Yesterday was a catastrophe for Mark and Bopper as all the remaining teams in “The Amazing Race” set out for India. Although the Kentuckians were the first team to start out due to their win last week, everyone caught up at the airport while waiting for the flight. Dating Divorcees, Ralph and Vanessa, took a slightly different route; however, everyone wound up in Cochin, India at almost the same time.
Bopper was visited by a medic while still in Tanzania to see if the injury to his knee would keep him out of the race, but it was decided that he could keep going with a tight wrap around the leg. Still hobbled by the injury, however, Bopper was not “bopping” and slowed the team down so that they caught the last of three rickety buses to the first challenge.
At their first destination, the teams saw groups of Bollywood dancers in colorful costumes and discovered that one member of each team would have to learn a complicated dance routine and perform it with the group. The director of the film had to be satisfied with the routine in order to get the next clue.
This was right up Rachel's (Team Army’s) alley, as she had been a dancer in high school, and she completed the task in one try. Vanessa (Dating Divorcees) completed the dance on her third attempt, and after yet another melt-down, Rachel (of the Big Brother team) finished on the fourth try.
As this was enfolding, Mark and Bopper were on the bus, weaving through the traffic, smog and heat of India, and Mark suffered from another bout of carsickness. Although he was feeling badly, Mark opted to do the dancing task since Bopper’s knee was still troubling him.
After some trouble and several failed attempts, JJ from the Border patrol team succeeded with the dance, leaving only the Kentuckians. Try, after try, after try, Mark just couldn’t get the routine down. Only getting weaker and sicker, Mark continued his attempts, despite Bopper telling him to give it up. “To hell with the money, I want my buddy and you got no more to give”, said Bopper, but Mark seemed determined. Finally, after 11 attempts, Mark was done. Obviously ill and in a sweat-drenched costume, Mark conceded that “It broke me down”, and was ready to give up as he seemed concerned that he was on his way to serious injury or a heart attack. Going back to the tent to change from his costume, the choreographer succeeded in persuading Mark to give it one more try, and finally, on the 12th attempt, the demanding director seemed to take pity on a failing Mark, finally giving him his next clue.
By this time, all of the other teams had completed their second challenge of the night, either Cricket or Clutch It. In Cricket, each team member had to hit a cricket ball over a barrier, and in Clutch It, each person had to drive a rickshaw taxi through a course without hitting anything. Although Art and JJ and Brendan and Rachel had a little trouble with the Cricket, all four teams reached the finish line well before Team Kentucky, with Team Army (Rachel and Dave) finishing first for the fifth time. A short film shot showed the Kentucky friends completing the Clutch It challenge, then arriving, exhausted, at the mat to face Phil. Both guys seemed close to tears, and Bopper again had some touching words about Mark (“For me, he’s family.”)
It looked like the end for Mark and Bopper, but, amazingly enough, Phil announced that this leg, again, was a non-elimination round. The second last-place finish for our guys, and the second miracle save, but we’ll take it and are glad to see these two nice guys live to fight another day.
