The Amazing Race 38, Episode 9

Season 38 Episode 9 (Wednesday, November 19th, 2025) Info: “Phil sends the team off to race through Athens, Greece. The live Double U-Turn vote returns.”

In this ninth episode of The Amazing Race Season 38 (U.S. Edition), all teams departed at different times but flew on the same airplane — therefore starting this leg of the race together. Teams left ROMANIA 🇷🇴 and arrived in Athens, GREECE 🇬🇷 and quickly proceeded to Pnyx (Pnyka) Hill near the National Observatory, Parthenon, and Acropolis. This area of ancient Greek civilization 🏺 is the birthplace of democratic voting. The Amazing Race chose this setting to conduct a Double U-Turn Vote. Each team voted two teams to slow down, requiring them to complete both Detour tasks 🚧. For coming in last place in the previous episode (↗), Adam and Joseph were penalized with one U-Turn Vote. This turned out to be a trivial disadvantage for the team since the most votes were against Eric/Tucker (4 votes), Jag/Jas (3 votes), and Kyland/Taylor (3 votes). The teams of Adam/Joseph, Chelsie/Jack, and Izzy/Paige only received one vote each. Here is a team-by-team vote tally in sequential order:

        → Adam and Joseph voted against Chelsie/Jack and Eric/Tucker.
        → Eric and Tucker voted against Jag/Jas and Kyland/Taylor.
        → Chelsie and Jack voted also against Jag/Jas and Kyland/Taylor.
        → Jag and Jas voted against Eric/Tucker and Kyland/Taylor.
        → Izzy and Paige voted against Eric/Tucker and Jag/Jas.
        → Kyland and Taylor voted against Izzy/Paige and Eric/Tucker.

While there were supposed to be two teams having to complete both Detours, Jag/Jas and Kyland/Taylor both tied in votes so a tiebreaker vote was held. Just like in the first round of voting, both teams received three votes. Therefore, Eric/Tucker, Jag/Jas, and Kyland/Taylor were required to complete both Detour challenges: “Music in the Air” 🎶 and “Olives Everywhere”. In “Music in the Air,” team members chose to carry or took turns carrying a Greek laterna piano 🎹 on her or his back to a nearby town square. They performed the musical instrument and caught everyone’s attention with various shenanigans (and begging) in hopes of earning at least 10 Euros 💶 from nearby pedestrians. Jag and Jas earned €12.20 relatively quickly, Eric and Tucker earned €18.40, Kyland and Taylor earned €11.10, and Adam and Joseph earned €13.03. For the “Olives Everywhere” Detour task, teams tasted, visually identified, and memorized 10 varieties of olives grown throughout Greece. They then quizzed their newfound olive knowledge by going to a different table somewhat close by to match 10 bowls of olives with their variety name.

Visiting another hill in Greece, teams went to a place called Hill of the Muses to roll a giant ball on it. Teams were then tasked with memorizing the 24 lowercase Greek letters, and they recited them as an elderly gentleman in ancient Greek garb pointed to each letter in random order. If I was a contestant on The Amazing Race, I would have loved to complete this task because these letters are used for designating stars in almost all the constellations in the night sky! I created the Amazing Astronomy Blog (↗) to share my passion for 🔭 stargazing and learning about the cosmos 🌌. Visitors accessing the Amazing Astronomy Blog may notice lowercase Greek letter symbols (α, β, γ, δ, ε, ζ, η, θ, etc.) within constellation maps and various posts.

Now back to recapping this episode! Jag memorized the letters in alphabetical order but did not realize the elder sage was going to point to them in random order. Nevertheless, he completed this task in first place. Meanwhile, Tucker struggled at this task despite usually finishing something in first or second place. Jag and Jas arrived at the Kotzia Square Pit Stop first and met Phil — and a lady dressed as Athena. Phil gave Jag and Jas a trip to CAMBODIA 🇰🇭 including the following destinations and activities: the world-famous Angkor Wat temple, the city of Siem Reap, ATV adventures, a Cambodian culinary tour, and Ta Prohm temple. Phil noted that Jag and Jas is the first team ever to have arrived first at the Pit Stop 🏁 after being U-Turned! Chelsie and Jack arrived at the mat in second place, followed by Adam and Joseph in third, Izzy and Paige in fourth, and Kyland and Taylor in fifth. Despite being a competent team and winning in four episodes in a row, Eric and Tucker arrived last at the Pit Stop and ended their Amazing Race journey in this episode.

GeoFact of the Day Statement Regarding Gerrymandering

GeoFact of the Day is concerned about the politicization of election maps in the United States. Gerrymandering has been an issue for many years but hasn't been properly resolved in most states. Ideally, elections should be competitive to where either party could theoretically win in a district, but fewer and fewer districts are like this as the years go on. 10 of the 11 most gerrymandered states are Republican. I feel obliged to note that Republican Party has been notorious, in my opinion, for gerrymandering (they've done this for many years and in dozens of states). Gerrymandering results in districts that look elongated and ugly on a map. Ideal districts should be relatively squarish or circular and keep together neighboring counties and communities. Some districts have a length of more than 100 miles, connecting areas that are not exactly connected culturally and socially. GeoFact of the Day encourages lawmakers to hand redistricting duties over to cartographers, demographers, and other social scientist-minded individuals who will draw districts that will help revitalize United States elections and bring forth high-quality candidates and public servants — who will try to serve the interests of all constituents in their district, not just big-moneyed special interests.

