THEME
"It Doesn't Say Anything About First Come, First Served. And We're Bigger"

Here we are again, starting at the last Pit Stop - the Hotel Lajadira, with 3 teams departing at 11:52pm. "Make your way to the bottom of the Trampolino Olimpico... then take the raft van to the top of the hill... and snow raft to your next clue." Well, this is actually the hill underneath a ski jump that was built for the 1956 Winter Olympics, and it's only a mile and a half away in Cortina. They walk the distance, and the rules state only one team per raft van. This looked like a blast! The clue at the end: "Make your way to the Pone Della Guglia Bridge in Venice." The teams have to go to Venice and use one of two train stations (the clue also said "Note: you may not fly"). The Calalzo train station which is closer (only a 30-minute drive) or Alpi which is further away but has an earlier train. (They show the Route Marker on the bridge - and it's the first time I can remember seeing one that had "Hours Of Operation" posted on it.) The first oddity happens when Team Buff (Kelly & Jon) take a cab to the rafting site - but get let off at the top of the hill. They must take the raft van from the bottom to the top. What does Jon do? Why, he slides down the hill on his ass. Kelly follows. They get in the van, go to the top, and then do it correctly in the raft.

Everyone heads to the Calalzo train station, basically when they ask about a train to Venice, everyone tells the teams to goto Calalzo. Everybody is now bunching up... but something weird happens. Team Rainbow (Reichen & Chip) are now after Team Weezer & Geezer (Steve and Josh) and muscle themselves to the front of the line and physically hold onto the door handles and block the entrance (of course, it's pretty damn early in the morning and there's no one around but them TAR'ers). There's even a slight verbal altercation between Team Rainbow and Steve. Odd. A bus pulls into the parking lot and someone asks if the bus goes to Venice. The driver says no, this is the bus to the Alpi train station. The group then finds out about the earlier train to Venice and everyone gets on the bus to go to Alpi to catch the train. Except, everyone isn't there yet. Team Bimbo (Tian and Jaree) and Team Buff (Kelly & Jon) get to the train at Calalzo at don't have a clue where the other 9 teams are. They find out later when talking to a conductor about the earlier train. Cindy & Russell have a little spat. The Route Marker on the bridge is a Detour "Waterway" or "Pathway". In "Waterway", teams travel by gondola using a map to guide their gondolier along the canals to a small plaza... The teams must navigate using only the map and without asking for directions from anyone. In "Pathway", teams must travel by foot to the same small plaza... these teams can ask for directions from the locals and if they use the information correctly, they can complete the task quickly." What they don't know is that it's really not going to matter. Why? Well, Millie and Chuck are the first to find out that the Route Marker in that little plaza has a clue that says: "Make your way to the Route Marker outside the Pallazzo da Mosto..." where they will attend a party which doesn't start until 5pm. Here we go again - everyone bunches up again since this appears to be hours away. Well, eventually after Kelly & Jon find their way.

Team ATC, since they're all busted up, decide to use the time for the Fast Forward - by joining the Commedia dell'Arte street performers. They get the Fast Forward and proceed to the Pit Stop - the Citti di Padova boat docked in front of the Pallazzo du Calle on the Venice lagoon.

Meanwhile, the party eventually begins. The Route Marker is a Road Block And as Phil explains that "A Road Block is a task that only one person may perform", we find out that in this Road Block "that person has to take one photograph from a doorman who is holding pictures of 4 different masks into the Pallazo and search among rooms full of masked revelers and match the masks shown in their picture. If they find the right person, they'll receive their next clue. If they hand the picture to the wrong person, the masked reveler will take the picture and silently walk away. The team member must go back outside and go to the back of the line. Since the doorman will only allow 4 people into the party at one time, getting back in could take a long while." OK, people - this party is CREEPY. Like something out of Eyes Wide Shut, but without the sex and nudity. Think 1600's Masquerade Ball. On top of this, there are a lot of those "revelers". Russell is first Inside, followed by Monica (or as Phil has been saying, "Monicker"), Chip, and then Josh. It is shot twisted, and distorted with odd sound effects and music. CREEPY, I tell ya. Josh gets his photo rejected - back to the back of the line. Jeff is 5th inside. Chip is first out. Tian is 6th in. Russell is next to get his clue. Tian gets her clue. Jon (as TWoP calls him BuffJon) is next inside. Chris in next in. Jeff gets his clue. Jon gets his clue. Millie is the 9th inside. Chris gets his photo rejected. Clown Al is last inside. Josh gets his clue. Notice something by now? Monica is still inside! Team Rainbow (Reichen & Chip) hit the Pit Stop in 2nd Place. Team Buff (Kelly & Jon) are Team Number 3. Monica is still inside. Chris is back inside. Chris is rejected again. Chris goes back inside. Team Bimbo (Tian & Jaree) finishes as Team Number 4. Dave & Jeff are Team Number 5 (I need a team name...). Monica is still inside looking. Al gets his clue. Millie gets her clue. Team Clown (Jon & Al) are Team Number 6. Monica is still looking. Team Friendly (Russell & Cindy) are Team Number 7. Monica is still looking. Team Virgins (Millie & Chuck) are Team Number 8. Team Weezer & Geezer (Steve and Josh) are Team Number 9. Monica finally makes the offer of her picture and she gets her clue. Chris is still looking around and finally gets his clue. Everybody is out and now it's another final race to the Pit Stop with the last two teams. Team NFL (Monica & Sheree) get there earlier and are Team Number Ten. That could only mean one thing - Team Date (Amanda & Chris) are the last team and are eliminated from the race.

Next week: Millie has an asthma attack and puts them way behind, but I think she slugs Chip! We see possible bloody nose! Bungee jumping from a 1200' tower!