by Gina Scarpa

 

Tonight, on The Amazing Race, teams leave Japan to travel to China and Zev and Justin, who finished first in the last leg, are the first to leave. The destination is Jade Dragon Mountain, 2700 miles away, in the city of Lijiang. Since travel options are limited, all teams must take the same flight to Tokyo and then, they can fight it out for flights to China.

 

Kent and Vyxsin get off to a rocky start, driving aimlessly around Japan and unable to find their way. They miss the required flight at 9:50am and have to wait until 3:30pm to get a flight. There must be a penalty waiting for them somewhere...

 

At the airport in Tokyo, Ron and Christina opt to take a train to Lijiang instead of a flight. Everyone else (sans the goths) follows suit but the father/daughter team grabbed a train before anyone else and are now in the lead. Kent and Vyxsin were forced to wait through the night to continue traveling since the airport was closed.

 

Once teams arrive, they board a marked shuttle to Jade Dragon Mountain, where they find their next clue. They must ride yaks down a river, then board a gondola to Spruce Meadow to get their next clue. The high altitude takes its toll on teams quickly - it's hard for them to breathe and some are even lightheaded.

 

A Road Block asks players to search among thousands of charms in order to find the twelve animal signs from the Chinese zodiac. Mallory finishes first, followed by Christina, Luke, and Cord. Eventually, all teams head out except for Zev and Justin. Meanwhile, Kent and Vyxsin have arrived and are heading up the mountain!

 

Team head back out on the marked shuttle buses - well, except for Ron and Christina. They mistakenly board a tram and have to turn around and go back. Read your clues, people! Ron starts screaming hysterically while Christina literally jumps off the moving tram in order to flag down a bus. Most teams would've left them in the dust but the Globetrotters make their driver stop in order to let them on. All class.

 

In Old Town Lijiang, teams must announce their zodiac sign, write down a wish, and deposit it into a lot in order to get their next clue. It would probably help if the Globetrotters knew their sign! Next, it's on to the Detour: Hammer or Horn. In Hammer, teams have to pulverize hot, molten candy. In Horn, teams must take a long, cumbersome horn and lead a procession to a palace. Everyone should do Hammer... and most do.

 

Zev FINALLY finishes and he and Justin get back on track and thank god! If they were eliminated tonight, I might have had to throw something at my television. Vyxsin melts down, cries, hyperventilates, calls herself "stupid" repetitively, and complains that she can't do it. Not looking good here.

Margie and Luke finish the Detour and arrive first at Eternal Tower, which is the pit stop for this leg of the race.  They win a trip for two to Aruba... but it's not all a celebration.  This leg is still going.  

 

Teams arrive in the following order: Jet and Cord, Gary and Mallory, Ron and Christina, Jen and Kisha, Flight Time and Big Easy, and Jaime and Cara.  Zev and Justin struggle with Horn - didn't I tell everyone to do Hammer?  Kent and Vyxsin may be having the worst leg I've ever seen.  Now, they've lost their fanny pack.  Kent left it behind on the gondola.  They need to get it together with a quickness!

 

To be continued...

 

 

The Amazing Race airs Sundays at 8/7c on CBS.

 

(Image courtesy of CBS)

 

Follow Gina @ginascarpa