Passing Thru - For the Curious and Thoughtful Traveler

For the Curious and Thoughtful Traveler

  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure Policy
  • Blog
  • Work With Us
    • Media Kit
    • Help with Your Business
    • Housesitting
      • How to Get Started as an International House Sitter
      • Our Housesitting Profile
  • Places
    • Africa
      • South Africa
    • Asia
      • China
      • India
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Australia & Oceania
      • Australia
      • Fiji Islands
      • The Philippines
    • Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Bosnia and Herzegovina
      • Bulgaria
      • Croatia
      • Czech Republic
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Hungary
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Latvia
      • Liechtenstein
      • Norway
      • Portugal
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Serbia
      • Spain
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Alaska
      • Arizona
      • California
      • Florida
      • Hawaii
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • Kansas
      • Michigan
      • Minnesota
      • Missouri
      • Montana
      • Nebraska
      • Nevada
      • North Carolina
      • North Dakota
      • Pennsylvania
      • South Dakota
      • Wisconsin
      • Wyoming
    • Scandinavia
      • Finland
      • Sweden
    • General Travel
  • Resources and Tools
    • Gift Guides
    • Luggage and Packing
      • Luggage Tags
      • Passport Security
    • Resources for Zazzle and Print On Demand
    • Technology
  • Contact
  • Opt-out preferences

Sochi: Initial Perceptions

By Betsy Wuebker 5 Comments

(Last Updated On: February 23, 2020)

2014-02-07 20.23.51We arrived in Sochi Friday night after a long layover in Chisinau from Bucharest. First impressions were favorable. The Adler airport is modern, and because most Olympic visitors appeared to have arrived for the Opening Ceremonies ahead of us, there was relatively little hassle processing through Russian passport control, and no customs check whatsoever. It was probably helpful that we’d gone through extensive security in Bucharest and Chisinau.

2014-02-07 20.14.28Getting transportation to our hotel was interesting. After a bewildering half hour or so, we enlisted help (the Olympics has tons of information people stationed everywhere one might encounter visitors) and taxied to our accommodations just a few miles north of the airport.

Check-in was interesting as well. We are staying at Guest House Deja Vu, and the administrator spoke no English. With the aid of a translation program on her computer, our reservation was found, passports copied and the appropriate communication with the authorities was made. See below for impressions of our room.

PhotoWe headed to the hotel’s onsite restaurant, which is popular in the neighborhood. A hearty meal and the Opening Ceremonies were topped off with vodka shots offered by our new Russian friends at the next table.

The following initial impressions are appended from a post on our Facebook page. I felt reactionary in the face of sensational media information our U.S. friends and family were seeing, and wanted to reassure people that we and our valuables were safe, our electronics were protected from hacking, and the accommodations were in working order.

cossack1. Security – There is a heavy police and security presence here, with transportation checkpoints that screen buses and individuals. The police dogs are the biggest German Shepherds I’ve ever seen. Police, military, Cossacks (in their traditional hats – very tough looking) and Security Team members and various types of vehicles are posted throughout town and the Olympic venues, and along main arteries and waterways up to the Mountain Cluster. Buses are scanned and stickered at each stop. Bags and backpacks are scanned and physically searched and we each received a gentle patdown from a same-sex security person. The effect of this is reassuring, not forbidding.

2014-02-07 20.25.562. Stray dogs – Yep, there are stray dogs. It’s hard to get used to seeing them. You know how I love dogs. Most appear to be fairly healthy and are quite furry as would befit a non-pet animal during the winter months. The ones we’ve seen are not aggressive, but they’re quite large mixed breeds – lots of shepherd, malinois, newfie-sized. They’re sort of co-existing with humans in this urban environment. Saw several napping in the sun on concrete from the train/bus today.

3. Accommodations – Our guest house appears to be a middle class vacation option. I’d rate it on par with Motel 6 in terms of decor. It’s very clean, but some details caused us a chuckle: Eastern European decor/esthetic, some jerry-rigged solutions to minor fails in the bathroom, etc. We have a fridge in our room, and the bed is fairly comfortable with double Euro-style duvets. The room is triple-bolted and so far, our personal belongings have been undisturbed. I made a point of making things very neat so I could see if anything was different. So far this seems like a far better choice than a newer hotel which might still be under construction, or have been full of Westerners. I think we’re the only Americans here, so we’re somewhat of a novelty.

