Permit me to begin by saying that due to "real life" and other factors, I am
sorry to announce that Survivor Review is being scaled back to only one
article per week.  Instead of a simple, straight-forward recap of each episode
I will incorporate elements of the old Commentary and Prediction pages here.
For 6 seasons I've written three articles per week and it has been a lot of fun.
On with the show…

Jeff Probst begins his standard introduction to the new season, informing
us how miserable it is in Guatemala.  Jaguars, snakes, bugs, oppressive
heat and humidity, and crocodiles.  I'm sure the Guatemalan tourist bureau
appreciated that!  Next he brings up the Mayans, a sophisticated civilization
which built nice pyramids and had a good handle on astronomy and time-
keeping.  Almost overnight, they vanished mysteriously.  Did they succumb
to a European disease?  Transmutated into energy beings and fled to a bet-
ter dimensional plane?  Drank Koolaid?  Nobody knows.  But they left behind
some cool structures and art.

Enter our hapless Americans.  They are already divided into two tribes,
Yaxha and Nakum, as they trek through the jungle to meet Jeff.  He explains
that they will begin with a few Mayan tools, and each team will get one ex-
perienced player from last season.  Stephanie joins Yaxha, Bobby Jon goes
with Nakum.  Despite the cold fact that these two were part of the worst tribe
ever in Survivor history, they are somehow going to benefit the new players
with their knowledge and skills. 

Jeff starts them off on their first Reward Challenge.  An eleven mile trek thru
dense jungle to a lake.  There, each tribe will find it's canoe and head for the
opposite shore, then trek a short distance to a Mayan ruin.  The first tribe to
reach it shall be allowed to use it as their camp.  They will also get flint for
fire-starting.  The losers get nothing except another boat-ride to their camp
site.  Each tribe begins by gathering items to aid them.  A map and compass
are provided.  There is also water and corn which they may carry (and conse-
quently, slow them down). 

Yaxha and Nakum grab all they can carry and start the trek.  Jim, who served
in the Marines before becoming a fireman, knows how to read a map and use
a compass.  He skillfully guides Nakum through the jungle.  Over at Yaxha,
they are led by Stephanie and Gary, an ex-NFL quarterback.  They get lost.
But soon they are back on track.  Over at Nakum, Blake gets hit by a thorny
branch.  Nurse Margaret tends to him, but he quickly starts to show signs
of dehydration.  As night falls, both tribes decide to stop for a nap. 

Day 2 and a monkey wakes up Yaxha.  They get an early start.  Amazingly,
they bump into Nakum as both tribes find a trail which leads to the lake.
Bobby Jon begins to cramp-up from dehydration, and Margaret tends to him.
Nakum's previous lead seems to have slipped away, but they manage to
reach the lake and board their canoe first.  Soon, both tribes are paddling
away, with Yaxha about 100 yards or less behind Nakum.  Upon reaching
shore, Bobby Jon has more trouble.  He can barely move and only with help
does he get out of the canoe.  Judd also had a problem when he leapt out
too soon and landed in a quagmire of mud.  Despite these problems, Nakum
reaches the finish line first.  Jeff congratulates them and gives Nakum their
flint.  He then gives Yaxha the boot and quickly sends them off to their camp.
The entire trek took some 24 hours to complete.

Yaxha paddles away.  They are disheartened, but determined to make the
best of it.  Arriving at their campsite, they find a few pots to store corn and
such in.  Work is started on a shelter.  It's no Mayan temple, but will do.  At
Nakum, all the men have collapsed.  They are all worn out and dehydrated.
Margaret is especially concerned about Bobby Jon, who seems to be slip-
ping into shock. 

Day 3 and tree-mail arrives announcing the Immunity Challenge.  Stephanie
coaches Yaxha and motivates them.  They have no intention of losing.  Back
at Nakum, Bobby Jon and Blake aren't much better.  BJ is concerned that
the Nakum men are spent.  As Churchill would say, "The moment you con-
template defeat, you are defeated."  The IC is pretty straight forward.  Each
tribe paddles out to a buoy and retrieves a torch.  Back at shore, they must
move the torch in the canoe overland to the fire pit.  First to use their torch
to light the fire wins the Mayan Immunity idol.  The race is even at first, until
Yaxha turns into Nakum's boat, delaying Nakum from getting their torch.
But it's still a close race as both tribes get ashore, using several logs to
portage their boats to the fire pit.  A rope is tied to each bow and several
from each tribe pull as the rest push the boats.  Logs are moved from the end
back to the front to keep things going.  Stephanie feet get stuck under a log.
The same happens a couple times to Nakum's people.  Yaxha gets the lead
and holds on to it, winning immunity.

Nakum returns to camp.  The men are hurt and exhausted.  Jim may have
torn a muscle in his left arm/shoulder.  Blake and BJ are still suffering from
dehydration.  The women plot with Judd and Brandon as to which of the
wounded must go first. 

At Tribal Council, the main topic is the injury roll-call.  Jim tells Jeff why his
left arm is in a sling, having torn a muscle during IC.  Bobby Jon talks about
how much harder this season is than last.  The women are generally con-
cerned about how healthy their tribe is.  They are certainly worried about
becoming the second tribe to lose every immunity.  Jeff just shakes his head.
It's time to vote.  Jim votes to boot Margaret.  The rest gang up and boot
Jim.  Jeff warns Nakum that they have a very long way to go.

SPOILERS:  Yaxha eats ants for some protein.  Blake is getting worse.