The Amazing Race: Brought to Tears by India

Last night's Amazing Race episode made up for the previous week's Siberian episode that left me cold.

The racers left Russia to fly a couple thousand miles south to Jaipur, India. India is never one of my favorite Amazing Race places, India never causes me to think, I want to see that in person, like so much of the rest of the world makes me think.

Well, I sort of had a fleeting moment or two where I thought I'd like to see Jaipur. It appears to be a colorful place.

Luke did not take it well, seeing how poor India is, kids and cows eating garbage. One of the cheerleaders was driven to tears, too. The cheerleader did not have her mom along to comfort her, but Luke did.

Luke and Margie started off as my favorite team. But now I want the dad and son team of Mel and Mike to win. Mel, being 68 years old does amazingly well. And he's always good-natured, as is Mike. Mel chose to do the Roadblock, when making the choice, not realizing how hard it was.

The Roadblock had the teams hauling water and hay to feed a herd of camels. The clue told them to use native tools. Mel figured out how to haul the hay, using a pitchfork and a basket. While the rest of the teams used their waterbuckets or stuffed the hay in their shirts, til they figured it out. By the time the other teams figured it out, Mel was way ahead of them.

Tammy and Victor had already finished the Roadblock and way in the lead. Victor is annoying. I'm tired of hearing him talk about breaking lawyer and Asian stereotypes, while he is, ironically being stereotypically Asian. Whatever that means.

Tammy and Victor sailed through the Roadblock and then on to first to the Pitstop where an Indian blowing music out of his nose welcomed them to India.

Mel and Mike got on the finish mat second. Then Jaime & Cara, Luke & Margie and Kisha & Jen all getting to the Pitstop at pretty much the same time.

So, it is down to the little guys, Mark & Mike and Speedbumped Christie & Jodi. The blondes had gotten through their Speedbump quickly, painting an elephant. Then they chose the same detour that all but Mark and Mike had picked, that being the option of putting on a costume and begging for money til they collected 100 rupees. Meanwhile Mark & Mike were the only ones to choose the Mover option, rather than the Shaker option. This had them each pedaling a bike with a huge load of barrels for over a mile, then unpacking the barrels and emptying them to find a little elephant.

For once it wasn't obvious who was going to make it to the mat in time. I thought the Blondes were going to make it, but Mark & Mike beat them, just barely.

Very good Amazing Race. And their Jaipur Fort Pitstop is a very impressive building. With monkeys.