tanyafamily4. The Russian people we’ve encountered have been kind and as helpful as they can be, given the language barrier. Not everyone knows everything. They’re doing their best. We’ve made several new friends, and with the aid of iTranslate on our iPhones, we can communicate with Russian speakers. The people from our hotel are very nice. Perks include meals up to 1600 rubles with a swipe card, laundry services (150 rubles – about $4), and help with directions around the neighborhood (I got an excellent manicure for 400 rubles – about $11.50 – at a nice salan kitty corner from our hotel. The neighborhood came alive on Saturday night with multiple stalls grilling up all kinds of meats and vegetables on kebab swords over charcoal. Lots of strolling about and people-watching for entertainment.

tatianaInterestingly, even Russians themselves were skeptical about the choice of Sochi. We met a lovely young woman from Moscow whose company had done work for the U.S. and Austrian teams. She’d never been to Sochi prior to commencing the project, and has been living here full time for several months preparing for the Games. She only knew the area as a vacation destination, and couldn’t believe it could support snow venues, much less the impressive Mountain Cluster facilities and people-moving systems. Judging from the comments of our fellow spectators at the Slopestyle Snowboarding event, favorable impressions won the day.

Photo15. Where did the $51 Billion get spent? A lot of it was spent in the Mountain Cluster. The venue is a good 45 minutes from town (which has a semi-tropical climate). They literally had to blast the competitive venues and access to them all out of the mountains. It is amazing. Not everything is perfectly done, but overall it was a positive spectator experience, and some of the aspects – view, entertainment other than the athletics, and a really swell gondola ride – were outstanding!

It was beyond exciting to see the first gold medal of the Games go to the USA in Slopestyle Snowboarding. Because this is our first Olympics, it was difficult to know what to expect. I think our expectations were realistic; we’re getting what we think is a more authentic experience than the sanitized one we might have received had we stayed in the Olympic Village “bubble” in a branded hotel. We’re getting around using the free transportation system (which is pristine and efficient, but initially confusing to us), and we’re looking forward to a couple more free days before our next events.

Please visit our Facebook page for lots more photos and updates as they happen. Go USA!

Tips for Trip Success

Book Your Flight
Find an inexpensive flight by using CheapOAir, a favorite of ours because it regularly returns less expensive flight options from a variety of airlines.

Book Your Hotel or Special Accommodation
We are big fans of Booking.com. We like their review system and photos. If we want to see more reviews and additional booking options, we go to TripAdvisor.

You Need Travel Insurance!
Good travel insurance means having total peace of mind. Travel insurance protects you when your medical insurance often will not and better than what you get from your credit card. It will provide comprehensive coverage should you need medical treatment or return to the United States, compensation for trip interruption, baggage loss, and other situations.

PassingThru is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

To view PassingThru’s privacy policy, click here.

Filed Under: Travel

Comments

  1. Catherine says

    February 13, 2014 at 11:09 pm

    Sounds fab and it’s good that you are managing with the transportation system ok. Glad your hotel was already built and you got a flushing loo. 🙂 I’m just catching up on your updates now – this horrid cold has slowed me down.

    Reply
  2. Hilary says

    March 4, 2014 at 1:40 am

    Hi Betsy and Pete – sounds like you have made some excellent choices so far … cheers Hilary

    Reply
    • Betsy Wuebker says

      March 4, 2014 at 3:48 pm

      Thanks, Hilary! 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Sochi Security: What We Saw | Passing Thru says:
    February 19, 2014 at 4:05 pm

    […] all over the public venues. It was clear the Russians were taking security very, very seriously. As I wrote at the time, the overall effect of this was reassuring, not […]

    Reply
  2. Russians: What We Think vs What We Know - Passing Thru says:
    March 4, 2014 at 5:27 pm

    […] Sochi: Initial Perceptions […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


Aloha! We’re Betsy and Pete Wuebker. We traveled the world full time for close to four years and have visited almost 50 countries. If you’re a curious and thoughtful traveler, you’re in the right place. No matter if you’re new to travel or an old hand, we can help you refine your bucket list!

Here’s to a happier, travel-centered life!

Best Reasons to Visit Gorgeous Georgia – Here’s Why the Beautiful Country of Georgia Should Be On Your Bucket List

Bucket List Ideas

  • Things You Will Learn About Yourself While Walking the Camino de Santiago
  • 10 Unmissable Attractions in Bhutan
  • Oktoberfest Getaway in Munich: Top Tips Ensure the Best Oktoberfest Plan for the Famous Munich Beer Festival

More Bucket List Ideas

Privacy Policy

Click here for PassingThru’s Privacy Policy.

Disclosure

PassingThru is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Click here for PassingThru’s complete Disclosure Policy.

Copyright © 2023 Passing Thru · Designed by Blue Sun Studio, Inc. on Genesis · Log in

Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}