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For 39 days, 16 castaways were stranded in Asia.  Every 3 days on the island became a 1-hour show.  The first contestant eliminated pockets $2500.  Each successive eliminated contestant wins more money, through the next-to-last Survivor, who receives $100,000.  The final Survivor wins a million dollars!

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DAY 13: THAT SINKING FEELING

Well, Saboga woke up this morning to a rather odd sight at our Tree-Mail: a boat-load of bamboo, rope and a paddle. Little did we realize how right we were? The message read:

"Put on your game face; for this reward you'll compete
This may change your situation and the quantities you eat
Here are the supplies to build a raft; one which four of you can race
Tribe pride is on the line; you'd better keep up the pace!"

And, of course, Rupert puts himself in charge of building the raft...which is a dangerous proposition, considering the "shelter" fiasco five days ago. Jerri herself isn't exactly thrilled of the prospect herself, but Rupert has the idea for a "pontoon" raft which all four of them can sit on. He and Ethan do most of the work, but Jenna and Jerri help test it as well. Rupert is confident that their well-built raft will outshine the others.

REWARD CHALLENGE: BOAT TRIP

So to Challenge Beach we go...and we're a little shocked that Rob C. is splitsville from Chapera. But there's no time for that. The rafts are brought out and compared. Ours looks the best built, Chapera's looks like a slightly cheaper imitation (with some odd yellow stain up front) and Mogo Mogo's...well, it doesn't look like the tribe ever undid the bundle...or, if they did, they just put it right back together.

Anyway, Uncle Jeff gives the challenge. Two people start at the shore and paddle out to two different platforms. At each platform, the tribes pick up another member and another paddle. They then keep paddling out to a crate with a flag in it. They grab the flag and do an about-face towards shore. The first team to row their craft to the shore and cross the finish line with their flag wins fishing hooks and a fishing spear. (Rupert LOVES the idea of that!) The top two teams also get key clues (which would be meaningless to Chapera at this point).

But wait...there's more...MUCH more. The three tribes are in for a shock because whichever one comes in last...gets dissolved! The other two tribes (starting with the winning one) will pick members of the third-place tribe to join them! Their clothing and personal items will be brought to their new camps, but everything else will be left behind! That means, by the end of the challenge, there will only be TWO tribes left! (So I guess one point's all that you can score, right?)

With Chapera sitting out Big Tom and Mogo Mogo sitting out Shii Ann, it's time to get rowing. At the count of "go", we push out our rafts, hop on and start paddling. Now...you would think that the best-built raft would be the fastest and the worst one would barely stay afloat, right? Well, as well-built as our raft is, Mogo Mogo's (with Lex and Colby paddling) and Chapera's (Sue and Bah-stin Ron) are KILLING Ehtan and Rupert! Mogo Mogo picks up Kathy with a HUGE lead. We reach Jenna RIGHT behind Chapera, who pick up Alicia. Mogo Mogo is running away with it, picking up big, fat Hatch without any problems.

Jenna doesn't weigh all THAT much, but the raft seems to get even SLOWER with her on. We lag behind Chapera, who pick up Amber without a hitch. We finally get to Jerri...just as Mogo Mogo grabs their flag and head back for home. As we row half-way to between the second platform and the flag, Chapera gets theirs. Rupert has difficulty getting OUR flag...but it seems rather moot now.

Mogo Mogo, with the worst-looking...raft...EVER!, make it back to shore before Chapera is even half-way home. They celebrate before they even cross the damn FINISH line! We don't hear it after they DO, but they're already plotting to take Ethan as their first-round pick because "he'll be easy to get rid of"). We huff and we puff and we stroke and we paddle...but Chapera absolutely destroys us...LITERALLY!

EPILOGUE: ROUGH DRAFT

So Mogo Mogo gets the fishing gear AND the last key to their three-lock box, Chapera gets nothing and Saboga...get LESS than nothing. Sure enough, Mogo Mogo chooses Ethan. And, with the second pick of the Saboga draft, the Chapera tribe has chosen...Rupert. Mogo Mogo's second pick...is Jerri. That leaves Jenna to go to Chapera. And after much hugging on both tribes' counts, the two new tribes head back to camp.

And so ends my recaps of the Saboga Tribe. Much like I did with the Outcasts last season, I now give up on recaps now that the tribe I'm covering is no more. I *will* be back to do merged tribal reports, but for now, this is Chris Wolvie sign...

(Gordongram: Uh, not so fast there, Sparky.)

Uh...what?

(Gordongram: Since your team did lose, and since you ARE the rookie, you will be jumping back and forth covering BOTH tribes with me and Chico as we see fit.)

You mean...I have to write about the tribe that has been killing us?!
I have to write about those fish-gear stealers?!


(Gordongram: That's right - and you have to get me coffee. Black, no sugar. And oh yeah, the car cleaning equipment is there for Chico's mustang out in the back.)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[TO BE CONTINUED!]