LEG #5

"This is Singapore, one of the most vibrant cities in Southern Asia. In the middle of town, the Asian Civilisations Museum, the 3rd pit stop in a race around the world. Teams arrived here at the end of the last leg for a mandatory rest period. Will the alliances formed in the last leg hold together, and will Vlad and Dan continue to work together well to remain in the lead? Vlad and Dan, who were the first to arrive at 5:16pm, will depart at 5:16am."

ROUTE MARKER 5.1: Make your way to Nairobi, Kenya. Outside the airport, you will find your next clue. Ghost powers are allowed to get to whatever airport you choose to use to get to Kenya, but you must fly into Nairobi. You have $660 for this leg of the race.

Vlad and Dan depart for Singapore Airport, figuring that they would get the quickest flight. At the mat, Jazz/Lancer and Spectra/Desiree take off simultaneously.

"Now let's think about this," Jazz says. "They never said we had to use Singapore. Let's go to the Internet and find the quickest flight."

They find an Internet café as Danny and Sam start off in 4th. Not on the same wavelength as Jazz, the high school friends take off for Singapore Airport. Meanwhile, Vlad and Dan find seemingly the fastest flight to Nairobi.

"It's a South African flight through Johannesburg," Vlad says to the camera, "We'll get there first!"

But little do they know what Jazz has found in the café.

"If we can get to Hong Kong, we can get there 3 hours before the South African flight because the Cathay Pacific flight in Hong Kong is non-stop," Jazz says.

"And since you found these tickets," Spectra adds, "we'll be happy to fly you there."

"Superman Action Comics #1!" Lancer exclaims. "What are we waiting for?"

Jazz reserves the tickets online. Spectra and Desiree then turn the entire group invisible and take off for Hong Kong.

Dash and Paulina and Tucker and Valerie take off for the Singapore Airport and find the South African flight. They take the tickets, along with Danny and Sam. Ember and Youngblood start out in last place and get the same flight as well. As they wait for the flight, they worry about the lack of two teams.

"I wonder where the Smarts and the Brain Manipulators went," Danny says. "They haven't gotten here yet."

"Hopefully they didn't get a better flight," Ember reacts.

Their worries are well-guided. Jazz, Lancer, Spectra, and Desiree arrive in Hong Kong just in time to clear customs for the flight. They take the flight and get into the lead. The other teams get on the flight through Johannesburg.

Over 24 hours later, the lead teams arrive in Nairobi. Jazz and Lancer and Spectra and Desiree find the Route Marker outside customs.

ROUTE MARKER 5.2: Find Meru National Park in Meru, Kenya. At the visitor center, you will find your next clue. Ghost powers allowed to get there.

A green piece of paper slips out with the Route Marker. It is a Fast Forward clue, the first of only two in the entire race. The first team (and only that team) that finds the Fast Forward can skip all tasks and head directly to the pit stop. However, once a team finds a Fast Forward, they can never use one again for the rest of the race, so they need to decide when it is most advantageous to go for it.

FAST FORWARD 1: Head to Mt. Elgon, Kenya and search over 25 square miles of rugged land to claim the Fast Forward. No ghost powers allowed once you get to the mountain.

What teams don't know is that the Fast Forward is at the most remote place of the public area of the mountain.

Easily in the lead, both teams decide to save their FF power for later in the race and head for Meru.

But other teams still in the air could still use it. Will they? Find out in the next update...

The leaders reach Meru quickly. At the visitor center, they encounter a Road Block.

ROAD BLOCK 5: Who wants to see the animals?

"I'll do it," Jazz says.

"Likewise," Desiree adds.

ROAD BLOCK 5 OPENED: You must photograph 30 wildebeests during the safari using this digital camera. If you cannot get the 30 during one 30-minute safari, you must go to the end of the line and do it again. Once you show the evidence to the Park Ranger, he will give you your next clue. No ghost powers.

Jazz and Desiree take off in the same car. Each of them take a side of the car. Jazz gets 12 right away while Desiree can only get 6. Meanwhile, back in Nairobi, the 2nd flight arrives. All of the teams get there simultaneously. Most of the teams think they are ahead of the other two teams and dismiss the Fast Forward in preference of Meru. But Danny and Sam see it differently.

"What if those teams got ahead of us?" Danny ponders. "We'd be fighting to avoid last instead of fighting for first."

"Exactly!" Sam responds. "Let's do the Fast Forward. I love your smarts, Danny."