Proud of Kamala (and Tim)

I first want to mention my gratitude for veterans this Veterans Days and always. This election was quite a roller coaster, the likes of which I never experienced before. I believed Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, had a decent chance of winning — but I knew the election results would be almost 50/50 and that the winner would not win by much. Unfortunately, the result turned out to be disappointing for me (I was confident they could win) but yet not all that surprising since Donald Trump has a strange stranglehold over much of the American people. I know Trump might have done some good things for the economy, but I and many fellow Americans wanted to give Kamala a chance; she might have given us an even better economy for all we know!

While Harris-Walz did not win the so-called “swing states,” Trump-Vance did not win those states by a landslide. All of the swing states in this election — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — gave Harris-Walz almost or at least 48% of the vote. To summarize, Harris-Walz and other Democrats put forth a valiant and optimistic effort that helped to bring out the best in us, in contrast to the hatred, fearmongering, and falsehoods coming from the “other side.” Harris and Walz (and other Democrats) should be very proud of their campaign. It is worthwhile to note how Harris-Walz had relatively little time to prepare (since late July 2024) compared to Trump's team. They also conceded the election with grace, class, and wisdom, whereas Trump and his people disputed the 2020 election even in 2024. I immensely believe future generations will look back at this moment in history and will appreciate the historic candidacy of Kamala Harris — and how she inspired us to be better.

GeoFact of the Day Enthusiastically Endorses Democrats

Of course, GeoFact of the Day tends to focus on topics relating to geography. However, this upcoming election in the United States has real-world implications and is important enough to write about. I respect your vote no matter who you vote for and respectfully wish to share my perspective. I cheerfully support Kamala Harris for multiple reasons including her dedication and compassion in multiple public service roles — not to mention that she likes freedom, justice, and democracy. She is forward-thinking in wanting to make sure future generations can have a comfortably inhabitable Earth. Also importantly, she can stop Trump from possibly taking the U.S. to a dark, depressing, and cruel place. Trump may distance himself from Project 2025 as much as he wants to, but he is known for being a liar and therefore we should assume that he will approve and institute the nefarious agenda. Thankfully, you can read what Project 2025 is and find out how it might impact you and your family.

You may be correct in mentioning some positive things that happened because of the Trump administration, but I cannot forget some of their truly awful decisions and occurrences. For example, Trump’s administration separated children from their parents at the southern border, and his intended mass deportation plan would only encourage more of that. Trump’s Muslim nation ban unfairly discriminated against whole countries that have many wonderful people who would have brought their skills, talent, expertise, and generosity if they were allowed to. These Muslim majority nations have scientists, researchers, doctors, etc. who might have made amazing discoveries for the world and helpful contributions to the U.S. They would have helped us address critical gaps in health care and other career sectors in desperate need of more help.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Lives Matters protests — at a time when the U.S. needed uniting and compassionate leadership like never before — Trump held political rallies all across the country and spread misinformation (and the virus) while way too many Americans were dying. Other countries were able to unite their people to mask up and take social precautions seriously which halted the virus sooner; the U.S. under Trump was not able to. If you care about the future, you likely acknowledge the impact of climate change and how it might burden future generations with more difficulties. Trump likely does not care about people in the future — only himself and maybe his family. He even tried to roll back lifesaving environmental regulations; he didn’t mind us having more lead, mercury, and other toxins in our air and water, for example. Trump also supported "socialism" in the form of a trillion dollar tax cut that mostly benefited wealthy billionaires and large corporations, some of which used the benefits for buybacks and dividends and while not investing in their employees. Trump was a sore loser and could not accept the fact that he lost the 2020 election. I could go on and on, but I think you understand the gist of my concerns.

Trump supported the construction of potentially leaky oil pipelines over large Great Plains aquifers which provide clean water for many states. Several years ago, he proposed the idea of transferring Great Lakes water to drought-stricken California which would not have provided immediate relief, would have been an outrageously expensive endeavor, and would have negatively impacted recreational and economic opportunities (and the ecosystem) in the Midwest and beyond. This did not seem to make it on the news very often (especially Fox News), but President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris made tremendously needed investments in the Great Lakes states and every other state — including the politically red ones. An influx of federal funds is now funding all sorts of projects from sea to shining sea. Some states such as Michigan are making amazing progress and are using their federal funds wisely such as for lead pipe removal, improved roads, more amenities, and home renovations.

