Survivor: San Juan Del Sur - Season Premiere Blog Party

Survivor fans ready? We're heading into another season of Blood vs. Water! Albeit with a few familiar faces, (baseball's John Rocker, the "twinnies" from The Amazing Race), at least it's not former players. I like to see different faces on competition reality shows, perhaps with an "all-star" type season now and then. But I'm not too keen on previous players playing new players. I would rather not see the twinnies from TAR, but working apart they just might be bearable.

Just a few notes before we get on with the blog pool and the show:

• Remember! The 90-minute season finale of Big Brother 16 directly follows this 90-minute season premiere of Survivor! Claim your comfy spot early and settle in with snacks and tasty beverages! You're in for the long haul tonight!
• I'm setting things up so that the blog party post for the BB16 finale will show a few minutes before Survivor ends. So, when the party here wraps up, refresh your page so the new BB16 blog party post shows and join in there!
• Although entries for the blog pool for Survivor are closed (see list below), you still have time to enter the blog pool for The Amazing Race! If you want to enter that pool, please go to this TAR blog pool entry post and leave a comment there by Friday, noon ET. Only enter on that post as you might be (probably will be) overlooked if you put your entry request in on any other post. Merci!

As the show airs here, I'll update this post with the major happenings. You'll need to refresh the page for the latest news. As always, the real party is in the comments area. Come join in on the fun!

Lifeguard Laurie has revealed the random picks for the blog pool -- who's your hamster er, castaway? Laurie adds: "First people out of the pool will be randomly added to teams with only 2 people. Just think nobody should go home the first night. They barely get their feet wet!" You know, she rocks! 

Pool People
Alec = Karen in Case, Merrilee,
Baylor = Glenn, maquinn78, Sharon S
Dale = Brian, Margo,
Drew = Delee, Petals, SueGee
Jaclyn = CYW Coleman, rbennie,
Jeremy = Becky, Nana in the NW,
John R = Cheryl NC, MikesGirl, Terry in TX
Jon M = Donna in Alabama, Laurie,
Josh = crob61, Rochelle,
Julie = Donna NY, meb,
Keith = Donna in FL, PDX Granny,
Kelley = Babs Dud, ML, Russ
Missy = Ed in Ohio, Monty924, Sharon N
Nadiya = Jackie, Lynn1
Natalie = Jennasmom, Kelsey NY,
Reed = David, Kathy,
Val = Brenda, Nickelpeed,
Wes = Buzzmaam, ORKMommy, sanra

Oh, wow! I get one of the twinnies! I'm so darn lucky in these random picks!

On with the show we will go ...  

Silly castaways, they think they'll be working with their loved ones. So silly! They're being given flints as the duos to learn how to make fire. 

Monkeys! I see monkeys! Luck be a monkey tonight. Okay. Now I'm being silly. 

It will take me some time to tell who's whom on the show. Right now we're getting an intro into each "team." Who, of course, aren't teams and will be split up to compete against each other.

Now, they're split into two tribes. John Rocker feels he should take care of his woman. Keith tells us he recognizes John and that he's an "ass" -- was one in baseball and seems to be one now. 

First Reward Challenge -- one person races to retrieve rings from ropes and get two platforms. Jeremy goes for his tribe; competes against his wife Val (first twist of the game according to Jeff). They're playing for flint and a bag of beans -- loser will be sent to Exile Island. Oh my.  The one exiled will be back for the Immunity Challenge.

Jeremy wins reward for his tribe and sends his wife Val to Exile Island.  Jeremy has to pick one person to go with Val to Exile Island. He chooses Keith, part of the father/son team (father) because he thinks he's a woodsy type who will protect his wife. Keith is on Jeremy's tribe -- he had to pick someone from his own tribe to go.

Jeremy feels very bad about sending his wife to Exile, but wastes no time running around trying to get together an alliance.

On the other tribe, Dale is already being typecast as the "old guy." He finds a decal doohickey on the water source cover, pockets it thinking it's not the hidden idol but might save him at one point. He breaks his glasses in half to double their power and create fire.

On Exile, Val got a clue for the hidden idol at her camp while Keith got a blank note. 

John Rocker is trying to deny who he is, but it's not working with Wes. Now he wants to target Wes at the first tribal they go to. 

Immunity Challenge time. Val and Keith return from Exile Island. Race to top of tower, under obstacle, get three bags, climb three walls -- one with ropes, one with pegs, one just each other helping. Then three build a puzzle. (The making of this challenge is on the CBS website -- it's supposed to be the toughest ever. The puzzle pieces to make the Mayan puzzle weigh 50 pounds each.)

The tribe with Jeremy on it wins. Natalie, the twinnie, is also on that tribe.  

Coyopa (sp.?) is the tribe that lost. I have to get these tribe spellings down right. Ah, Hunahpu seems to be the winning tribe's name. Eep. Why can't they just be Smith and Jones?

Ohh ... Val's clue led her to the water source. That indeed could have been the idol Dale found!

Dale tells the others that Nadiya should go because she was a backstabber on TAR.  Val tries to put together an all girl alliance which includes Nadiya. They want to include Josh, the gay guy. @@ Oh noes! They want to target DALE. I like Dale! I'd rather they target Nadiya, please.

Tribal Council time. Time for Jeff's "Probsting" questions.

Time to tally the votes: Nadiya, Dale, Baylor, Dale, Nadiya, Dale, Nadiya, Nadiya, Nadiya!

Yay! I'm free from my random blog pool pick gal! (I really don't care for the "twinnies.")

Coyopa also got flint after the tribal council. 

The Big Brother 16 season finale blog party post is up and running if you wish to head there.