Danny smiles back. He turns into Danny Phantom and they take off invisibly for Mt. Elgon.

Meanwhile, back at Meru, Jazz has already got her 30. Desiree has 29 as they approach the final turn of the safari route. Suddenly, Desiree sees one. She gets the camera ready. She captures it! The two ladies have successfully completed the Road Block. They get their clues from the Park Ranger.

ROUTE MARKER 5.3: Make your way to Lake Victoria, Kenya and find Lake Victoria Park to receive your next clue. Ghost powers allowed.

The leaders continue to work together to fly to Lake Victoria, on the opposite side of the country. As they near Lake Victoria, Vlad and Dan fly to Meru first. Dan agrees to do the Road Block and gets a safari by himself. Meanwhile, Ember and Youngblood have made a deal with Tucker and Valerie.

"You let us use your PDA, we fly you back into this game," Ember suggests.

"Uh, we already have a pending alliance though..." Tucker reacts.

"Shh! We had every intention of betraying them." Valerie says.

Ember and Tucker shake on the deal. They all take off together and continue on to Meru.

At the other end of the country, Danny and Sam arrive at Mt. Elgon. Danny changes back into his human form and he and Sam set off onto the mountain. They don't immediately see it.

"Where could it be!" Sam says.

"Don't worry," Danny reassures to the panicking Sam. "We will find it."

Sam smiles. Just then, she spots something in the corner of her eye.

"Could that be...it is! The clue box!"

It is in a precarious spot on the edge of a 4000 foot high cliff. And since ghost powers weren't allowed, the friends had to come up with a good plan.

"Ok, I got an idea," Danny says, "but you have to trust me. I'm gonna hold your feet from above and you will pick up the clue."

"Gee, does that sound safe?" Sam questions.

"Trust me; I will never let you go."

Blushing, Sam takes off her potentially slippery shoes and lets Danny grab her feet. She is lowered into the pit. Using strictly human power, Danny holds on with all his might. She reaches as far as she can and she grabs the Fast Forward.

"Woo-hoo! We got it!" Danny exclaims.

He pulls Sam up. They hug for a long time to celebrate, more romantically than before.

"Uh, you want to open it up?" Danny says, blushing.

"Sure," Sam says.

FAST FORWARD ROUTE MARKER: Congratulations on grabbing the Fast Forward. Now you may head directly to the Pit Stop: The Mombasa Fort NM in Mombasa, Kenya. Ghost powers allowed to get there.

Danny goes ghost and flies with Sam towards the pit stop.

Back at Meru, Dan has snapped the 30 wildebeests. He and Vlad take off for Lake Victoria and the Tucker/Valerie/Ember/Youngblood alliance arrives. Valerie and Ember agree to go for their teams. 30 miles away, Dash and Paulina, in a taxi, wonder what could've happened to their partners.

"I think their taxi got a flat," Paulina notes, remembering that Tucker and Valerie were on the side of the road, talking to thin air. But unbeknownst to Dash and Paulina, Tucker and Valerie were really in the earlier meeting with an invisible Ember and Youngblood.

Over at Lake Victoria, the alliance of Jazz/Lancer and Spectra/Desiree is continuing to perform brilliantly. They encounter a Detour at the lake's edge.

DETOUR 5: Drive some Nails or Drive some Balls

Drive some nails: Use these nails and hammers and put together this 12-piece wooden barrel. Then fill it with 40 gallons of water and wheel it 100 yards. The lumberjack will then give you the next clue.

Drive some balls: Hit a golf shot to hit a target 4 yards in diameter 175 yards away. Once you hit it 3 times, the range attendant will give you the next clue.

Ghost powers not allowed for either detour.

Unaware of Danny and Sam's Fast Forward success at this point, the alliance decides to split up and fight amongst themselves to let the best team finish first in the leg. Jazz and Lancer opt for Balls while Spectra and Desiree try for Nails.

Meanwhile, at the Road Block, Valerie and Ember shoot their pictures quickly. They get off the safari and are about to take off when they hear a car.

"That HAS to be Preppy and Dummy," Valerie says, referring to Dash and Paulina.

"Quick, hold on to my hands!" Spectra urges.

They do. All 4 turn invisible as Dash and Paulina arrive at the Road Block. Seeing as how no one else has arrived, Dash and Paulina take a moment to admire the view. Tucker tries to hold back his giggling as the invisible group takes off. Then the high school preps open the Road Block and Paulina agrees to do it, given her love for animals.

