Amazing Race 16 in Penang !!!

Amazing Race Recap: 04/04/10

Winners: After a near-elimination last week, cowboy brothers Jet and Cord were back on top, winning themselves a "romantic" trip for two to Maui. (Cowboy hats only add to the romance, we hear.)

Eliminated: Father/daughter team Steve and Allie had major Detour woes and went from first to worst.

Detour: Teams had to choose between Buddhist Tradition (carry a set of 12 extra-large incense sticks up 150 steps to a temple) and Chinese Custom (balance a 32-foot flagpole on their foreheads and walk a given distance across a field). While most of the teams sweated through the incense task, trudging repeatedly up and down the temple steps in the intense heat, Jet and Cord picked up the flagpole balancing technique with ease -- making up enough time to win the leg.

Roadblock: One member of each team had to smash coconuts until they found one with brightly colored liquid inside. Then the Racers had to put half of their coconut onto a leaf tray and surround it with flower petals, creating a ritual float that would be sent out to sea for good luck. While some of the Racers seemed to enjoy their little moment of "arts and crafts" (as Jet called it), Caite looked a little aggressive as she hurled her coconuts down against the ground -- she must have been imagining each one as Carol or Brandy's head.

Speed Bump: As a penalty for coming in last place on the previous leg, Jet and Cord had to complete an extra task this week. They went to a tropical spice garden, where they had to find a woman who was preparing a tea from herbs and determine, based on scent, which of three teas the woman was preparing with those particular herbs. Despite the strong scents, it took the cowboys two tries to complete the task -- maybe they're coffee drinkers?

Biggest Blunder: Two teams -- Steve and Allie, and brothers Dan and Jordan -- got so impatient while their cab was sitting in a traffic jam that they decided to leap out and run instead. Given the heat and humidity of the local climate and the fact that they had no idea where they were going, this decision left them tired, lost and lagging behind -- and in Steve and Allie's case, it cost them the Race.

Savviest Travel Move: Dating couple Carol and Brandy took frequent breaks at the Detour to rest in the shade, making sure they didn't succumb to heat exhaustion in Penang's tropical climate.

Funniest Moment: After leaving their backpacks behind by accident in the previous leg, Steve and Allie found themselves sporting fashionable new "suitcases": blue plastic shopping bags. Steve filled his with a kind contribution of underwear from Louie and Michael. (Gotta say, we could have happily gone our entire lives without ever seeing the detectives' drawers.)

Must-See Sight: We want to join the Racers at the Pit Stop just to explore the opulent Pinang Peranakan Mansion.