NYR 9-25-11 - The Amazing Race

This afternoon, Jimmy, Mac and I went to our favorite little neighborhood Italian place for an early supper. When we walked up, they had all these Amazing Race props and decorations everywhere outside and inside.

We saw the manager when we walked in and I told him I loved all the decorations since TAR is one of my favorite shows. I also told him the new US season started tonight and so we were eating early so I could get home in time to watch it. He said that the Latin America season also started tonight and they were having a party to celebrate it.

We were waiting for our dinner when they started up the TV that was projected on this enormous movie screen on one side of the restaurant that I'd not noticed until then. By the time we were finished eating, the restaurant was hopping with people, all of whom knew each other. We had clearly crashed a party that we weren't invited to.

We paid the bill and on our way out, I asked the manager why they were hosting the viewing party and he said the owner of the restaurant was a contestant with his girlfriend in the Latin America version. WOW.

Last year my American hairdresser's daughter was a contestant on the US version and now one of my favorite restaurant's owner is a contestant on the Latin American version? I feel like I'm practically on the show.

Naturally I came home and googled the Latin American show. And while Juan Del Mar (the owner) doesn't have a linked profile, his girlfriend does. She's none other than Toya Montoya.

Doesn't ring any bells?

Yeah, it didn't for me either.

But it turns out she's a famous Colombian model. The first picture I saw of her online was of a photo shoot she did in the Galapagos Islands where let's just say she was one with nature. It was hard to concentrate on her face because there was so much of her shown in the picture.

Here's the official Latin American TAR photo. Juan and Toya, my new Colombian BFFs (HA!) who were both at the party, are on the upper left hand side in the red jackets.

For the ability to feed my TAR addiction, even in a foreign country, I am truly thankful.