"The Amazing Race":Elephants and camels and cabbies - oh my!

Jennifer Jacobson | By Jennifer Jacobson | The Birmingham News
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on March 24, 2009 at 11:50 AM, updated March 26, 2009 at 8:59 AM
Luke in "The Amazing Race."
It's off to Jaipur, India, where all of the Racers are jammed up at the airport trying to find taxis to make it to Dhula Village to get their next clue. Tammy and Victor are off like a shot, with one of the best cabbies in "Amazing Race" folklore. Mike and Mel, on the other hand, lock their stuff in a cab's trunk only to find that their driver has gone off to find directions to Dhula Village. They fret the wasted time and chastise the driver when he comes back, leading Mel to feel bad for "dehumanizing someone by yelling at them." Team Blog really likes Mel and Mike.

Assume Tammy and Victor fly through this epi with no problems, because they did, and we'll just carry on without them. All of the Racers, minus Team Fly Me, are in a caravan of cabs on the way to Dhula Village. If you've ever seen "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" when they are all racing to the giant W, you've seen this - only without Ethel Mermen this time. The ONLY reason we even mention this leg of the trip is that when they get to the giant tree to get the clue, they all start crawling around the tree, overlooking two huge, red telephones labeled "Dial one of these numbers for your next clue." People, people, people. Don't make it harder than it is.

They then head to Amber Fort where one person must feed and water a group of camels to the mahout's satisfaction. The camels look so pretty - all dressed up in ribbons for their American TV debut. (Kudos to the camel who kicked his handler on his kiester when he whacked the camel so he would stand up). They carry hay and ferry water back and forth, Mel is huffing and puffing, but it's a fairly routine task. Jaime, having been moved to tears by the homeless cows and dogs on the ride over, apparently has no such soft spot for humans. "Do you understand English?! You annoy me!!" she tells one majarrajah. Hmmm, maybe you're just supposed to figure it out on your own, Miss Priss. It ain't rocket science.

Off to a puppet store and the detour:

Movers: Choose a rickshaw cycle loaded to the heavens with barrels of hay, pedal across town and then hunt through the hay for a small elephant figurine.

Shakers: Go to a busy intersection (that's redundant in Jaipur), put on a costume and dance with a troupe for rupees. Get 100 and get your next clue.

Team Blog can't imagine why, but Team Stunt, Mark and Michael, decide on the bicycles. And head off in the wrong direction to find them. Those dudes seriously need a GPS. Everyone else dances and gets their money. More cabbie antics - Jaime and Cara's driver disappeared while they were dancing and they had to spend 30 minutes trying to find him so they could leave for the Pit Stop. Again with the milk of human kindness, Jaime says "Where have you been?! Do you think this is funny? It's not funny."

Team Fly Me, stewardesses Christie and Jodi, have to perform a speedbump since they were last the previous week. They have to go to a temple and paint an elephant for a ceremony. It's totally awesome; the elephant was so cool! They have fun and then head back to perform the detour.

At the Pit Stop: Racers are greeted by a man playing a flute. With his nose. Ewww. And yet, impressive. Tammy and Victor arrive first; Mike and Mel second; Kisha and Jen; Margie and Luke; Cara and Jaime.

We see Mark and Michael hunting through their barrels for the elephant in the haystack to get their next clue and then we see Christie and Jodi finishing their detour. They both race for the Pit Stop and ..... Mark and Michael BARELY beat the stewardesses to the mat. Team Fly me is eliminated and doesn't seem too upset. They were sort of bummed the whole leg of the race and seemed kind of ready to go home.