Blair and Jenny & Jelani will be on the earlier flight that arrives in the evening with the other three teams nine hours behind them. That's one heck of a lead but I have a feeling they'll all be on even footing in Peru unless the first two teams get to the fireworks before they're done for the night or the second group don't need fireworks. Laura & Tyler just realized their mistake in not looking for an earlier flight but it's a bit late for that as it just left. Time for a little nap at the airport as the three teams await their morning flight.
Welcome to Peru. It's 10:45 pm and the first two teams are already on the ground and in their cabs after a 22 hour flight. That's a lot of airtime. Jenny & Jelani have managed to find the Master of Ceremonies for the festival and are given a 7:00am time card. Hayley & Blair arrive to find Jenny dancing in the street as the band plays on. They set off some fireworks and that's pretty much it as Blair pockets his card and I'm guessing it's for the same time as we fade out to morning.
Both teams return to the plaza at 7:00 am to receive their next clue. They need to make their way to the Plazuela De La Merced to find a "shine in the morning sun" and their next clue. If the other three teams have to wait until nightfall this is going to put these two teams a full day ahead of the others, but somehow I doubt that. Then again, based on the navigational inability of their taxi drivers, it could take them all day to find the Plazuela. Jenny & Jelani head all the way back to the Plaza De Armas where they started in the hopes that they can get better directions. Hayley feels that she and Blair need to do the same as she falls into "Hayley-mode."
Back at their starting point Jenny & Jelani realize that it's likely within walking distance and eventually make their way to a shoeshine booth to get their next clue. They now need to travel by taxi to Santo Dominigo, then to Fundo San Fernando and locate Cuartel No. 1 to find their next clue. The shoeshine booth is also where Matt & Ashley will find their Speed Bump, allowing them to get it out of the way early on.
Speaking of Matt & Ashley, the final three teams have arrived and are racing out of the airport as Blair still waits for directions. They've been standing around for 20 minutes and I hate to say it but once again Hayley was right and Blair was ignoring her. They eventually make their way back to the start, find the shoeshine booth and get their next clue. Now she's really ticked at him which should make this leg so enjoyable for everyone.
The final three teams make their way to the plaza, find the MC whose been patiently waiting for them on a bench, and receive their next clues. No fireworks festivities for these teams but that's no surprise.
Jenny & Jelani have arrived at Cuartel No. 1 to find this leg's Roadblock. In "Gimme Some Sugar" one member of the team must work with a professional cutter to harvest a section of sugarcane by hand to receive their next clue and a bundle of cane from the crew boss. Apparently this is dirty and intensive work but Jenny decides she'll do it. I think I'd let Wayne do this one, he's a lot closer to the ground than I am. Jenny & Jelani also receive the Date Night reward, a yummy dinner with a mummy during the Pit Stop. That sounds interesting.
Jenny thought she'd be clearing a short row of about five feet only to find that her row is closer to fifty feet of hard sugarcane. Yep, definitely a Wayne task. Let's hope Jenny doesn't take off a foot with that machete. Back in Trujillo Laura & Tyler have found the right plaza but can't find the clue box, which is actually under the seat of those getting a shoeshine. Time to read the clue again guys. Somebody tells them it's far away, like 10 kilometres, and I'm thinking it's the same guy that sent the first two teams out into the boonies. Laura & Tyler and Matt & Ashley both hail cabs and ride off as Mike & Rochelle walk straight up to the shoeshine booth and get the next clue.
While riding in the cab Tyler figures they know where the Detour is because they saw the guys with the llamas and the other guys with typewriters. Sounds about right. Then Laura mentions she also saw the sign for the Speed Bump next to the shoeshine booth. D'oh! They exit the cab and race back to the plaza. Meanwhile Matt & Ashley have come to the same conclusion when they realize their cabbie has returned to where they just were.
Over at the Cuartel No 1, Hayley has decided she can do this Roadblock. Sure she can. She joins Jenny in the field and finds Jenny is only about five feet ahead of her. Meanwhile Laura & Tyler have returned to the plaza, found the shoeshine booth and grabbed their next clue. Tyler is so glad that Laura saw that Speed Bump.
Whoever thought it was a good idea to give Hayley a machete should give their head a shake. As Blair points out to Jelani, I don't think it would hold up in court for her to say that she thought Blair's head was a sugar cane. Maybe he's asking for some pro bono work, just in case.
