Armed with a seven-hour lead, the confident team marches towards the Pyramid, arguing about which one IS the Great Pyramid... only to find that the shaft opening is locked, not to be opened until 6am local time.  The seven-hour lead is now down to 40 minutes.  But, at least, they get an extra six hours of sleep.

As the sun slowly starts to rise, Team Type A slowly starts to drop, heading down the inclined shaft into the Creation Room.  They have some trouble getting down the narrow shaft, but they reach it before the second-place team even departs the PIT STOP.  And the clue says:

Colin & Christie don't think about the chartered flight, though. They try to think of EARLIER flights to take out of Cairo. See, the airports, as you've seen, are the "great equalizers" of the Race; you're only as fast as the first available flight out.

Almost seven hours after Team Type A depart the Sphinx, it's time for Charla & Mirna (Team Hi-Lo) to head for the Great Pyramid. Mirna hopes the other teams realize that, despite having a "vertically challenged" person on board, she and Charla are a strong, tough team. Brandon & Nicole (Models) leave four minutes later, hoping they stay calm and cool (yeah...right...) to stay in the hunt. Chip & Kim (Married Parents) leave on the Models' heels, with Kim feeling a bit worthless.

Team Hi-Lo descends first with Brandon & Nicole right on their tail.  Mirna's claustrophobia is starting to kick in... but Charla is almost able to STAND in the chute. Both teams make it down... and Brandon takes off his shirt because of the heat, giving MUCH for Mirna to slobber over. As they ascend, the Married Parents descend to get their clue. All three teams catch cabs to the "Old Airport", wondering what flight to take.

At said airport, Colin & Christie arrive to see about earlier flights. There's a 7:30 flight on Eygpt Air, but it's booked solid... and no other domestic airline goes to Luxor. So Team Type A sulk, since their big lead has shrunk to nada.

Back at the Sphinx, Marshall & Lance (Team Pizza Brothers) depart. Marshall's knees are a LITTLE better, but the grating nerves under his kneecaps are still QUITE painful. Lance stays optimistic, though, not getting angry at how slow Marshall's knees are making their team. Marshall takes his time to try to climb down, but it's no easy task (though it DOES feel better than WALKING. They do manage to make it all the way down and up with the clue. So Team Pizza Brothers are still in this.

At the Airport, Charla & Mirna arrive at the second terminal, not the one with the charter flight. Brandon & Nicole and Chip & Kim wait at Terminal 2. Team Hi-Lo decide to take the next available cab to Terminal 1. That cab JUST HAPPENS to belong to Team Type A, who are just stopping in to see if the shorter flight is there. Of course, not KNOWING that the taxi was taken, Team Hi-Lo hi-jacks it... much to Colin's dismay. An argument ensues about whose cab it is (just like Married Parents and Team Twins did in Argentina). Though it's mostly polite, Christie just tells the "rude" cousins to "get out". Mirna's disgusted and even tells the taxi driver (in Arabic) that Colin & Christie are "maniacs".

As Marshall & Lance arrive at Terminal 2 for the charter flight, Team Twins depart for the Pyramid (two hours after Charla & Mirna leave). The clueless girls get directions to the entrance, need help in determining where to go down... I'd insert any number of blond jokes here but, being one, I'd only be insulting myself. As they descend and get the clue, Linda & Karen depart... a whopping 10 1/2 hours after Colin & Christie did. What's worse, they haven't a cent to their name. So, before they depart for the Pyramid, they decide to beg for money. Not from the poor locals, of course, but from the richer tourists.

They come across a tour bus and a few people are MORE than happy to contribute to the "Save the Bowling Moms From Elimination Fund". Money
in hand, they go to the Pyramid and get the clue. But they need to hurry; the charter flight leaves in an hour.

Everybody is at the right terminal and the right airport. It is a six-way tie for first at the moment. And everyone is PRAYING that Team Bowling Moms don't make the flight. Linda & Karen get into a taxi... and, apparently, it was the ONLY taxi driver in all of Giza who didn't understand what "Old Airport" meant. That's because they drive them to the "NEW Airport" for INTERNATIONAL flights. At this point Team Bowling Moms feel their history and have to look for the earliest commercial flight.

