|
This Is Forever, Now
December 23
Ron & Christina were the first to arrive
thanks to teamwork. Azaria & Hendekea were the last to arrive thanks to
a travel agent. Nate & Jen were the middle team to arrive... thanks to a
taxi. Now five teams remain as the Race rolls on...
PIT STOP: Stone Cross, Dubrovnik, Croatia
After 12 hours of getting their hearing back thanks to those daggone
cannons, Ron & Christina head out at 2:19a. The clue…
|
ROUTE INFO |
|
Travel to Ancona, Italy via a ferry from
Split, Croatia. You must travel by bus to Split. You have
$25 for this leg of the Race. |
Now that the competition is heating up,
Chrisitna says that it’ll be won or loss on communication skills.
Kynt & Vyxsin are on their way, thinking they’re going to fit in. Nate &
Jen apparently are back on thanks to the break time.
Ron & Christina make it to the bus station, but the first ferry out of
Split departs at 5a. Equalizer. The first three teams are heading to
Split on the first bus. TK & Rachel are on the second, departing at 6a.
And finally bringing up the rear are Nic & Don. All five teams make the
ferry to Ancona, while the Goths decide that it’s time to step it up.
ANCONA, ITALY
The teams race to the traffic markers where they find…
|
ROUTE INFO |
Drive yourself to the town of Empoli.
Once there, find Campo di volo Silvano Poli in Comune di
Cortenuova.
NOTE: You have been given a Blackberry to take along with
you. At some point during your journey, you will be given a
message from someone important, but you will not be allowed
to use your Blackberry for any other reason. |
Nate & Jen are first to hit the road,
followed by TK & Rachel, Nic & Don, the Goths, and the Hsus. Seems like
the best way to get there is through Bologna and Florence.
TK & Rachel head out... but leave their clue behind! Race rules state
that you must have your clue in your travel bag at all times. They stop
at a gas station to search for the clue, but it’s back at the café you
asked for directions. The blunder has put the Hippies in last place.
They head back to the café to pick up said clue.
Nate & Jen are currently in the lead.
Café, patron, clue. “Thomas Kyle” & Rachel are back on the road.
Meanwhile, the teams receive their messages from “someone important”…
Awww, messages from home. Just a small second to put fun and games in
prospective.
Back to the game. Nate & Jen are still up in front as the Racers head to
Bologna, where they find … gridlock. The teams have to head around
through Milan because the road was closed.
Nathan & Jennifer are the first ones at Empoli. TK & Rachel are second
at the orchard, which opens at 7a.
Two teams head to …
|
ROADBLOCK |
WHO'S FEELING "ULTRA" LIGHT HEADED?
Fly yourselves in an ultralight and search a six-mile radius
for the name of your next destination: VINCI.
Note: There is a 30 minute time limit per flight. First
come, first served.
|
Or, alternatively, you can…
|
FAST FORWARD |
|
This is the only Fast Forward on the entire Race. The
first team to find and complete it can bypass all other tasks and
proceed directly to the Pit Stop.
Take part in a centuries-old seafaring tradition!!!
Drive yourlves to Via Giovanni Villani 17 in Comune di Empoli and find
Fabio Studio.
|
What teams don’t know is that in order to claim the Fast Forward you and
your partner have to have some ink done.
Nate & Jen and TK & Rachel decide against the Fast Forward.
Nathan and TK take to the air as Ron & Christina arrive at the clue box,
while Don & Nic head back into town to take on the Fast Forward.
Meanwhile, Rachel has no respect for the way Ron talks to Christina.
And Kynt & Vyxsin are still lost.
Nathan & Jennifer are the first to spot “VINCI” on the ground, and the
first to receive this…
|
ROUTE INFO |
|
Drive yourselves to the town of Vinci, Italy, and
proceed to the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci.
|
TK’s 30 minutes are up, and Christina is up
in the air. TK follows.
Back in Empoli, the tattoo artists have displayed “FF” for “fast
forward”. The translator says, “This is the tattoo that has been chosen
for you.”