Matt & Ashley find their way back and grab their Speed Bump; Llama Loan. It's not the Detour as Tyler thought. They need to use an old school typewriter to fill out a llama loan application. Seriously? That's the Speed Bump? These things are getting way too easy. I think I have that typewriter in the crawlspace. Matt has no idea how to use a manual typewriter but fortunately Ashley has used them before.
Out in the field the girls are tearing through the sugarcane and Jenny says it's a lot more work than a spin class. That'd be a good guess. She completes her row just ahead of Hayley who's been keeping pace with her, and receives their next clue and a bundle of sugar cane. Jenny & Jelani are now the first team to head up into the Andes to find Parque Ramon Castilla and deliver the sugar cane to receive their next clue. They also need to fill out their FitBit fitness card before they return to their taxi and hold onto the card. Jenny has logged 4,827 steps and 551 calories. That's quite the workout.
Hayley isn't far behind Jenny and she has logged 7,528 and 774 calories. Blair can't believe she has that much. She has a whole new respect for sugar cane workers as she gets Blair to carry the sugar cane. Back in the plaza, Matt & Ashley are finishing up their Speed Bump and it's a good thing one of them has done this before or they'd still be there. Time to grab their next clue and catch up to the others.
Speaking of which, Mike feels Rochelle can do this Roadblock but then decides he'll do it and when Tyler & Laura arrive Tyler decides he can do it. Mike doesn't have much of a lead and I'm thinking he won't keep it, but they're both still ahead of Matt & Ashley.
Up in the Andes, Jenny & Jelani are enjoying a relaxing road trip with an awesome view. Hayley & Blair are getting the same view only a short distance behind. Jenny & Jelani have arrived first at the FirBit stand and Phil gets to do a nice little FitBit promo before getting on with the task at hand. Teams need to add up all their steps and calories from the first 9 legs and then this leg, and then divide the total number of steps by the total calories to come up with the number of steps they need to work off the 576 calories in a glass of sugarcane juice, made from the cane they just delivered. When their numbers work out the fitness instructor will give them that glass of juice to drink before they get their next clue. It's a math task, why do I get the feeling that might be mine?
Jenny & Jelani find their board and get the numbers down and . . . it gets easier, because they get to use a calculator to get their final results. Hayley & Blair have just arrived as they work out the numbers and they head to their board. Back in the field Tyler has passed Mike, but not by much. Mike's steps were 4,785 and 4,260 calories, while Tyler's steps were 4,966 and his calories were 1,171.
As both teams leave the field they pass Matt & Ashley who are just arriving. That gives them a bit of a lead as they head out to deliver their sugarcane but it definitely puts Matt & Ashley in last place. Somebody is going to need to seriously mess up at the Detour for them to stay in the race.
We return to the sugarcane drink where Jenny & Jelani get to share that glass. Apparently fresh sugarcane is delicious. They get the next clue and it's time for the Detour; Mamas or Papas. In Mamas they need to find the ingredients for Mama's Peruvian moonshine mix and when completed she'll offer them a drink and their next clue; in Papas teams need to sort through potatoes and then transport them to the marked stand in the potato market and place them in the correct bins to get their next clue. Jenny & Jelani decide to do Papas which is probably a good call because trying to find unknown ingredients in a foreign market could take a lot of time, but don't all potatoes look alike?
Hayley & Blair also enjoyed their sugarcane drink and they have decided to do Mamas. Finishing up in the field Matt has completed 8,034 steps and 1,415 calories , grabs his sugarcane bundle and off they go. In a different field Jenny & Jelani have begun sorting potatoes while Hayley & Blair have begun their search for the 9 ingredients. It's a good thing that Blair knows Spanish so well because he sounds like a native as he asks for the ingredients.
With four 40 pound bags of potatoes sorted Jenny & Jelani haul them over to their transport vehicle and now need to head into town to the market, where we find Hayley & Blair gathering their fourth ingredient. Then their fifth ingredient. Mike & Rochelle and Laura & Tyler are busy adding up their numbers.
As Hayley & Blair gather their last ingredient, Jenny & Jelani have returned with the potatoes. They deliver them to the marked stall but they have one potato in the wrong bin and the vendor releases a catch and all the potatoes spill out onto the street at their feet. Now they have to resort them from the street back into the correct bins. Meanwhile, Hayley & Blair have located Mama's to deliver the goods and as she goes through the inventory Blair says it makes him miss his 99 year old Grandma. I can see that happening. Mama gives them each a glass of her Peruvian moonshine, which they thought had a spicy/cidery flavour with a kick, and hands them their next clue.