There are so many topics that can be talked about in light of the upcoming election, which explains the length of this post! Another important topic is democracy: who will encourage democracies around the world to remain steadfast, courageous, and vibrant in the face of adversity? Who will help keep democracies and allies united — like how President Biden and Vice President Harris cordially strengthened our alliances with most of Europe and the Americas and strived to accomplish the same for Asia, Africa, etc.? Trump sowed and is STILL sowing the seeds of discord, cruelty, false propaganda, and chaos. I somehow came across a 2010-dated article on Howard Stern’s website about Trump (↗) and found an insightful and prescient quote that might describe Donald Trump to a T. He quipped, “If you get good ratings, you can be the worst human being on Earth.” Now I would like to think this is just part of his sarcasm and dark humor, but I think it could be a foreshadowing of what will happen if voters give him another term. We deserve better: a leader who will bring out the best in us, not the worst. I confidently believe that leader is Kamala Harris! Please consider voting in this truly important election before or on Tuesday, November 5th. Early voting and voting by mail are wonderful options and provide more convenience for you; I hope your state allows you plenty of days to vote early or to mail in your ballot.

P.S. I can’t believe the election is coming this soon!

You may see the previous post saying that I will not be blogging until July 19th, but after hearing about a recent bill signed by the Republican governor of Texas, I could not remain silent on what is going on even though it is happening in a different state from where I am. There is an awful agenda happening nationwide in Republican-dominated state legislatures and in league with Republican governors, not to mention what is going on with the ultra conservative Supreme Court and the lackadaisical Congress. I can go on and on about how they want more rights for guns yet fewer rights for specific groups of people. Many conservative and Republican politicians balk against President Biden's initiatives for student loan forgiveness — which if Congress supported would undoubtedly benefit millions of hardworking people who are currently in the middle class or lower socioeconomic status.

Meanwhile, these politicians were fine with the previous president wanting to give more than a trillion dollars for tax breaks that especially benefited the ultra wealthy. These allegedly pro-life Republicans and conservatives are actively "working" to lower the quality of life in the United States. As one excruciating example, according to Business Insider (↗) among others, Texas governor Greg Abbott signed a bill that eliminates requirements for outdoor working people to take necessary rest and water breaks. While this does not mean breaks are forbidden, it unfortunately opens the door for construction companies, utility companies, etc. to limit or discourage these breaks which could mean life or death for employees working in sweltering conditions. I am hoping that employers will have the integrity to make sure all their employees have as many breaks as needed because it is the right thing to do and results in happy and productive employees. If you care about your employees, they will more than likely care about you!

I believe this is a serious reminder of why voting is a serious responsibility. Politicians unfortunately have the power to ruin people's lives, but on the other hand they optimistically have the ability to help people live fulfilling lives and achieve their dreams. My hope is that voters vote for who will honorably serve all the people and not vote for only personal reasons. Starting with my next post, I promise that I will resume the geography-related content that best exemplifies the GeoFact of the Day Blog's true purpose, but I wanted to express my thoughts (and frustrations) on what is going on in the United States.

2020 Presidential Election Results — Vermont to Wyoming

Here are the 2020 Presidential Results from the states of Vermont to Wyoming in alphabetical order. This post concludes the 2020 election results series on GeoFact of the Day!

2020 Presidential Election Results — South Carolina to Utah

Here are the 2020 Presidential Results from the states of South Carolina to Utah in alphabetical order:

2020 Presidential Election Results — Ohio to Rhode Island

Here are the 2020 Presidential Results from the states of Ohio to Rhode Island in alphabetical order:

2020 Presidential Election Results — New Jersey to North Dakota

Here are the 2020 Presidential Results from the states of New Jersey to North Dakota in alphabetical order:

2020 Presidential Election Results — Missouri to New Hampshire

Here are the 2020 Presidential Results from the states of Missouri to New Hampshire in alphabetical order:

2020 Presidential Election Results — Maryland to Mississippi

Here are the 2020 Presidential Results from the states of Maryland to Mississippi in alphabetical order:

2020 Presidential Election Results — Iowa to Maine

Here are the 2020 Presidential Results from the states of Iowa to Maine in alphabetical order:

2020 Presidential Election Results — Georgia to Indiana

Here are the 2020 Presidential Results from the states of Georgia to Indiana in alphabetical order:

2020 Presidential Election Results — Colorado to Florida

Here are the 2020 Presidential Results from the states of Colorado to Florida in alphabetical order, including the District of Columbia (Washington, DC):

2020 Presidential Election Results — Alabama to California

Former Vice President Joseph Biden has been elected the next President of the United States starting on January 20th, 2021. According to the Associated Press (↗), Joe Biden received 81,281,888 votes (51.38%), while current President Donald Trump received 74,223,251 votes (46.91%). While the election occurred on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2020, Joe Biden was officially announced the winner on November 7th. Delayed several hours by the notorious "mob" invasion on the U.S. Capitol building, every state's electoral votes were officially recited and announced through the evening and nighttime hours.

In the wee morning hours of January 7th, Joe Biden was officially announced the winner despite some Republican objections. Way too many Republican U.S. representatives — 139 to be exact — voted in favor of one or both objections to Biden's win in the states of Arizona and Pennsylvania. Due to the mob attack, some Republicans were planning to object earlier on January 6th but changed their mind and finally supported Biden's win. Returning back to the subject of this post, here are the 2020 Presidential Results from the states of Alabama to California in alphabetical order (more posts will follow in upcoming days):