The Amazing Race season 36 episode 9: Recap and more details explored

Episode 9 of The Amazing Race season 36 saw another team being sent home, right before the finale episode, which is to be released next week. The episode, titled My Precious Cacao, took contestants to the Dominican Republic, where the show was last shot 23 years ago.

The Amazing Race is known to make viewers live vicariously through the contestants, as they see them do tasks at some of the most scenic spots of the countries they visit. Episode 11, which was released on May 8, saw players enjoy the waterfalls of the Dominican Republic and making their own cacao.

After the last episode saw the mom-son duo Angie Butler and Danny Butler go home, this episode bid goodbye to girlfriends Yvonne Chavez and Melissa Main, cutting short their journey toward the $1 million prize money.

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What went down on episode 11 of The Amazing Race season 36?

The cashback reward for this week's episode was a trip for two to Seoul, South Korea. The week's challenge started in the largest city in Barbados, Bridgetown, from where contestants flew down to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic.

The teams then departed for their clues 15 minutes apart from each other, in the order they arrived at the previous pit stop. They took off from Puente Peatonal Saltos Damajagua in the Imbert town of Puerto Plata and had to walk on foot to collect their clue from 27 Charcos de la Damajagua.

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First roadblock challenge on episode 11 of The Amazing Race season 36

The first roadblock challenge (Image via Instagram/@theamazingrace)

The first roadblock challenge had all five teams go to the waterfalls, find and memorize the Taíno petroglyphs. They then had to come back and solve a puzzle where they had to place the memorized petroglyphs chronologically.

After their first roadblock, the teams were taken to Don Manuel's Finca de Cacao, in another town of Puerto Plata called Altamira. Once there, they had to harvest cacao pods from cacao trees, and then separate cocoa seeds from them before spreading them out on a tarp to receive their next clue. Their next clue took them to Estadio Bartolo Colón, for their second roadblock.

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Second roadblock challenge on episode 11 of The Amazing Race season 36

For their second roadblock, each player had to go through three baseball drills, which were carried out at a facility funded by former MLB pitcher Bartolo Colón. The contestants had to field a grounder and then throw a first base. They also had to catch a fly ball in the outfield and then hit a bottle cap with a broomstick 25 feet. After finishing all three drills, they would receive their next clue from Bartolo Colón himself.

The second roadblock challenge (Image via Instagram/@theamazingrace)

The next clue took them to Paseo de Doña Blanca, a small picturesque pink pedestrian street in Puerto Plata, where Phil had them look for yet another clue. The clue then led them to their final Pit Stop - the Anfiteatro de Puerto Plata.

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Who got eliminated on episode 11 of The Amazing Race season 36?

The duo of girlfriends Yvonne Chavez and Melissa Main were the last ones to finish the first roadblock challenge, and they also fell back greatly with the cacao pods challenge. After completing it, when they finally made it to the second roadblock challenge, the other teams had already finished it. They were the last team to arrive at the Pit Stop, which meant that they were eliminated.

Thus, the four teams that will compete at the finale are, nurses Amber and Vinny, military pilots Juan and Shane, boyfriends Ricky and Cesar, and the married couple, Rod and Leticia. The final episode will see them traveling back to the United States for the last leg of the show.

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The upcoming episode of The Amazing Race season 36 will air on May 15, at 9:30 pm ET, on CBS.