TAR17, Recap Leg 7, 11/8/10

Welcome to Leg 7! Last time, on Slow Down, I’m Russian to Catch Up, teams raced continually east and were hit with lots of bunching, which places them smack dab in St. Petersburg nearly simultaneously. There’s music that drives everyone batty, and Jill and Thomas end up in first again, while Nick and Vicki find themselves in last place on the second non-elimination leg, in line for an upcoming speed bump. Who will be eliminated. . . next? (click for more)

Arrival at the pit stop last episode:
1st – Jill/Thomas, Team Who?
2nd – Brook/Claire, Team Infomercial
3rd – Michael/Kevin, Team Internet
4th – Nat/Kat, Team ER
5th – Chad/Stephanie, Team Neverland
6th – Gary/Mallory, The Hillbillies
7th – Nick/Vicki, The Geniuses

Saint Isaac’s Cathedral, Saint Petersburg, Russia

8:30 AM Jill/Thomas (1st)
Clue: Join the Circus! Travel by taxi to Avtovo Circus to get your next clue.

(Auburnium0513: “I hate the lack of 12 hour pit stops.”)

Once they arrive, Jill and Thomas notice that the gate is closed, and that teams will probably bunch waiting for the opening.

8:35 AM Brook/Claire (2nd) – Brook: “I hope I get to wear a leotard!”
8:40 AM Michael/Kevin (3rd)

Nat/Kat (4th)
Chad/Stephanie (5th)
Gary/Mallory (6th)
Nick/Vicki (7th)

Teams arrive at Avtovo Circus and wait for it to open. Oh look, there’s the fake bear! It followed us from Sweden! When it does, they get their clues in the following order:

1- Jill/Thomas
2- Michael/Kevin
3- Brook/Claire
4- Nat/Kat
5- Chad/Stephanie
6- Gary/Mallory
7- Nick/Vicki

And we get the Detour Clue.

DETOUR:
Circus Band OR Circus Clown
*Circus Band: Teams choose an accordion player and both team members perform a traditional Russian folk song. Once they perform the song with the band correctly, the band leader will give them their next clue.
*Circus Clown: Teams go into the big top tent and learn a plate spinning routine from the clowns that requires ten plates to spin for 10 seconds. Once the plates stay in the air, the clown will give them their next clue.

(Toyouke: “Learn to play the accordion" or "learn to spin plates". Both of those choices suck.”)

1-Jill/Thomas choose Circus Clown – after struggling for a bit, since the other Detour choice is so close, they Bald Snark to Circus Band. But when the music gets too long, Thomas decides they need to Double Bald Snark back to Circus Clown.
2-Michael/Kevin choose Circus Clown
3-Brook/Claire choose Circus Clown
4-Chad/Stephanie choose Circus Clown – however, after spinning plates and Chad knocking them onto the ground, they Bald Snark to Circus Band.
5-Nick/Vicki choose Circus Clown
6-Nat/Kat choose Circus Band
7-Gary/Mallory choose Circus Band

Teams complete the detour in the following order:

1- Brook/Claire
2- Nat/Kat – whose numbering system help them complete the task.
3- Nick/Vicki
4- Gary/Mallory
5- Michael/Kevin
6- Chad/Stephanie
7- Jill/Thomas

At the end of the detour, teams are sent to solve a Russian mystery: “Find the canal bridge guarded by four creatures with golden wings.” This sends teams to Bank Bridge. Teams arrive in the following order:

1- Brook/Claire
2- Nat/Kat
3- Nick/Vicki
4- Michael/Kevin
5- Gary/Mallory
6- Jill/Thomas
7- Chad/Stephanie

Teams continue on their tour of Saint Petersburg, as they are now instructed to travel ON FOOT to 1 Vladimirskiy Prospekt Tower. In order to get there, teams are allowed to ask locals, but NOT have their taxi driver guide them. Once at the tower, only two team members may go up the tower at a time to find a small figurine which represents their next destination: The Church of the Savior on Blood. Teams arrive at Prospekt Tower in the following order:

1- Nat/Kat
2- Nick/Vicki
3- Michael/Kevin – Michael: “Make sure to read the clue.” Kevin: “Don’t worry, dad. Hey, let’s get our taxi to lead us there.”
4- Brook/Claire
5- Jill/Thomas
6- Gary/Mallory
7- Chad/Stephanie

Teams send the following team members up Prospekt Tower:

1- Kat & Nick (Toyouke: “Hee, reading the graffiti.”)
2- Kevin & Claire
3- Thomas & Mallory
4- Stephanie – who then sends Chad up when she fails.