Donald’s having second thoughts… but eventually he agrees to a
disfiguring mark honoring their time in the Amazing Race.
Nate & Jen get help from the locals trying to figure out where Vinci is.
Christina finds “VINCI”, so she can proceed there.
Meanwhile, over on “Empoli Ink…”
Nate & Jen travel by foot to da Vinci’s inquest, while Ron & Christina
begin their journey there.
Back at Fabio, Don & Nic sport their new killer inks, and with killer
inks, a killer leg up on the competition.
|
FAST FORWARD |
|
CONGRATULATIONS ON CLAIMING THE FAST FORWARD!
Drive yourselves to the Boboli Gardens in Florence, Italy, the PIT STOP
for this leg of the Race. WARNING! The last team to check in MAY BE
ELIMINATED! |
Meanwhile, Nate & Jen figure out that they could’ve driven to the place.
|
DETOUR |
|
INVENTION or TRADITION?
INVENTION: Choose a replica of a da Vinci crane, assemble it, and use it
to lift a stone off of the ground. Then use a mirror to read a clue
underneath.
TRADITION: Proceed to Piazza Guido Masi, and learn a traditional flag
routine. Once you have done it correctly, the lead flagler will give you
a flag with your next destination. |
TK doesn’t know what he’s missing, while Kynt & Vyxsin arrive.
PIT STOP: Boboli Gardens, Florence, Italy
Meanwhile, a trumpeter heralds Nic & Don, but the host has the good
news. “You’re team number one!” As the winners, not only do they have
cool new tats, they have the ability to show them off in Cancun!
Nate & Jen learn how to twirl a flag from the best of them, but Nate
seems to be wrapped up in his work a little. Ron & Christina are close
behind.
Kynt & Vyxsin finish the Road Block, while TK is still struggling.
Nate & Jen still need to get together in order to complete the
flag-waving. Ron & Christina opt to join them… as the leaders head out
to…
|
To
Boboli Gardens
Florence |
|
|
To
Boboli Gardens
Florence |
|
Ron & Christina start to wave. Back at the
Road Block, TK finally sees the word and they’re on their way.
Nate & Jen are #2 at the Pit Stop.
Ron & Christina… can’t catch flags. Second pass… got it. Ron, don’t
forget your daughter.
Kynt & Vyxsin head to da Vinci’s crane. “I think it’s too hard.” They
came, they saw, they changed their minds. TK & Rachel, on the other
hand, head for the crane as Kynt threatens to jump ship if Vyxsin
doesn’t let him drive.
Did we mention that Kynt can’t drive a stick?
Back at the crane, TK & Rachel use what engineering background they have
to finish the challenge.
Now is when the Good Samaritan rule comes into play for Kynt & Vyxsin.
If a car is deemed inoperable, a replacement car will be furnished,
however no time credit will be added for this unlucky situation.
Ron & Christina check in at #3, while TK finishes off the rock. “To
Boboli Gardens, Florence”. Same as the flag. They get going… but they
suffer a blowout. Say what you will about car maintenance, but blowouts
kill.
As soon as Kynt & Vyxsin finish with the flags, their replacement
carriage awaits. Now it’s just a matter of who arrives first…
Coming in fourth for this leg… TK & Rachel!
Unfortunately, that means that Kynt & Vyxsin are the last team to
arrive. The GOOD news is that this is the first of two predetermined
non-elimination legs of the Race. The BAD news… sometime during the next
leg of the Race, the team will encounter a new twist in the Race... the
Speed Bump.
|
SPEED BUMP |
|
A team who finishes last in a non-elimination leg
must complete one additional task during the next leg. That task must be
completed before moving on. And you don’t know when it’s coming. |
Kynt & Vyxsin are still in the Race, but they have their work cut out
for them. LITERALLY.
After leg 7: CROATIA - ITALY
1) Nicolas & Donald – trip to Mexico
2) Nathan & Jennifer
3) Ronald & Christina – catamaran
4) TK & Rachel – trip to Japan
5) Kynt & Vyxsin
|
