 The eleven teams arrive via helicopter in the desert outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. Their destination is unknown until they rip open the clues waiting on their backpacks. Making their way to the airport in Las Vegas, Nevada, the teams fly to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and find a clue located at the "Big Man" (aka the statue of Christ the Redeemer). The clue instructs them to take a ferry to Paqueta Island and kiss "Fat Maria" (a tree). The next morning, the boats ferry teams back to Rio de Janeiro where they travel by gondola to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. Teams face a detour--either return back down Sugarloaf, go to Ipanema beach and track down the "Girl from Ipanema" or rappel 590-feet down the granite face of Sugarloaf Mountain. After the detour is complete, teams travel by boat to the finish line--located on a yacht anchored in the harbor. The last team to arrive will be eliminated form the race.