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Episode 12.9
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Leg # 9
Air Date: 01/06/08
From Mumbai, India to Osaka, Japan
 Episode Recap:Japan is always an amazing Amazing Race destination and this time around it again did not disappoint. The leg began on the afternoon of the day following the last leg as 1st place finishers TK and Rachel opened their clue at 1:25PM. This instructed the racers to arrange travel from Mumbai to Osaka, Japan. Unfortunately, TK/Rachel made unique travel arrangements at a nearby hotel putting them on what seemed like an earlier 6:55PM departing flight with further connecting flights via New Delhi to Osaka. The remaining 3 teams departed the pit stop and went directly to the Mumbai airport. They all ended up making arrangements departing later that evening around 8:30PM. However, these flights used much better connections and put them in Osaka well ahead of TK/Rachel. This first flight arrived at 2:30 PM the following afternoon and NatenniferTM quickly made it out of the airport in the lead cab heading for the Kishiwada Castle. Searching the grounds, they found the clue box along the shore of the castle lake and the next clue directing them to cab to a JR train station. They took off as Ron/Christina arrived at the Castle followed shortly afterwards by Don and Nick. Christina discussed that she had lived in Japan briefly and spoke some Japanese. This did seem to help them a little with cab drivers/directions/etc – but not much. However, more importantly, Ron maintained a good/positive mood this leg and did not have a single tantrum. Nate and Jennifer arrived at the small urban train station and, as directed, found a cleaning man who provided them with the next clue. This was a Roadblock that asked for a good “back-seat” driver. In fact, the task turned out to be the very challenging ordeal of acting as a real Osaka cab driver! The racer had to don the traditional hat and white gloves and then drive a Japanese couple to a destination identified only by a written description/address. Furthermore, the racer could not ask the passengers for directions or have any other help in the cab (a local showing them the way) or follow another driver. However, they could stop and ask for directional help. Jennifer took the task for the team and was quickly flabbergasted. For one thing, Japanese vehicles have right-hand drive and the streets use a left-hand travel lane system such as in the UK. Also, almost all signage uses Japanese characters only and so is totally illegible to Westerners. Jennifer asked around the area and determined that the destination was a large post office building down a busy main street from the station. Meanwhile, Ron and Christina arrived and, feeling her Japanese language skills would help, she took the Roadblock task. Unfortunately, she was apparently not that experienced at driving a car and quickly regretted her decision. Nick and Don arrived shortly afterwards with Nick heading out for the team while Don took a much-needed physical break; visiting and sharing some water/snacks with Ron. Out on the mean streets of Osaka, all of the AR taxi drivers were having problems as the area around the post office destination apparently had a series of difficult “can’t get there from here” one-way streets, etc. Jen arrived first and dropped off her couple and then had to find her way back to the specific spot outside the JR station to drop the cab off. Actually, in the end, this task was dramatic but doable and the two other teams also found the initial destination without too much grief. Nick cockily suggested (silly Doofus) that he would complete it easily but then had the most difficulty in finding his way back to the train station after dropping off his fare. Jen and then Christina got back relatively quickly one after the other and were able to open their clue and move on while Gramps again waited quite awhile longer for the lost Nick to return. This clue (provided by the cab fare couple) directed the teams to travel via cab to the Kita-mido Buddhist temple and find the next clue box. Nate and Jen arrived first and easily found the clue box in the center of the temple plaza. This clue indicated a Detour. The two tasks were “Sense of Smell” and “Sense of Touch”. In the smell task, the teams had to find a nearby shop selling artificial flowers. Using only their sense of smell, they had to identify a single stem of real flowers amidst the hundreds of scentless fake ones. In “Sense of touch”, the teams had to find a room in a nearby office building where robot soccer matches were being held - Sweet! Small 6-10” electronic robots were set up on ping-pong-sized tables with a flat wooden surface painted as a soccer pitch and two small opposing soccer goals. The players used cell phone handsets to control the robots and make them move and kick a small rubber ball into the goals to score. Each member of the team had to score a goal against another local player’s robot adversary. Nate and Jen chose the “Sense of Smell” task and then had to find their way to the flower shop using a business card w/ Japanese characters. Ron and Christina arrived at the temple a short while after them and also chose the Smell task. Both teams set out on foot, and getting directions from locals on the street, they quickly found the flower shop in a nearby arcade. Nate and Jen began sniffing and were joined a few minutes later by Ron/Christina. The shop was quite large and extended over two floors. As usual, Nate and Jennifer bickered through the task and were on the verge of a meltdown when Jennifer thought she found the flower – a stem of lilies. They stealthily brought this to the shop proprietor, a jolly lady with bright green hair, who confirmed their find and handed them the next clue. Meanwhile, Ron and Christina, not as usual, were working together pleasantly and methodically and also quickly found a single real yellow rose. As the other two teams sniffed away, Nick and Don finally moved on to the Temple and the Detour clue. They chose the Robot task and found their way to the nearby office where the games were going on. Controlling the little bi-pedal robots with cell phones handset buttons was quite difficult to master and the robots frequently fell down flat on their fronts or backs. However, they were pretty sophisticated and using the controls could actually right themselves and get back on their “feet”. Nick did relatively well and scored a goal. Don had more trouble with this high-tech task but as