Amazing Race 20 -- A Rewind And A Fast Forward

I think there should be a rule of thumb racers should ascribe to when it comes to a Fast Forward. Don't try to do the Fast Forward unless you know you're ahead of the pact and someone isn't going to compete with you for it. One team didn't ascribe to this rule and because of it it caused them to be eliminated. Unfortunately, that team wasn't Ralph and Vanessa, the team I won't to see get the boot most.

The first destination is Baku to The Land of Fire and once there they have to find the Temple of Fire. Whatever lead the teams might have is lost when they all board the same plane and all have to wait until morning to get into the place where there clue is. The teams, however, have a fund time partying down with the locals in the Temple of Fire.

As all the teams descend on the clue box like a pack of hungry wolves, they discover there's another Fast Forward. Dave and Rachel and Team Guido rush off to compete for the Fast Forward, while the rest of the teams head to their next destination. Occupational Training International.

The Fast Forward task involves unloading a 150 bales of hay and stacking them 10 by 5. I was rooting for Team Guido to win the Fast Forward, because even though Dave has toned his attitude down a bit, I really can't stand this tone of voice or attitude he projects. Unfortunately, Rachel and Dave win and head off to the pit stop, while Team Guido has to try and make up all the time they lost for trying for the Fast Forward. Needless to say, they don't manage it.

At Occupational Training International one team member has to do the task called, "What Goes Down Must Go Up". In this task a team member has to get in a helicopter simulation of crashing and being trapped beneath the water. Once you're submerged and giving a spin you have to push out the window and swim to a nearby raft to get your next clue.

Next teams have to head to Old Town Baku and find a carpet shop where they'll find their next clue. The clue is to a Detour: Apples or Oils.

In apples, you have to search through a car filled with a ton of apples for an apple with the racing flag attached to it. I oil, a man is taking an oil bath and you have to scrap and wash all the oil off of him. I thought the oil task was the easiest to do and it seems like the one who did oil were the ones who got to the finish line before the ones who did the apple task.

The teams checked in as followed:

1. Dave and Rachel and they both won a car. Better than a vacation they'd have to take together.

2. Art and JJ

3. Bopper and Mark

4. Rachel and Brendon

5. Nary and Jaime

6. Ralph and Vanessa

7. Team Guido -- Eliminated --

And the teams' ranking for the entire race are:

1. JJ and Art 1.7

2. Rachel and Dave 2.5

3. Rachel and Brendon 3.8

4 Nary and Jaime 5.3

5. Bopper and Mark 5.5

5. Vanessa and Ralph 5.5

Team Guido going for that Fast Forward when they knew Rachel and Dave were going for it, too, is what caused them to be eliminated. They were beginning to emerge as one of the stronger teams until they made this error. And that's the beauty and the curse of The Amazing Race. One wrong decision and it can cost you everything. If Team Guido hadn't gone for the Fast Forward, I sincerely believe Ralph and Vanessa would have been the ones that had been sent hom.