The Amazing Race in Chile

Last week a friend called and told us the the popular CBS show "The Amazing Race" was in northern Chile. The teams were in the mining areas of Calama and San Pedro de Atacama. I was just up in this area of Chile in January, so it was very interesting to watch.

In Episode #2 the teams had to work together to maneuver large mining equipment

Kevin & Drew were eliminated in the Chilean desert.

Episode #3 Had the teams catch a flight to Santiago and then south to Puerto Montt

In Puerto Montt, teams raced to a fishery in Metri. At the fishery, teams encountered a roadblock called “Fish Farming.” One team member had to catch and transfer eighty fish between holding tanks.

If you didn't read my blog post about the Chilean fishing industry, click HERE.


After the fish farm, teams encountered a detour choice between “Vertical Limit” and “River Wild.” In “Vertical Limit,” teams had to complete a forty foot rock climb. In “River Wild,” teams had to complete a two and half mile white water rapids course on the Petrohue River.

(click map for larger view)
On the map, can you find the Petrohue River and the town of Petrohue?
This is where the episode ended, and David & Mary (from WV) were eliminated.

__________________

My thoughts in Conclusion:
-While I don't make a habit of watching reality TV, The Amazing Race is one of my favorites, due to it's exposure to travel, geography, map reading skills, and basic following directions.
-It could be used to teach kids about geography and how to work together to solve directional problems.
-While I don't condone some of the lifestyle choices of some of the teams, it is very interesting to see how each team interacts with each other and how they solve problems.
-If my wife and I were ever on the show, I think I would go bald if Kristi was in charge of reading the map.

Speaking of something AMAZING...we are enjoying our time on our deputation journey, but it is definately NOT a race to us. Everything is in God's timing and control.
Continue to pray for our family as we log the miles on the road this week.