Not a food fight, but a mud fight...... Survivor Summary for September 22  9/23/05

By Marcus

Spider webs, mud wrestling, and a sleight of hand that caught the wide-eyed magician's assistant, Morgan, totally and completely by surprise. Another good show by the Survivor Guatemala producers.

Back to the heavily roped spider web. It was just last week while hiking on a community trail, that I stumbled into an almost invisible spider web. In fact, I didn't even know it was there until my arms, face, ears and hair were entwined. What a disgusting sensation of sticky threads wrapping themselves around me. Luckily, the spider did not pursue its nearly captured prey. But this show's spider web posed more of a challenge for balance, speed, concentration and focus. Some of these spiders struggled just to keep balance. I thought that Rafe may have required a lifeguard or perhaps he would have become spider's main course. But of all the crawling sixteen Survivor spiders, I think that zookeeper Cindy is without doubt the "Spiderwoman of Guatemala." She literally scampered up, between and through the ropes like a dancer. Perhaps being a zookeeper keeps her light on her feet?

In some spas, a mud bath is considered an expensive luxurious way to relax, unwind, and forget problems as the soothing thick mud gently caressingly envelops and lulls you into a protected womb-like state of bliss. Ahhhhh….such moments are so wonderfully remembered.

But not for these survivors. Their mud bath spa was down and dirty. Straining, groaning, and grimacing. Men posturing, butt baring, and snarling. Women's bikini bottoms slipping. Even a couple of tackles could not achieve victory. Then the challenge became one on one. Man against man. Muscle and bone and leverage. They pawed. They snorted like water buffalo. They dug in with fingers and toes. They fought for every grimy inch. Remember how New York barrel of a man Judd has predicted that he would be the hero? (maybe he needs to feel like a hero to compensate for something in his past?) And in truth, his disparaging comments about handsome Blake's need for beauty sleep did come back to haunt him. Judd burrowed in like a Guatemala pit bull and powered to victory. But I wonder if his ego will eventually turn the others against him. Sometimes even when braggarts deliver, the cheering crowd eventually dissipates.

Pigskin Gary secret quarterbacking history was exposed. But when directly asked by his own teammate about the validity of that, he lied. I predict that his lying will be remembered in future tribal councils. I just don't understand how he thinks such deliberate deception will be to his advantage.

What can we say about ousted Morgan who was taken completely by surprise? Evidently her tribe members are already developing into very good conspirators. I guess that she simply had no more tricks up her sleeve? And who is the real magician? I think that it is Stephanie.

A Tikal tidbit……the Mayan rulers believed they were spiritually connected to and guided by the jaguar.

See Also:

10/21/05 "Burgers, beer, and a bully" - Survivor Guatemala Episode 6 Summary

10/14/05 "The Ax Man and the Grenadier" - Survivor Episode 5 Summary

10/7/05 Smelly bodies. Shrunken bellies. Switching bodies - Survivor Episode 4 Summary

9/30/05 "Paint, feathers, and elbows" - Survivor Summary for September 29

9/16/05 Survivor Guatemala - Better Know As "The Jungle Ain't No Picnic"