But hold the phone, people! When Linda & Karen arrive at the terminal at 11:35am... all the teams are still THERE! The flight was DELAYED... for almost two hours! Everyone is on the SAME FLIGHT! It's a whole new Race, folks!

LUXOR, EGYPT

The charter flight touches down in the southern Egyptian city of Luxor (and those who are curious FINALLY find out how that Vegas hotel go its name). Fourteen pairs of feet and legs sprint out of the terminal, looking for taxis. Charla & Mirna are the first out of the airport, but the other teams are right behind them, jocking for position almost in a "Cannonball Run"-like fashion. Chip & Kim's driver is PARTICULARLY frisky and passes EVERYONE into first... while heading into oncoming traffic! (Good thing that a) the 'lanes' are wide and b) they don't have the same 'passing laws' as in the U.S.)

At the Karnak Temple, the Married Parents jump out and head into the large array of columns with every other team on their heels. But, like most temples in this secular age, the teams have to buy tickets to get in. Team Twins are the first to realize this and run back from the entrance to the ticket counter. The teams line up to get the tickets... and Colin pushes Mirna as she gets to the front of the line after him and Christie get their tickets. Somehow, I don't think this will be as easily reconciled as the Married Parents and the Twins.

Kami & Karli find the Route Marker among the columns. They take the clue out and run off as not to give any of the other teams a chance to see where the Marker is. THEN they open the clue and find a...

Team Twins decide to HERD IT, thinking it would be faster. So they hop on a kalesh and tell the driver to head off... without any direction. Of course, the driver gets them lost until they actually TELL him where to go. One-by-one, the teams find the DETOUR. Chip & Kim, Charla & Mirna, Linda & Karen and Marshall & Lance (who get directions from Team Hi-Lo) decide to HERD IT while Colin & Christie and Brandon & Nicole chose to HAUL IT.

Team Type A and the Models arrive at the Pigeon House Farm and race to the Nile. After a small demonstration as to how to use the "shidoo", the teams fight to fill their buckets, then swing them around to fill their urns. Once Team Type A fills theirs, Colin gets on a donkey and gets Christie to guide it up the path. Brandon mounts right behind them and Nicole gets HIS ass moving (so to speak)... though THEIR mount doesn't seem to like how Nicole is pulling his chain. They both make it to the farmhouse, but one urn of water isn't enough and they have to ride back to the Nile to get another jug-full.

Meanwhile, at Banana Island, Chip & Kim arrive first to do some shepherding. They are overwhelmed at the sheer number of sheep on the bank, ranging from babies to old and large (Chip says "horse-size", but methinks he exaggerates too much). Chip starts hefting them into their boat one by one when Kim stands guard to make sure none of them abandon ship (she wouldn't help haul them because they were "so smelly and funky"). Team Bowling Moms, Team Hi-Lo and Team Twins arrive next and start THEIR loading, with Karen, Mirna and both twins respectively loading while their partners stand guard (Kami & Karli's wooly beats are surprisingly tame, I guess). Chip & Kim depart as the others start their loading.

Colin & Christie make the second trip and fill the large jug to overflowing. They are rewarded with the next clue:

Brandon & Nicole are second to depart the farm house, though they're a few minutes behind.

The Married Parents may not be breaking any speed records as they cross the Nile, but they're enjoying the trip THOROUGHLY! They arrive on the western bank and drop off the sheep. They then depart for the Habu Temple in third place.

Back on the east side, Team Bowling Moms manage to get their ten walking sweaters onto the boat first. Charla is having trouble keeping some of the goats for going "on the lamb" (pun intended) and Mirna's finding out something about herself: she's seems to be allergic to wool. Team Twins beat them to ten ship and tail Linda & Karen... while Mirna - for the umpteenth time this Race - thinks about quitting. But, once again, Charla's cheerleader act makes her press on and FINALLY get their requirement of livestock. The three teams make it to the other side, get their clue and get their cabs.

This leaves Team Pizza Brothers well behind. They arrive at HAUL IT... and Lance takes it upon himself to load the sheep solo while Marshall rests his weary knees. Marshall's proud of Lance for taking care of him (as brothers are wont to do... sometimes). Together, they manage to complete this task and move on.

As Marshall & Lance are sailing on the Nile, Team Type A and the Models are sailing in their cabs towards the Habu Temple. Colin & Christie are far in front as they reach the temple and sprint to the Route Marker, which shows a...