usual he persevered and, with help/coaching from his grandson, managed to move his robot across the little pitch and kick the tiny ball into the goal. Meanwhile, Natennifer having finished the flower task first, read their final clue directing them to the pit stop at Osaka’s Tempozan park – according to Phil named after Mount Tempo the lowest mountain in Japan....Ok. At this point, Nate and Jen knew they were in first place and were desperate for the number one finish that has alluded them the entire race. Unfortunately, they had difficulty finding a cab on the street and this delay allowed Ron and Christina to finish in the flower shop and basically catch up with them. Ron and Chris grabbed a cab quickly while Nate and Jen eventually got a local to get a cab for them and provide the correct destination to the driver. At this point, they were very frustrated and Nate basically pushed Jen into the back seat. She was not amused. Their bad luck continued as their cab driver did not seem to really know where he was going and asked directions at one point. This allowed Ron and Chris to pull ahead and they arrived at the park and stepped on the mat in first place. Phil informed them that they would be awarded with electric cars. Shortly afterwards, a very disappointed Nate and Jen sheepishly ran up and took their second place finish followed by robo-champs Nick and Don in third. Up to this point, we had not really seen what was going on with TK and Rachel while the other teams raced around Osaka. Their flight eventually arrived late in the afternoon and they proceeded to the first castle location as evening was setting in. With clues gone and no sign of the other teams at the deserted locations they knew that they were far behind in last place. However, they completed all of the Osaka tasks and checked in with Phil at the mat in the late evening. He confirmed their last place finish but delighted them with the news that this was the second and final non-elimination leg and they were still in the race. Unfortunately, they were approximately 3 hours behind the other teams and would have their own unique “Speed Bump” task coming up in the next leg. As usual, its going to be a wild race to the finish with 4 outstanding, competitive teams and a million bucks waiting for the best (or luckiest) of them. Race on! |
 Detour: Sense of Touch or Sense of Smell:In Sense of Touch, teams were required to travel to the Shimojima building and then participate in soccer game by controlling two miniature robots. Each team-member was required to score one goal against the opposing robots. Nicolas & Donald completed this task. In Sense of Smell, teams travel to Syra flower shop, which sell only articial flowers. They were tasked with using their sense of smell to locate the only real flowers located amongst the artificial ones. Nathan & Jennifer, Ronald & Christina, and TK & Rachel completed this task. |
 Roadblock: This roadblock required one team member to drive a Taxi cab around Osaka, Japan. The person doing the task must take a Japanese couple to Osaka's Main Post Office. The address is written in Japanese and the person doing the Roadblock was not allowed to take a local in the Taxi with them, nor take directions from the couple. Jennifer, Christina, Nicolas and Rachel completed this task. |
| Best use of strategy: Nathan & Jennifer Helpers: Schemers: Biggest comeback: Team to watch next week: TK&Rachel : They have to do the Speed Bump. |
Mini-Scorecard Fast-forward: N/A U-Turn: N/A | 1st Place: Ronald & Christina Last place: TK & Rachel |
hanlam84 |
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, Apr 19 2009, 7:36 PM EDT
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| amazingrace_adik | tk and rachel.. ur only chance | 0 | Jan 9 2008, 7:53 AM EST by amazingrace_adik | ||
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Thread started: Jan 9 2008, 7:53 AM EST
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ur only chance to win the next leg is the flights..
u can get the same flight with the other teams.. that's ur only chance cristina good job and god bless... |
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| Spyne | Episode Nine Commentary | 0 | Jan 8 2008, 12:46 PM EST by Spyne | ||
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Thread started: Jan 8 2008, 12:46 PM EST
Watch
The teams are now traveling to Osaka, Japan. Now that it's down to the final four teams, it's going to be anything but nice. You could tell that Nathan & Jennifer were determined to work together better and to nab that first place at the upcoming Pit Stop. Now the trouble started with getting a flight to Japan. T.K. & Rachel made a huge blunder by taking a different flight than the others, which set them very far behind. Even though at the time they had no idea where they would be standing.
Now you could all ready tell Ronald & Christina would possibly have an advantage over the over teams right out of the gate. Christina, able to speak Japanese definitely gave them a leg up. The Roadblock definitely looked to be impossible, I don't think I would of been able to do it. It also seems the teams took the somewhat easier road with the Detour by picking the flowers to smell for the real one. Obviously except for Nicolas & Donald who went with the soccer robots. Nathan & Jennifer had first place in their hands this leg, but lost it at the last minute. Ronald & Christina got first place, each winning an electric vehicle. We then finally saw T.K. & Rachel just arrive at the airport, even though the other three teams were basically checked into the Pit Stop. I was hoping it wouldn't be an elimination leg, because I like them. They obviously came in last, but were relieved to find out it was the second of two non-elimination legs on the race. Though now in the next leg, they will encounter the Speed Bump which they will need to complete. They definitely will be at a big disadvantage next leg, with a lot of time to make up. Will they pull it off? We'll see, see you next week! |
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| lunachan | Taxi Driving detour. | 0 | Jan 7 2008, 2:27 AM EST by lunachan | ||
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Thread started: Jan 7 2008, 2:27 AM EST
Watch
I was laughing at everyone's difficulties with this Roadblock. Nicholas was at a loss when he thought he knew the way back to JR Noda. Too bad we didn;t see how Rachel faired with this task. Another classic Ronald shares some food with Donald.
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