Not the best of days


Yesterday I wrote about the security procedures that we have to go through in Sochi, so of course, not an hour after I posted that, the security changed a little bit for us.
The TM10 bus, which runs between the Main Media Center and the Gorki Media Center, has been operating out of the “clean zone,” which is the area inside the security perimeters. This allowed us to not have to go through individual security when we got to our destination.
But yesterday we were informed that the TM10 route would go back to being outside the clean zone. It’s probably for the best.
The problem with having the bus in the clean zone (it was moved there on my second day here), is that it has to go through the security screenings each time it gets to either of the media centers. This is not a short process and it was basically delaying the arrivals and departures of the TM10 bus.
The last couple of nights have been a bit of a mess getting back to the coastal area. Both nights I was arriving fairly late (after 11 p.m.) and both nights we were dropped off in the middle of the street before the security gate. Not at a bus stop, not at the sidewalk. In the middle of the street. And last night, our driver got lost trying to get to the Main Media Center and we ended up in a spot where we couldn’t go and he had to try and turn around in a very tight spot. Though on a bright note, we did get to see a new section of Sochi in the process.
Changing subjects a bit, I am sure most people are aware of the problems that many of the journalists found when they reached Sochi and went to their hotel rooms. Numerous people sent me links to these stories and photos prior to me leaving.
Truth be told, I had no such problems. My room had clean sheets, hot water and a door that locked. Pretty much, that’s what I needed.
Well, then I got up this morning. For the first time since I got here there was no hot water for my shower. I am not complaining, since I’ve been to hotels in the United States that didn’t have hot water when I needed it. That kind of stuff happens, I’m just hoping that it is a one-time thing and that when I wake up tomorrow, it will be a thing of the past.
The fun continued with rain at the giant slalom competition, which soaked everything I had with me and now my camera's not working. So things took a turn in the wrong direction today.
Then again, soon enough I’ll be back in my own apartment, sleeping in my own bed with a whole other set of problems to deal with.
Maybe it would just be best to stay right here for a while. Though I would miss my Mountain Dew.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

That. Was. Not. Fun.

Image
The idea was impressive. The thinking was outside of the box. The work that was put in was impressive. And the final result surely looked amazing on television. But the execution? That left a lot to be desired, at least on the part of members of the media that were there to cover the unique Opening Ceremony that the Paris organizers planned. As most people probably know, the Paris 2024 organizers decided to bring the Opening Ceremony out of the stadium and have the athletes float along the River Seine through the center of Paris, with various performances happening along the banks and a final ceremony at the Trocadero near the Eiffel Tower. The plan was fantastic. First and foremost, the organizers did not have any transportation planned for the media who were not at the Trocadero. Those who were there had buses leaving from the Main Press Center and International Broadcasting Center to deliver them to that location amidst all of the security closures. The rest of the press was asked t...
Read more

A quick Opening Ceremony update

Image
Well, after more than an hour of walking, I reached the location where my ticket said I could be for the Opening Ceremony.  Yes, I walked an hour. There was the option of taking the subway, but I thought I might see more if I took the walking tour of Paris. From the media center, the walk brought me down past the Arc de Triomphe, down the Champs Elysees and eventually to the Louvre, where my entrance is supposed to be. I saw all those places when I was here in 2002, but it had been a long time. I am pretty sure there was no Five Guys on the Champs Elysees when I was here back then. However, once I got to the gate location, there was no gate. My guess is it will be opening up shortly, but right now there is just a lot of barricades and guys with guns. For now, I am sitting along the Seine waiting for the chance to get in... And of course it is starting to rain. More updates to come.  The Opening Ceremony is coming.
Read more

One day, one venue

Image
I have made a habit over my time covering the Olympics to try and get to lots of different events and venues. Most of the time that involves going from venue to venue in a single day. Yesterday I was at rowing, then on to soccer and then finished up at track. Rarely does it happen that I spend one day in one venue. Today, however, was that day. I woke up wanting to head to the Stade de France for some track action. I wanted to see Gabby Douglas compete in the first round of the 200 meters. My hope was to get a quote or two from Gabby after the competition to send to my former colleague, Jeff Lajoie, who works for a paper in her hometown area of Massachusetts. I made my way down to the press mixed zone, where athletes come through after their events to talk to the media. However, Gabby walked right through the mixed zone without talking to anyone (she did do a TV interview in the broadcast mixed zone), so I left without a quote, which was kind of a bummer. My original plan was to possib...
Read more