I just followed Haynes. The hardest part was to unbolt the
last bolt (passenger side) that holds the intake manifold,
you need a ring wrench for that. A little trick Haynes doesn't
mention: when putting the manifold back (with a new gasket),
start with the bolts from the middle - this way the gasket
cannot be jammed. If you have enough time and confidence
and don't break plastic parts around the fan, it is not so
hard a job.

Yes, this hose is a part of exhaust recirculation.

Dmitri