Stripped down

Ah, a Southern white trash-free show... well, except for the opening recap. At this point, actually, I'm fine with whatever one of the five remaining teams wins. Obviously rooting for the hippies to climb outof last, or the black couple, but if in the end frat boys deserve to win, well....

Frat boys take off at 11:54 p.m., fly to Muscat, Oman. Interesting, see how much ugliness we see. Bus doesn't leave visitor's center until 9:00 a.m. J/M leave at like 4:30, what a huge lead; 4:41 a.m. is R/Y, overthinking where the visitor center is. They snipe back and forth over his cursing, she's upset. At least they're talking--but walking separately. Old people at 6:20 a.m., then hippies--ooh, at 8:51, they're going to be on the second bus. So they run across the bridge.

Bus passes the hippies, everyone's laughing. On the 10:00 a.m. bus, not bad. At airport, old people find a flight that arrives at 10:50 p.m. Frats follow the old people, everyone else follows them too. Gulf Air, via Bahrain. Old people showing a tougher side. Hippies by themselves on the bus, they do a hilarious impression of the Southerners, and the other teams that have lost.

They join the group, nobody tells them anything, play dumb. For some reason hippies leave, and take a later flight, SwissAir, via Doha, 11:45. Okay.... Flight may have been full, it's unclear. First flight lands on time, off people run. Very interesting. Into like huge Toyota, off they go. Frat boys find it clean, and pretty. Everyone's marveling at hope beautiful everything is. Gotta go to some park. Hippies find a friend who offers to take them to the park, cool.

Gates don't open till 6:00 am., so they all hang out in parking lot, including late-arriving hippies. R/Y have their discussion in the car, she tells him not to talk to him for the rest of the time. Oh-oh. At least they're talking, I think they'll be fine, as long as they're not eliminated.

Gates open, and it's a foot race. Frats, blacks, hippies, couple, old people. Gotta drive 135 miles to town of Sur, fishing town; find a ferry crossing for the next box. Frats drve first, rest close behind. R/Y are sniping again. Hippies wanna let others pass them. Old people reading the map, they find a sign. Old people now in front. R/Y lost. Hippies and J/M are driving along a dirt road, being led through water by a native, hippies and J/M are grateful. The guy helps old people, frats make fun of him before following him, blacks are waaay behind. Hippies in the lead, another flooded road. Jockey with J/M to see who's going first, then frats join up. And bust through, everyone else follows.

Blacks are guided by same guy, make it through no problem. In Sur they ask for directions, follow frat boys for themost part. Hippies get there first, then J/M, then old people. Camel--load a camel into a pickup truck, then deliver to a Bedouin camp; or Watchtower--search among three watchtowers for a message box, deliver it to a merchant.

Everyone's doing watchtower. Frats show up. Everyone's racing to the watchtowers. Frats doing camel. Talk to the camel, they're actually smart, not following the herd. Hippies get lucky, find message box right away. Then old people are off with them too, they get first boat back. J/M give up, off to do camel. Frats get the camel up, hippies get guide to show them to shop. Hippies even have time to do a sketch of the camel, which J/M have no trouble with really. Frats off driving somewhere, old people and hippies find merchant, old people actually in first right now. 80 miles to Al Hawiya, to oasis for next clue; hippies in second.

Frats are lost or something; Monica is yelling in the back of the pickup, they disagree over where to turn, Joseph's right, in third. Frats are totally lost, and hot in the sun. They finally find the place... still no sign of R/Y. Ah, here they are; do the camel. Frat boy makes fun of her name. She's concerned about the camel, says it doesn't small that bad. They find the place pretty quickly, but are behind by quite a bit.

At the oasis old people somehow show up first; hippies beat them to clue box by a second. Roadblock: gotta dig through 117 sand mounds until they find one of 6 buried dishes, which will be their dinner. It's burning hot, they have a lot of work to do. Monica's having a great time, they show up. This is where late-arriving teams actually have an advantage, assuming someone doesn't get lucky early. Frats show up... they usually have very good luck. It's hot, and dirty. And old man hits dinner first. Then Monica. R/Y seem to be doing bit better. Monica's first to get it out.

Now 150 miles to Jabreen Castle, the pit stop. Old man gets dinner, off they go. Eric finds one; hippy still looking, getting frustrated. And Ray/Yolanda show up. B.J. getting frustrated. Ray tells Yolanda take your time, gotta get a pattern going; she shoots back your momma's got a pattern going. Then finds one, encourages BJ not to give up.

This game is pretty unfair sometimes, hippies made up a lot of time--through things being closed--and now they're falling behind again. And then he finds one, they're pretty stoked; good friendship, Tyler's very positive. Now it's a pure race, and some navigating. Probably non-elim, so it's all cool.

Frats take a shortcut... R/Y snipe again. Nizwa... J/M closing in, old people right behind; where are the frats? J/M get directions, very close. And it's--old people! They freak out; it's pretty amazing, win a trip to Rome. Odd, it gets a lot darker before J/M show. They're not happy. In pitch darkness the frats are driving somewhere. R/Y finish--third, and they're pretty happy; say they've managed to overcome things, need to work stuff out. Frats are totally lost, maybe. Hippies on highway, who's next... frats are depressed--and it's... frats, ugh. Hippies show up last, with stuff on.

But it's a non-elim, so they're still in it. No money. They're kindof crazy, but so cool, with no possessions they say they'll be stronger than ever. And maybe they will. To Australia next.

Photos of BJ and Tyler from Amazing Race website.