Trippin' to Grocery for Russian 'Shroom Fix

Today was move-in day at new hotel. After four days in the hills overlooking Sochi (at Hotel Aks), the plan was to board a cruise ship docked here for the Games (advance booking completed in December).

But as is the norm for all things 2014, a surprise change occurred, this time with a dose of serendipity. The ship apparently was commandeered for government or sponsor use, so my reservation changed (an upgrade!) from a windowless cabin off-shore to a fifth floor seaside room in a four-star hotel (I can see the cruise ship from the hotel).

Not quite like the "junior suite" referenced in the SNL "Space Olympics" video, but it will do.

Across the street from the new hotel is a "New York" steakhouse at which I enjoyed a nice filet mignon served with the most savory and unexpectedly delicious grilled plum sauce (Soooo good!) with a Jack & Coke and grilled vegetables (and baked pear with caramel, crushed almond and ice cream for dessert).

Stumbling out of the restaurant with near-food-coma status, my eyes fixed on a small neighborhood grocery to buy some bottled water, and I found the best surprise treat in Sochi so far. Shrooms!

Who says you can't blog and do 'shrooms? Bonus -- the box reminds me of that popular Mellow pizza chain back in Atlanta!

And thank goodness they included a Cracker Jack prize (or warning label) on which "X" means "Just Say No" to real 'shrooms.

Photo by Nicholas Wolaver

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

Settling In Across Sochi

 

Day one in the Olympic City was restful then productive. Dozed off just before dawn local time, and awoke to a gorgeous sunny day with the Black Sea and Central Sochi on the horizon from my perch atop the Aks Hotel.

By perch I mean the penthouse -- this five-level hotel is on the side of a large elevation sort of around the bend from the city center. The topography reminds me of those areas of San Francisco where a dramatic elevation blocks a clear view of the urban sprawl. All three taxi drivers hired today each joked that the driveway to my hotel is a "typical Russian road" since a Hummer or Jeep 4x4 would do better on the gravel and water-swept off-road course for the final three blocks of the approach (I will try to photograph this "Road to Sochi" tomorrow).

The Southern view is spectacular, and as my eyes adjusted to the midday sun I spotted the Port of Sochi and one of the cruise ships on the horizon, not far from three Russian Navy vessels about a mile off-shore. Sunset over the Black Sea (shown) also was a feast for the eyes.

Though far-removed from the main city, the taxi ride into town is easy (even with the potholes) and downtown Sochi is a bit like Long Beach or even San Diego with the harbor traffic and many high rise buildings all around. Most of the street lights now don a Sochi.Ru 2014 banner or an LED display shaped like the Sochi sports pictograms (though about every 10th LED looks like it was created by a high school shop class flunky).

My driver dropped me right at Sochi Port at the just-opened Sochi Media Center.

Like similar media centers in Torino and London, the SMC is inside a spectacular and historic venue I suspect opened as a shipping exchange in the 1800s. There are about 300 computers and dozens of giant screen Samsung TV monitors inside -- this place will be a fun "office" not far from "home" in the neighborhood.

About a quarter mile from SMC is the main collection of cruise ships (some friends are staying at a similar cruise ship option in Adler). Though I could not yet board my floating apartment booked for Feb 6-20, the Princess Anastasia is decked out with Olympic sponsor ads and the ship's berth is next to an enormous set of the Olympic rings painted white for the night, likely to appear soon on Olympic broadcast promos. The rings nicely frame the skyline and I felt lucky to get to walk out on a lighting scaffold for some evening photos.

While walking through the seaside shopping district, I noted there were no "Sochi stray dogs" as reported by the Associated Press (if there were strays around, they are now gone in the City Center areas visited today).

But there ARE a number of feral cats. I lost count of all the cats spotted around Sochi Port, near the hotel, the airport parking and about town. How come the AP did not report about all the pussies in this part of Russia?

Thanks to pre-Games research, I found a small Greek café not far from the wharf, window shopped at a nearby mall (remember, no luggage from KLM means I need clothes!) and also stocked up on a few grocery necessities at a 24-hour market next door.

Fun to discover Olympic sponsor beverages including juice boxes with the Sochi Olympic mascots, cereal and Coke products.

Even more fun to find one of my all-time favorite beverages -- Caffeine-Free Dr. Pepper, a drink rarely spotted in Atlanta -- in the store cooler. And this tasty treat is canned in Texas, not Europe, for that home town corn syrup goodness.

While shopping for the right vodka a gaggle of Sochi Olympic volunteers swarmed the store, with two friendly English speakers informing me never (NEBBER!) to get caught drinking on the street.

That's OK, I thought, later happy to toast day one in Sochi while watching the Olympic trains speed along the seaside tracks, just down the mountain from Aks Hotel. Za schast'ye, Sochi! To happiness!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver

Welcome to Sochi

About an hour ago we landed in Sochi. Sitting now in my room at the off-the-beaten-path Aks Hotel, I am very pleased with the Russia experience (the first hour of it, that is).

Aeroflot from Frankfurt was easy. The 90 year Russian airline took great care of us -- wonderful food, excellent hospitality, quiet time to nap and many gestures of "Welcome to Sochi" and the Olympics.

During our descent above the Black Sea, with the coastal cityscape and mountain venues aglow, the flight attendants delivered chrome key chains with a tiny metal jet and Sochi 2014 Olympic fob. Nice touch!

Passport control was faster than China, and the hotel was nice enough to arrange a taxi. So for the first time in my life I was greeted with a smiling driver and a typed sign "Welcome Nicholas WolaBer" just steps from baggage claim.

It was fun to bump into familiar faces from National Public Radio's production team arriving from Istanbul.

The Aks Hotel is about 3km from everything, nestled in a residential suburban area, and the taxi ride included brief off-roading around construction zones. But the Sochi highway system is ultra-modern and impressive. I was so happy the hotel manager gave me the key and said "sleep well and see you later today" when we arrived. This place is sort of a hotel-pension hybrid and the night sky and Black Sea are down the hill from my rooftop room.

Russian TV has no Super Bowl updates, but news about Philip Seymour Hoffman's apparent drug overdose is on many channels.

A 1940s Russian cartoon version of "Sleeping Beauty" or some similar fairy tale involving a violin-playing prince, a torch-carrying mob and a lot of swans will help me transition to slumber in no time.

More updates to follow -- with daylight, gotta find some fresh clothes and a toothbrush to get by until KLM arrives with my Detroit-stranded bag. Looking forward to trying the bus to Central Sochi.

So far so good!

Photos by Nicholas Wolaver