At the Pit Stop, Danny and Sam, holding hands tightly step onto the mat.

"Danny and Sam, you are Team #1!"

They cheer and hug.

"Now I've got some good news for you. As winners of this leg of the race, you have won a Caribbean cruise together compliments of Royal Caribbean, and you can enjoy that after the race."

Danny and Sam are ecstatic, but in a platonic way. For now.

Back at the Road Block, Spectra's barrel is not looking too good.

"That's not a barrel!" Desiree notes. "It's a monkey!"

"Oh," Spectra adds. "So that's why it wanted a banana."

Meanwhile, the shots are lining up well for the high school teacher and student. Lancer, as an avid golf enthusiast on the weekends, has already hit two beautiful shots, but as the wind picks up, the shots continue to fly left for Lancer. Jazz, in the meantime, calculates the trajectory of her shot. She lines up her 9th shot successfully. It's a hole-in-one! Jazz and Lancer cheer as they receive their next clue.

PIT STOP 5: Make your way to the next pit stop in Mombasa. It is the Mombasa Fort National Monument. No ghost powers are allowed, you may use the provided SUVs. Warning: Last team to check in may be eliminated.

NOTE: Danny and Sam were able to use ghost powers to fly to the Pit Stop because they earned that right through the Fast Forward.

"Aha, an equlilzer!" Lancer exclaims. "No ghost powers mean a better chance for us."

They hop in the SUV and embark for Mombasa. Meanwhile, back at Meru, Paulina has completed the Road Block. She and Dash look over their pictures for a minute, confident they are not last, and head towards Lake Victoria.

Back at the lake, Spectra and Desiree still aren't having any luck.

"Look at them!" Desiree says, referring to some locals nearby building a barrel.

"Shut up!" Spectra reacts. "I know what I'm doing!"

Meanwhile, Vlad and Dan have arrived. Seeing how the girls are struggling with Nails, the powerful evil ghosts try for some Golf. As they get ready to drive their first balls, Spectra finally understands the task. Now it is a race for what they think is 2nd place.

But in reality, 2nd place is about to be confirmed at the Pit Stop.

"Jazz and Lancer, you're team #2."

The team looks slightly disappointed, thinking that they were #1.

Back at Lake Victoria, Vlad has hit 2 perfect golf shots. Meanwhile, the barrel has been filled for Spectra and Desiree. They put it on the dolly and race towards the finish line. Dan gets the 3rd shot. He gets it within a yard! They get out of the Detour slightly ahead of Spectra and Desiree, who crossed the finish line about a minute after Dan hit the 3rd shot.

As they depart, the Tucker/Valerie/Ember/Youngblood alliance arrives at the Lake. The group decides to stick together and both go for Ball. Both finish quickly as Tucker figures out the trajectories on his PDA. They depart quickly, not wanting Dash and Paulina to see them.

In Mombasa, Spectra and Desiree have caught up to Vlad and Dan. It is a footrace to the mat. However, Spectra trips over her own two feet, leaving Vlad and Dan free and clear to get to the mat first.

"Vlad and Dan, you're Team #3."

"Spectra and Desiree, you're Team #4."

Meanwhile, Dash and Paulina arrive at the Detour. They finally take the time to look inside the Clue Box to see how many clues are left. They have the last one.

"Oh..." Paulina says.

"Darn." Dash adds.

They head for Balls and try to rush, totally aware of their mistake now. Meanwhile, at the Pit Stop, Tucker's alliance makes it to the mat.

"Tucker and Valerie, Ember and Youngblood, you are Teams #5 and #6."

Back at the Lake, aware of their fate, Dash and Paulina stop to admire the sunset. It is a memorable sight. They finish their task and drive off to Mombasa. They get to the mat at around 9:00pm local time, 3 hours behind everyone else.

"Dash and Paulina, you are the last team to arrive. And unfortunately, I'm sorry to tell you that you've both been eliminated from the race."

"Losers again," Dash reacts, "Just like my football team."

Disappointed, the team gets in a taxi and heads for the airport and home.

On the next episode of the Amazing Race:

In the Middle East, one Leap of Faith will test the courage of the teams.

A torturous trip through the desert will test the will power.

And will a hardship for Danny and Sam finally get Sam to admit what she's really thinking?

All this and more next week in Leg #6.