They must now make their way on foot to the next Pit Stop, the Virgen De La Puerta, Otuzco's patron saint and the last team may be eliminated. Hayley goes off to ask for directions while Laura & Tyler down their sugarcane and decide to do Mamas as Mike gets his numbers checked. He was wrong but a quick correction got them their next clue. Mike & Rochelle have also chosen Mamas.
While Matt & Ashley are finally leaving the sugarcane field, Hayley & Blair have located Phil at the the statue near the Virgen De La Puerta and are Team Number 1 and also each win a FitBit fitness kit, which includes your own fitness equipment or a 1year gym membership, plus everything FitBit makes plus a laptop and mobile phone of your choice to track your progress. Phil points out that they seem to be getting along so well now and they reveal that they've learned to respect each other but sometimes Blair wishes she would shut up and sometimes Hayley wishes he would listen, but otherwise lots of respect. They've decided they make good BFFs.
Out on the street Jenny & Jelani are busy resorting their potatoes and this time they got it right and are now on their way to the Pit Stop, which is where Laura & Tyler wish they were heading. Their cabbie ended up taking them to Papas, the potato side of the Detour and rather than lose time backtracking they decide to do it and start sorting potatoes into bags. Meanwhile, Mike & Rochelle have started gathering their ingredients.
Jenny & Jelani have made their way to the Pit Stop and are Team Number 2 and Phil asks if they're disappointed that there wasn't a love connection between them. They're not and they both feel that this has been amazing and they'll be friends for a long time. Nothing wrong with that, worse things could happen.
At the FitBit stop Matt & Ashley are mixing up their numbers while Laura & Tyler are dealing with their mix of potatoes and in search of the potato market. Hopefully this time they end up at the right place. Mike & Rochelle had no problem asking the locals for help to get their ingredients and Matt & Ashley finally came up with the correct number, sucked back their sugarcane and selected Mamas.
While Mike & Rochelle are searching for Mama's place, Laura & Tyler are now sorting their potatoes in the bins by adding water to the potatoes to determine the correct color. The vendor is looking at them like they're nuts, but whatever works. While they're busy sorting, Matt & Ashley come up behind them having been taken to not just the wrong task but the wrong location. Matt & Ashley race back to the transport and the guy heads off in search of where to get the shopping list. This is not looking good for Matt & Ashley.
Mike is having some issues with the elevation but he and Rochelle find their way to Mama's and get a shot of moonshine with their next clue. They're off as Matt & Ashley are finally delivered to . . . Papas. Aargh!! They're running out of time so they figure they may as well do Papas. Meanwhile Laura & Tyler have run out of water and have started spitting on the potatoes to clean them. Eww! The vendor is not amused, but then again neither are they when the vendor releases their poorly sorted spuds to the street.
While Laura & Tyler begin resorting Matt & Ashley begin moving their bags to the transport in the hope that their driver can get them back to where they started at the potato market. As all that spud juggling is going on Mike & Rochelle have found Phil and are Team Number 3. They've moved up.
Tyler thinks they've got it right this time and takes a big breath as he waits to find out that he was right. High fives all around, grab the next clue and off to the Pit Stop. Maybe. Somehow they've managed to get turned around in the market and are now searching for the Virgen as Matt & Ashley empty their potatoes into the bins. Everything looks good until Matt asks and the vendor releases the potatoes from the bin. He had to ask.
As Laura & Tyler arrive at the Pit Stop there's some quiet music and Phil says they'd probably like to keep on racing. Good thing because they are Team Number 4, and Phil is happy to see them getting along so well. Matt & Ashley meanwhile have recovered from the spud dump and cheer at completing the task before heading to the Pit Stop.
Unfortunately, Matt & Ashley are the last team to arrive and have been eliminated from the race. Matt gets a consolation kiss from Ashley as Phil asks how their relationship has changed and they agree that it's grown stronger. They're sad to go and I'm sad to see them go because I liked them as a team but you can only race for so long before something goes wrong. It was a tough leg for both of the last two teams being taken to the wrong side of the Detour but these things happen. Never trust your cabbie.
Next week the final four are hauling sand, playing with water and apparently wrecking their car as they race to be in the finale. I'll be here to let you know what happens and if you're looking for more things to read, you can pop over and follow Wayne's posts or catch up on the shenanigans in the Big Brother Canada house on Sunday right back here. Until that time.