JamesA

Following the escapades in Egypt the previews for next week look like they are heading to East Africa, guessing probably Kenya. Should be interesting !!

sandi

JamesA - nice to have you visit us over here. I also noticed in the previews an Africa scene and those children's faces sure looked like Kenyan or Tanzanian; and Chip's comments "finally, people who look like me" - kind of a giveaway! Yes, should be interesting.

For those who haven't seen the "Amazing Race" - set your TV for Tuesday, 10pm on CBS (but do check your TV listings as last week they moved the program up to 7pm because of a baseball game). The program is then rerun on Saturday at 8pm.

JamesA

Danial(?) looks like he gets into an argument in the preview, I am pretty certain it will be Kenya or Tanzania as they have to get them from Luxor I guess via Cairo and NBO would seem the logical destination. We get it on AXN by Satelite here in Thailand, it's a great show!

sandi

JamesA - that's right, you're way over there in Thailand - guess it's satelite for you.

I'm not into reality shows (but did watch Survivor: Thailand, having recently returned from there), but the A/R grabbed my attention because it was a travel show. A different kind of travel show. I was hooked on the first A/R and can't believe that CBS wanted to cancel the show last year. The write-in campaign certainly helped, and then they won the Emmy. They had no choice but to come back with an A/R#5. Onto East Africa!

Louise

It will be Tanzania according to TV Guide.

Dottie

I am also addicted to that show. Didn't Eygpt look "amazing". I am going on a tour to Egypt next Spring. I can't hardly wait.

JamesA

Normal style travel shows really bore me, and they are always getting to stay in comp places so you rarely see anything 'real'.
The great thing about Amazing Race is you get the good, the bad, and the downright ugly! Great to see the Cairo cab drivers, simple confusion on which 'terminal' etc etc, the one through India with the train ride was a real eye opener, anyway it will be great viewing for those heading to Tanzania.
I think Uruguay got a great tourism boost 2 episodes back, it looked great ( especially the foam party!).

JamesA

Just a reminder that this weeks episode will apparently be in Tanzania so should make great viewing for anyone heading that way. In Asia we see it Wednesday pm so I 'guess wildly' that is is perhaps aired Tuesday evenings in the USA.

sandi

You got that right Tuesday.

And here in NY we have a baseball game scheduled, so instead of at 10pm, it's at 7pm (as it was last week). Rather glad it's 7pm, so I don't have a conflict with Nip/Tuck (sure I know...I tape one, watch the other) - if there are any out there who manage to catch this show! But that's another thread altogether.

Tanzania, here we come. Supposedly, as the TV guide mentions, the teams have to search for something in a city??? Remember this is Tanzania - they said city, not town, not way-station - city! So is it Arusha, Dar, Zanzibar (ok, so thus is an island) ???

Any other guesses out there?

Mathieu

How sad that Charla and Mirna are gone !
I thought that they were the funniest and spunkiest team on the show, always enjoying wherever they went, and always playing smart and looking for better flights. Chip and Kim are the same. Now I hope that they -or the moms- win.

I was thrilled to see them go to Kenya, where I was born and lived for half my life, and Tanzania where we visited a few times. Hearing swahili and listening to local dialects, mannerisms and simple hospitalities brought memories flooding back. I was hoping they'd get to do some wildlife related activity; perhaps in the next episode. Lake Manyara - the location of their current pitstop - is a beautiful place. It would have been nice to have shown more footage of them doing the cross-over thing on the high wires.

Kwaheri.

sandi

I'll also miss the cousins, but they did play a good game.

What broke me up was the fact that each group on the three buses paid a different fare. The first group paid $5/person, the last group paid $3/person - but the group in the middle got stuck with one of those guys trying to make a quick buck and charging them $40/person. Even though the Christian princess tried negotiating $150 total for all of the teams on that bus, the driver was rather nasty. And then acting threatening when they arrived at their destination - not very nice, lousy PR for Tanzania.

My hope now is the Chip & Kim or the Bowling Moms pull off the win. I'm not very keen on the other teams.

Mathieu

Sandi,

Isn't the money situation so true and typical ? I had to suppress a laugh (in fact several) when I saw what was going on !! From your past postings you sound very knowledegable about Africa and Africans so I think you'll know what I mean.
Having lived there, and been raised amongst it all, I would have just laughed and played along with all the jostling but I was a little bit surprised by the players reactions. However, from their view, I suppose I can see why they may have felt threatened or unsafe. I was moved to see the kindness shown with the food and watermelon. It reminds me so much of what I left behind.

sandi

Mathieu - So true, so true. It gave me a good laugh.

But in reality you find people everywhere who are only too willing to run a scam on strangers to their country or city. Hey, we've had that situation with NYC taxi drivers in years past.

I do believe, however, it has alot to do with the way the outsiders approach locals, regardless the destination. Absolutely agree that because Chip & Kim were so pleasant to the people to whom them delivered the "furniture" - in turn they were welcomed into their home to "break bread (watermelon) with the family."

What's interesting with the A/R premise is that the teams are practically dropped into situations of different environments, cultures, languages and even hues - so to see how the teams respond is quite telling.

I do hope that in the next episode they spend some time in Tanzania before heading on to the next destination. Well, we'll see.

Ag3046

There are several other boards that have more Amazing Race chat, if you want to follow them after Tanzania. Next is Dubai.
try www.lonelyplanet.com and go to Thorn Tree, Culture Vultures for a hot discusssion about all things Amazing Race.
I thought the Tanzania episode was good in that they didn't fall into stereotypes, and made them all work in those little towns that make African travel so real and so wonderful.