Bye Bye, Beauty Babes...

The race just doesn't seem to let up on the teams, and I think Natalie from Team Thailand was more than ready to just give up.  Fortunately for her, this third leg was the end of the road for her, but Pai Lin seemed like she still had a lot more "race" in her.  I wonder if Pai Lin really started to wonder if she had picked the right partner for this.  But then again, no one really knows until after they start the race when each team member's "true colors" come out under all the pressure, stress, and duress.  And the heat is on...

Even when the teams aren't required to do anything, it can be extremely stressful.  The twenty-five hour bus ride down to Hue was a harrowing and exhausting experience for all.  If you've ever been to Vietnam, then you'll know what I'm talking about in terms of the traffic.  No one in Ho Chi Minh really seems to care about traffic rules and regulations--you just basically have to pretend you're playing the old arcade game "Frogger" to dodge traffic as you make your way to the other side of the street.  On my first trip to Vietnam about five years ago, our cab even got sandwiched and "crushed" between two big trucks as the driver tried to pass against oncoming traffic on a two-lane road.  After that experience, I can't imagine what it would be like to deal with the constant horn-honking from vehicles trying to pass against oncoming traffic on bumpy roads in shoddy buses for twenty-five hours!!

Luckily for me, I got to catch a plane down to Hue to do my shots before the teams arrived...

...and I still know how to keep moving and have fun along the way!

Our team then heads off to Khai Dinh Tomb to pop off the links for the Roadblock...

Despite all the setbacks for the teams, they always move a lot faster than we think so it's time for me to put my shoes back on and "drop" into the Pit Stop for this leg.

We all had a helluva time waiting for the teams to arrive under the sweltering heat that day.  You could easily how physically, emotionally, and psychologically beaten up the teams were that day.  I really don't think any of them had been pushed that hard (or far) in their entire lives.  On the other hand, I also believe that these teams can look back one day on this entire experience and really get a sense of achievement and accomplishment for undertaking and completing all the tough tasks tossed their way...well, almost all the teams!

...and just as the teams are still licking their wounds and trying to get some much-needed rest, another beautiful morning in Hue is upon race so we'll be off racing again soon!

Catch ya then!!