Survivor Gabon - October 2, 2008

Its night 6 in Gabon. The Fangalarians return to camp without Gillian. Randy, though glad Gillian has gone home, still thinks his tribe is stupid. This is only confirmed to him the next morning when they discover that their supply of rice is already more than half gone. Hmm...lets see Day 7, 32 more days to go. This is a really big UH OH. Randy postulates that perhaps having three meals per day is a little luxurious for Survivor. He suggests cutting back to two meals per day. But GC is not willing to suffer now, just because people wanted to cook too much rice earlier in the game. GC's reasoning totally escapes me and apparently it escapes my alter ego Randy too. Randy tells us privately that GC is a cancer that needs to be excised (oooh I love it when my alter egos talk mean!). GC and Randy have a little altercation (read pissing contest) in camp, and its plain neither is feeling the love.

Over at Kota, Corinne is taking inventory. Ace and Sugar are tight. Corinne, Jacquie, Charlie and Marcus are tight. Bob, in Corinne's opinion is "wooable". Ace has entrenched himself as leader and god-like being, something that Paloma is chafing at. Both she and Kelly are frustrated by Ace and are "over him".

The reward challenge involves each tribe putting one member at a post. Their job is to hang onto that post while two opposing tribe members try to drag them off the post, across the sand and over a line. The first tribe to drag two opponents across the line will win reward, consisting of blankets, pillows, mats and a hammock. Kota wins the first round but Fang digs in to win the second. The third round is reminicent of a boxing day blow out sale at Wal-mart. I'm thinking some of those people would be discovering sand in secret places for long time. But in the end a determined Fang gets Ace across the line to win reward. As part of their reward they opt to send Sugar to Exile Island, presumably because she is too dumb to find anything.*

And so Fang carries their loot back to camp, while Kota returns empty handed. Of course, to hear Ace tell the story, this was really a "strategic withdrawal". There are rumblings about why Ace suggested tiny Paloma be chosen to hang on to the post, but Paloma's lack of motivation during the challenge is also a topic of conversation. Meanwhile Sugar is at Exile Island, telling us that she wanted to do Survivor to help her grow up and get a thicker skin. Tearily she explains that her father passed away recently and she believes he is watching over her. She reads the first clue and heads off into the jungle where she encounters an elephant, monkeys and giant ants. She's not an outdoor girl, she tells us, but to her credit she carries on. She finds the sandy crater mentioned in the first clue, then uncovers the second clue, hidden in that crater. Then she is up in a tree to collect the third clue. Finally, under the watchful eye of a crocodile (or alligator - I never learned to tell the difference), she wades out into a swamp to a tree where she finds the hidden immunity idol. "Funny", she muses, "that I could find it while a lawyer couldn't." You're right Toots...the lawyer barely got out of the clearing.

Its Day 9 and Bob and Ace are strategizing. Bob would like to send home Paloma or Sugar but Ace is definitely wanting Sugar to stay. This makes Bob nervous and makes him easier to recruit when Corinne comes to see him later in the day. Ace's attachment to Sugar also gives Paloma more credibility when she goes to talk to Corinne about getting rid of Sugar.

When they meet with Dimples for the immunity challenge, they learn that they will have to belly slide down a long wet slide (just like the one you had as a kid unless you are really old like me) into a lake. Then they must swim out to retrieve one of six floating packages of puzzle pieces, run back up the shore and send the next team member out onto the course. Once all six packages have been retrieved one tribe member must use the puzzle pieces to solve a mathematical puzzle and come up with a sequence of three double digit numbers. If these three numbers are the combination that opens a locked chest, they will find an axe. With the axe they cut a rope and raise their tribal flag for the win. Kota is first to collect their puzzle pieces but Bob, their puzzle master, has problems getting the combination just right. Meanwhile Kenny the gamer remains calm under pressure and manages to solve the puzzle after a couple of false starts. And so, a jubilant Fang wins their second consecutive challenge.

Back at Kota the scheming that began earlier cranks into full gear now that their first Tribal Council is looming. Sugar tells the tribe that she couldn't find the hidden idol but does share her news with Ace.** With his alliance with Sugar and her idol, Ace announces that he hopes to dominate the game. Meanwhile a feisty, if somewhat naive Paloma tells us that she is like an animal. She will wait and watch and when she is ready she will pounce on someone. She points out to Corinne that Ace should be the one to go because he plays Sugar too well and is manipulative. Alas, Paloma is not the wildcat she sees in the mirror. When Dimples (dapper in navy blue) tabulates the votes, Paloma is gone. With Paloma goes Grace from our (crocodile free) pool.

There are now 16 survivors left. Who's next? Look for a separate blog post to see who voted for who to win the million.

Until next week,
Outwit, Outplay, Outlast
Pat (aka Randy at least I got through the episode without hurting myself Bailey)

* never underestimate a blonde
** ok maybe she is kinda dumb