Teams spot the church. Kevin convinces team HSN to take a cab with them to the church, which they do. When they realize the error, they head back to the tower and walk. However, Team Jumba and Team Neverland never get the hint, and both take a taxi to the church. (Toyouke: “Oh yes, take a taxi, Chad and Stephanie. You do that.”)

At any rate, teams arrive at The Church of the Savior on Blood in the following order:

1- Nat/Kat
2- Nick/Vicki
3- Michael/Kevin – Kevin is horribly concerned with Nick misleading him at the Tower task. (Toyouke: “I would worry less about the lying and more about how you DIDN'T READ THE CLUE.”)
4- Brook/Claire
5- Gary/Mallory – (Toyouke: “I hear fake Tetris music. Right when Gary and Mallory get their clue at the church.“)
6- Jill/Thomas
7- Chad/Stephanie

At the church, teams are given one last mystery clue: “Where am I? Peter the Great is buried here.” This is Peter and Paul Fortress. Once teams find the fortress, they should go to the Gorodki Court to find their next clue.

Teams arrive at the fortress in the following order:

1- Nat/Kat – after having to go back to Bank Bridge and get their taxi with their bags.
2- Michael/Kevin
3- Brooke/Claire
4- Nick/Vicki – (Toyouke: “Hm...I wonder if Nick and Vicki were actually the only smart ones the entire leg who took their stuff with them. Nat and Kat have to go all the way back to the bridge.”)
5- Chad/Stephanie
6- Jill/Thomas – after having to go back to Bank Bridge and get their taxi with their bags.
7- Gary/Mallory – after having to go back to Bank Bridge and get their taxi with their bags.

And teams come to the seventh roadblock.

ROADBLOCK:
Between the two of you, who’s the real player?

In this roadblock, one team member must play the Russian game of Gorodki. Roadblockers need to clear three pin formations, each with two throws of the stick. Once complete, teams get their next clue from the gorodki coach.

Why is Phil standing on that board? He could get hurt. (Auburnium0513: “Watching Phil go down was hysterical.”)

The following team members complete the Roadblock.

1- Kat
2- Michael
3- Brook
4- Nick
5- Stephanie
6- Thomas
7- Gary

After much stick throwing, teams complete the Roadblock in the following order:

1- Nat/Kat
2- Brook/Claire
3- Nick/Vicki
4- Jill/Thomas
5- Gary/Mallory
6- Michael/Kevin
7- Chad/Stephanie

Teams get their clue and find that they must go pay their cab drivers and tehn search Peter and Paul Fortress for Naryshkin Bastion, the PIT STOP of the seventh leg of this racearoundtheworld. The last team to arrive MAY be eliminated!

1- Nat/Kat – who win $5000 each.
2- Brook/Claire
3- Nick/Vicki
4- Gary/Mallory
5- Jill/Thomas
6- Chad/Stephanie – who arrive sixth, but find out from Phil that they need to get their bags. When they return, they are seventh, but they are penalized 30 minutes for taking the cab to the church.
7- Michael/Kevin – who arrive after Team Neverland, but find out that they improperly used a cab on two occasions, giving them two 30 minute penalties. (Toyouke: “The Asian team lost because they DID NOT READ. EMBARRASSING.”)

And Michael and Kevin are last, thanks to failing on reading clues correctly.

ORDER NOW:
1st – Nat/Kat
2nd – Brook/Claire
3rd – Nick/Vicki
4th – Gary/Mallory
5th – Jill/Thomas
6th – Chad/Stephanie

Next week: Chad and Stephanie are MIA. . .do they miss their departure time? (Toyouke: “It's been quite a while since anyone slept through their Pit Stop time.” Kmanpat: “Yeah, TAR3.”) And Mallory is overwhelmed in Oman. “Hail Mary, full of grace. . . “ Um, honey, they’re Muslim . . . Until next time!