Colin decides to try it (though Christie wonders where he got "a LOT of patience" from). The problem is that the team thinks a "scarab" is a sword (it doesn't say it's a beetle on the clue), so that's what Colin digs for. Brandon decides to dig for the Models as THEY arrive at the ROAD BLOCK. THEY don't even know what a scarab is, but they'll dig just the same. They dig and dig... until Team Married Parents arrive (with Kim doing the task for once). It's a three-way race to find the scarab... assuming they can figure out what it is.

And the winner is Colin, who SHOWS the other two teams exactly what they're looking for (he didn't HAVE to, but... whatever). He and Christie present the beetle to the archeologist and receive their reward:

As Team Type A take off on the taxi to their second leg win in a row, Team Bowling Moms - who thought they were out of it when the day began - charge into the pit, with Karen having the "honor" of digging for the stone bug. Not too far behind comes Team Twins, with Karli grabbing the spade and sand filter. Finally, Team Hi-Lo makes it a five-way fight with Mirna digging in the dirt.

After some time, Kim finds the scarab first... and tries to hide it from prying eyes. But Charla manages to catch a glimpse of it, saying it's a "kind of a rock". Kim feels more confident now that she's contributed a bit more to their Race. Kami directs Karli to where she "has a feeling" the scarab might be... and she's right! Team Twins leave the ROAD BLOCK in third place. Three frustrated teams continue to dig... and the Models finally find it, heading out in fourth and leaving Linda and Mirna angry at themselves. Of course, neither team realizes that Marshall & Lance are still a fair clip behind. If they hurry, they can BOTH stay in the Race!

The two women dig and dig and dig (and probably vow never to plant a
garden when they get home)... until Mirna FINALLY finds the scarab... much to Linda's disappointment.

PIT STOP: CROCODILE ISLAND, EGYPT

They lost a big lead, but managed to stay IN it. Team Type A find the island and Colin screams, "LAND HO!" They race up the steps and step on the mat as the sun starts to set on this long day. Phil, again, proclaims them "team number one"! But... there's BETTER news. For winning the leg, they win a vacation to Mexico thanks to AA.com. The vacation sounds wonderful... but I'm sure they feel MORE wonderful that, despite blowing the big lead, they managed to come in first again. The Married Parents, Team Twins, the Models and Team Hi-Lo enjoying watching the sun set over the river as they continue towards the PIT STOP.

Back at the dig site, Linda has, literally and figuratively, dug a hole for her and Karen to get out of. Her arms are getting numb, her patience is getting low. She hopes that Team Pizza Brothers don't find it in two seconds before SHE can find it. As she says this, Marshall & Lance arrive at the ROAD BLOCK and, of course, Lance is elected to dig. But they have a hard time FINDING the site... and Marshall hobbling along on his bad knees (hmm...had I known, I'd've called THEM "Team Wounded Knee").

Chip & Kim are the second team to arrive at the PIT STOP, followed closely by Kami & Karli, then Brandon & Nicole and Charla & Mirna (without their "traditional" hug of the host this time). This leaves Team Bowling Moms and Team Pizza Brothers racing for the final spot.

An exhausted Linda FINALLY locates the scarab. She and Karen grab the clue and sprint for the taxi. As they board the boat, Marshall & Lance arrive at the dig site at last. Some time later, Linda & Karen arrived at the PIT STOP... still in last, but still in the Race... AND they'll get some money at the start of the next leg!

Alone in the sand pit, the brothers prepare for the task. Marshall's knees are hurting so much that he can hardly walk anymore. In fact, he needs to sit on a wicker chair supplied by the archeologist while Lance worked. Lance digs for a while... until he and Marshall notice something. There are seven pits... and SIX of them look like they have been excavated already. They know they are in last... and, assuming this was an elimination leg, they decide to beat CBS to the punch and just not finish the leg. They are the first team to be physically unable to finish a Race leg.

In a first for the five Amazing Races so far, Phil actually has to LEAVE the PIT STOP to tell the last place team that they are eliminated. Of course, Marshall & Lance essentially tell Phil, "You can't fire us 'cause we quit." Marshall's legs are killing him and he's sorry he cost Lance the million. Lance, however, is proud that Marshall fought through the pain. They traveled 400 miles today on bad knees... but it's time to get those patellae patched!