The Road To Sochi and Other Works In Progress

Unfinished road from Aks Hotel to Sochi.

As promised a few posts ago, this update includes an image of "The Road To Sochi" from the cliff-side Aks Hotel nestled between the Olympic city and Adler.
Though the Aks Hotel completed construction in 2012, as did many of its residential tower neighbors, most of the addresses surrounding the neighborhood are either U.S.S.R.-era abodes or Sochi 2014 ambitions gone awry.

There is just one construction crane nearby, with many more orange-zone projects long-since forgotten.

From an article my friend Jim sent, and also what my sister posted via Facebook (both features courtesy of Deadspin), looks like other U.S. media are having a grand time reporting on the Sochi accommodations experience near the Mountain Cluster and Seaside Cluster of venues ("cluster" being the optimum word).

On the ride home tonight I noted the brand new, would-be-four-star Hyatt in downtown Sochi has a lobby filled with busy painters and hundreds of brand new mattresses stacked like fluffy dominoes, indicative they might open by Friday.

So, Sochi is still getting ready, yes. The basics are ready, with lots more to be done. Sounds like just about every party I've ever hosted (both of them).

But the host planners must be given their due credit for working/trying hard. It's no different here than it was in Athens, where I will always recall the grounds crew busily laying sod by the gymnastics hall during the day of the final event inside the venue.

I am greatly impressed with the Sochi Media Center, which processed my accreditation today.

Though it took three visits during two days, and five "go to the other end of the building to enter" treks to gain access, once the kinks were addressed everything got normal.

"Sochi normal," that is.

It's going to be a great event!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver