From Thailand to Japan to Alaska to Colorado

The airport is always the great equalizer in the Amazing Race. Even when you miss one plane, you can always catch another that catches you up with the group. Although, there have been past seasons where this just hasn't been the case. This was one of the closest finish lines yet. The two teams I wanted to see at the end were there but the team I wanted to win didn't. But lets start at the beginning....

The group raced to find some elephants who told them to head to Japan. Even with Tyler's language skills, the Hippies were still behind Frats on the way to retrieve the Detour. But both teams were done by the time Ray & Yolanda caught up. The Hippies used Tyler's knowledge of the city and the language to race through the bike messenger detour while the Frats and Ray & Yolanda used their strength to power through the "maiden" detour. Everyone had some downtime in a capsule hotel for the night before heading off for more racing and the road block. Ray & Yolanda struggled with the language and the country and arrived at the road block after the other two teams had completed their rides on three of the thrilling rides at an amusement park at the foot of Mt. Fuji. Then it was a race for the airport to catch flights to Alaska. The Hippies conned the hotel staff into telling the other teams that there was no internet access at the hotel but it didn't do them any good since the Frats still got a sooner flight out than they did. Unfortunately, they and Ray & Yolanda caught up to the Frats in Tapei.

Directions once again caught Ray & Yolanda up. They didn't arrive at the detour (building an ice fishing house or flying medical supplies out) until after both the other teams had finished, again. Though, I have to wonder about the second task being one that was dependent on the weather conditions. It wasn't much of a choice. The Frats beat the Hippies by minutes with their ice house and I have to admit that I silently cheered while the Hippies raced around the Chalet looking for the snowshoes that were right outside. They pulled a Fran & Barry! They must have run past the equipment two/three times before they finally found them. From there, the teams raced to the airport to get back to Colorado where it all began. After a quick search through a historical park, teams raced off for the final road block and the finish line. As Ray & Yolanda got held up searching for their clue, the Hippies and the Frats fought it out at the road block.

This season's road block was to locate & place the flag of each country they visited this season in the order in which they visited it. Eric had all the right flags just in the wrong order. He was seconds away from victory but made the mistake of returning one of the correct flags for a wrong one in the field. It was during this time that BJ corrected the order of his flags and he and Tyler raced to the finish mat & Phil. That's right, folks, BJ & Tyler are the newest Amazing Race millionaires! Argh!

EDIT: Guess I should have also said.... TTOW!!