SURVIVOR - Palau

DAY 23 - Mr. Strategy

REWARD CHALLENGE:

COURTNEY'S POINT OF VIEW:

We arrive at the reward destination. We watch into a small, thatched room shelter with a picnic table in the centre. On the table is sandwiches of all varieties and lemonade. We all are in complete shock as we immediately race to the benches and sit to feast on the food.

It only takes ten minutes until all the sandwiches and lemonade have been fully devoured.

It's then when a local Palauan man walks up to us, that things get emotional

"Alii!" he greets in Palauan.

"Alii!" we cheer back at him. Completely forgetting about the main part of this reward, the local pulls out four envelopes. He places them on the table and we all grab our envelopes quicker then a cheetah can catch it's prey.

Immediately Erika and I are in tears. Erika tears open her note from home, sob as she reads in her head.

The two guys, Kyle and Jonathan smiles, and have their arms around each other.

As I open the letter the first thing I see is the unorganized and beautiful hand-writing of my four year old boy. I burst into tears at the sight of the colours and images he has drawn.

"Dear Mommy,
I mis you so much. Ples cum home soon wif lots of monys
Love Benson"

I kiss the letter and hug it in my arms. I don't even realize that Erika has come and given me a huge hug until it is happening. The rest of the letter is from my husband, Michael. He tells me how much he misses and loves me. He tells me to be strong and let nothing get in my way of winning, and to focus and pour my heart into the task at hand. He says how proud he is of me and incredibly appreciative his is of myself.

This letter from home makes me realize why I am in the mix of this craziness. Why I sleep on wet palm's and eat nothing. It is for them. My family.

I will continue fighting and fighting in this game, because I don't want to let them down, and if they want me out, they going have to drag me by the leg as I kick and scream, because I will not let that happen

JUNTOS TRIBE

KATE'S POINT OF VIEW:

Arriving back at camp after the challenge, was very deflating. I didn't get immunity or get to go on reward. Worse yet, Courtney did and she took two of my allies, Erika and Kyle.

That is definitely concerning. I think she chose Erika out of sympathy. Erika was definitely very emotional about the reward and wanted it very badly. So I see why Courtney chose her. I also notice why she takes Kyle with her, and it is for a completely different reason to Erika. Courtney believe's she can get Kyle back on board by making him emotionally connected with them, it's almost blackmail. They have given him a reward and Kyle will feel obliged to give back in return. Which is very smart but very dirty game play.

I sit in the shelter, attempting to cool off from such harsh and humid temperatures with everyone else who didn't go to the reward. Coincidental, everyone here happens to be from my alliance so we can happily and easily talk about the vote tonight.

"So, if it's not Courtney, it's Jonathan then. Right?" I ask the group

"I suppose so" Bennett shrugs, "which isn't all that bad. Because he could be a challenge dominator later on in the game, and we can't afford that"

"Sweet. That's easy then" Leon says cutting a coconut with the machete. He is the only one who is not in the shelter relaxing.

That kid I tell you, he really impresses me. He never seems to stop working. Which is pretty darn inspiring but also a great liability to my game. So I know as soon as we have withered away the minority, Leon is going to be on the top of that hit list.