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Last week was a comedy of errors minus the comedy (for a few teams at least) and this week hits us with a little romance but more on that in a bit. Thanks to sheer foolishness, Michael & Kevin eliminated themselves from the race with an hour time penalty.

This week’s leg begins like a few others this season with doctors Nat & Kat in first place and ripping into their route info. Say so long to the land of borscht and say hello to Muscat, Oman. Despite it being after 1 a.m., the ladies decide to locate a travel agent that is open and secure tickets before the airport. Don’t be too impressed by this thinking, because within an hour every other team shows up at the same travel agent with one exception…Chad & Stephanie. I guess after the near-elimination experience last time, they were all tuckered out and slept in way past the 2:45 a.m. start time.

(Side note: Nick states in their confessional interview that he really doesn’t like making friends. Well, Nick, I don’t think you will have a problem with that goal because I don’t even see how your girlfriend puts up with your belligerence.)

While they snooze, Nat & Kat and Team HSN Brook & Claire get seats on the first flight to arrive in Oman with the remaining three teams on a flight that arrives about an hour and a half later and wondering aloud where the sleeping beauties are. Cue the shot of their hotel room with what I hope is fake snoring. If not, then Steph must have a killer set of earplugs.

At the one hour and 52 minute late mark, the couple finally wakes up and staggers out the door with a look of hazy sleep and unmistakable regret in their eyes. Both of them think that they are their own worst enemy and have simply self-destructed but not been outright beaten by the others. Way to rationalize your suckitude.

While all the others are waiting at the airport, they desperately try to find a flight that isn’t going to weigh them down for the rest of the leg. Fortunately, the magical travel agent finds one that is set to arrive just ten minutes later. This is sizable break for a team whose own carelessness nearly knocked them out of the race.

After 4,000 plus miles of air travel, the first teams (Nat & Kat and Team HSN) arrive and head to their destination. Unfortunately, any feeling of distance separating them from the back of the pack is now gone. The producers have found another way to level the playing field in the form of teams being given an assigned time to climb up a tower for their clue. Since only two teams will get one of these times (7:30 a.m., 7:45 a.m. and 8 a.m.), the girls pull up a nice piece of concrete on a bridge and get some more rest.

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