LAST EDITED ON 12-22-07 AT 09:08 PM (EST)

I'm quite late to the party. Thank you CTgirl for hosting it! I liked reading your thoughts as always. It's also nice to read the posts by Cygnus and MaryKat. I guess I'm on a different wavelength on 1 team. Someone has to consider the scary possibilities!

I'm so late that I'll just briefly write down my thoughts:

TK and Rachel

TK repeated their mantra for the race: “When we’re cool…” Rachel agreed: “It’s healthy for our state of mind and our relationship also.”
They were on the first flight to Prague with Nicolas and Gramps but their connecting flight had already left They got a new flight through Vienna that the other team couldn’t get on. “Bummer for them” was Rachel’s only reaction.

Rachel did the Roadblock with TK telling her to enjoy the weather and, of course, to stay calm.
The Detour was “So much fun” according to Rachel.

This was a leg where we could have learned more from this couple but they still have only one story: They are calm. I suspect that when the pressure builds up, they will be left short. The likeable team that will have fans but not win.

Kynt and Vyksin

Kynt left the pit stop saying that their strength is encouraging each other. In the taxi, he added: “Sadly, we haven’t had the privilege of hearing Phil say ‘you’re team #1’, but we’re hoping to achieve that.” They teamed up with TK and Rachel to look for plane reservations to Dubrovnik, a team that Kynt described as being like them, off the beaten path.

Kynt did the Roadblock and told the mason “It was nice to build with you.”

Kynt and Vyksin were in third place but chose to do the Detour where they had to repel down the wall. Kynt explained that Vyksin has a military father who took her out camping and climbing. She did very well.

The Goths race along very nicely. We get more glimpses into their personality and we see that they make the other teams nervous with their tactics and their independence. The Goths have a story that could win the race.

Nathan and Jennifer

Phil mentioned them before leaving the pit stop when he asked if Nathan was the man for Jenn. Jenn said “I look back and it’s been incredible but with regrets because Nate and I fought so much. As far as Nate and I being together in the end…the race is going to be the test.”
Jenn told us seeing Kynt and Vyksin going on their own to get ticket made her nervous.

In Dubrovnik, we saw a lot of Jenn’s enthusiasm for the race and “NateDawg” completed the stone puzzle in second place. They chose the Detour that required rowing and saw Ron and Christina's lead. They wanted to catch them but then, they got in the boat! It was weird to see them use their oars as paddles. They became very frustrated.
Jenn yelled: “You’re the meanest person.”
Nate answered: “You’re not even trying.”
J: “I hate you…I’m never going to be with you ever again. I hate you with a passion.”
It took a while but they finally showed some teamwork. They got ahead of Ronald and Christina at the last clue box. The clue told them to go by taxi to the pit stop.

Nathan and Jennifer never found a taxi to take them since their clothes were wet. Jenn found it “So Unfair, I am so miserable”. They got a local to drive them to the cross where…they were sent back for not using a legal method of transportation!
Nate said: “To have this happen is the cherry on the relationship sundae. It’s already melted.”
Jenn commented through tears: “I can't deal with any of this anymore. I don’t want to be here anymore.”
The penalty cost them second place as, by the time they made it back up to the cross, Kynt and Vyksin had already finished the leg.

“Nice” was Jenn’s comment as both shared a handshake that Phil found lacking in affection! He even asked if they were happy with each other. Jenn told him that they were both unhappy with each other. In confessional, she added: “As far as Nate and I being together in the end, it’s unpredictable to me right now because our realtionship is so up and down and that is what I am so sick of. I don’t know if it’s too late. We’ve been through a lot.”

This team always grabs most of the airtime. They talk not only about their relationship but also about their moves and their competition. For that, I expect them to make it to the last leg.

Ronald and Christina

Christina said: “Our progress in the race reflects our progress in the relationship.” They reserved their tickets and tried to do a covert operation to help the siblings, “The only team we trust” said Christina. That didn’t work!

Ronald was first to “Find a Stone” and complete the jig-saw Roadblock. Arriving at the zip-line, he let us know that: “I just ate, I might throw up my lunch.” At least, they had fun.

The rowing was off to a clumsy start as Chris tried to get her father to row facing forward to the dismay of the person watching over the boats. Finally Ronald realized: “This is so ass-backwards” and he turned around telling Chris “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks”. Things went better when they each took an oar and rowed side-by-side. Chris was glad to be doing her part and Ronald pointed out: “I don’t think that every team recognizes this relationship between the partners is critical to winning the race. It’s easier said than done.” To prove he was right, the camera went back to the antics of Nate and Jennifer.

Phil greeted them in first place, earning them a catamaran. Christina told us: “My dad and I are living proof that success in the Amazing race is about teamwork.”

This team seem to want to make me look like I don’t know what’s going on! Could their talk of teamwork be the sign that they are the only one to have figured it out? I’ll say it’s rather a sign that they have reached their goal. They've proven that they can work well together. Their story is over so it’s time to go home!

Nicolas and Donald

Donald was ready to give it his all while Nicolas was ready to take risks.
Arriving 5th in Croatia, Nicolas said: “This is the first time we are all on our own and we have no idea where the other teams are.”
Don was the builder but again, he was too methodical according to Nicolas who, for the first time, told his gramps to move faster. They finished in 5th and later, spotted the siblings behind them, arriving at the Roadblock. They managed to stay ahead even if the rowing went slowly and Nicolas got lost again in a maze of old streets.

This team continues to trudge along, always keeping ahead of at least one team. That is their only story and it’s getting late to only be avoiding last place.

At least, we had figured that Azaria and Hendekea couldn’t make it to the end. The fatal mistake was due to the ticket agent who gave them business class tickets but it was fun to hear Azaria admit that he had made a bad decision and Hendekea adding: “I wish we hadn’t run around” which was Azaria’s idea!