Super Bowl Update

Episode Three Fake Title: Legends of The (Previously) Hidden Temple

Starting City: Kraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Pit Stop City: Magelang, Magelang Regency (Borobudur), Indonesia
1st Place: Team Tricky, Again! Reward: Trip For Two to Dubai
2nd: Team Nemo
3rd: That Other Dating Couple
4th: The Squabblings
5th: Team Bert & Ernie
6th: Footballers Lives
7th: Team Out-To-Pasture
8th: The Doublemints
Last Place: Team Nomi - Eliminated!!

Detour: Teams chose between "Rice Field" and "Grass Fed." In RF, teams carried lunch to rice paddy workers, and then got down and dirty planting 300 rice seedlings before receiving their next clue. In GF, teams had to fill two bags with freshly cut grass (to the very top!) and then pick up two (super adorable) sheep from a shed and drag them along to their pen. After delivering everything, they had to dump six buckets-worth of water they got from a well into a trough for the cute-ums sheep. Teams were only allowed to use two buckets at a time. Once the trough was full, they would receive their next clue.

Roadblock: One team member had to walk around the top tier of Borobudur, an amazing formerly-hidden Buddhist temple, counting the statues of the Five Dhyani Buddhas, while also paying attention to the positions depicted in the statues. The racer would have to give the correct numbers of Buddhas by shape and also a demonstration of their hand gestures to the nice expert guy who was waiting for them. Once they got the numbers and positions correct they got their next clue.

Also of Note This Week: No airports this week!

At the start of the leg, teams had to join a group of Dutch colonial-era reenacters on a bike ride from the Kraton through the streets of Yogyakarta to Fort Vredeburg to get their next clue. Team Tricky takes the opportunity to perform all kinds of moves on their bikes like they are in Pee Wee's Big Adventure. On Team Bert & Ernie, the pedal falls off of Ernie's bike causing Bert to freak the eff out as all the teams pass them as a dude tries various remedies to get the pedal back in place. Bert is so intense, but Ernie never loses patience with her or tells her it's a big character flaw. She's definitely the complainiest of all the Racers (outside the Squabblings, natch) but I still like her and both of them as a team.

The baby sheep in the detour were so cute. They were not very much in the mood to go where they needed to go. They should've been more helpful! They were on their way to food and water! Still of all the disagreeable animals to drag from Point A to Point B, i'd choose baby sheep over oxen, or camels or ostriches any day.

So many people fell on the slippery slopes of the Detour that it felt a little like Wipeout. Fine by me! Falling is hilarious as long as no one gets hurt. And it looked like everyone survived unscathed. Props to Cathi for keeping a positive outlook despite many a pratfall. I have no idea why Footballers Lives changed detour tasks midway through. All they had to do was stuff their bags with a little more straw. Why  start an entirely different task? It seems like they panicked. It almost cost them dearly. Also Footballers Lives? If someone gives you the answer to a riddle, try to remember it for 10 minutes and then think about how it might APPLY to the riddle once you're asked to solve it. Team Tricky was so nice to them and they didn't capitalize! So strange.

Dearest Teams: Read your clues! Team Nemo would've come in first had they not gotten a penalty that Team Tricky even WARNED THEM about. Team Tricky is really growing on me fast. Honestly, this might be one of the most overall likable casts I've seen in a while. I'm not really sold on the Squabblings, but everyone else I find easy to cheer for.

It was an interesting twist that the Roadblock and Pit Stop were at a location that prohibited the teams from running. Borobudur looks like such a stunning location. All the teams seemed really taken with it. I can't believe it was at one point hidden away by surrounding jungle. It seems like it would take A LOT of jungle to hide something that size. But in terms of hurrying to the Pit Stop, teams had to remain respectful of the site and walk at a brisk pace. Another interesting reshuffle right at the end occurred when some teams had to go pack to the parking area to settle with their taxis while others had done so before entering the Roadblock. This helped save Team Footballers Lives and sealed the fate of Team Nomi.

People should never go on Reality Shows to win the money! Especially this one. You go on Amazing Race to see the world. That's it! If you think you could really use the prize money to ,as Melissa McCarthy might say, "get me outta a couple of jams." you're in the wrong place. You try to go as far as possible to see as much of the world as possible, and then at the end - if you make it that far - try to come in first for the prize. You don't plan on the TAR money prize money to provide for your family. Just like you don't play lotto instead of working a regular job to provide for them. I mention this because Team Nomi seemed particularly upset to miss out on the chance for the money, And I'm sure it would be helpful in their lives! I would like a cool million too. It would help in my life. But Kaylani seemed really upset that her daughter would think her a failure for not winning, which seems crazy. She'll be proud of her mommy regardless... unless her daughter is like that little girl who plays Will Ferrell's landlord in that Funny or Die video.

Next Week: Phuket all, we're headed to Thailand! Onward, Racers!