Sochi Gets a Facelift for the Olympics

by Neil Woodburn on

Europe’s newest hotspot is Sochi?

Well, not quite yet. But if the Kremlin has its way, Russia’s premier Black Sea resort will be competing with the south of France for the deep pockets of the well-to-do.

Sochi has long been a favorite vacation spot for the Soviet elite as well as the rank-and-file workers since Stalin himself set up a summer residence there. Putin himself continues the tradition today.

With Russia’s corrupt government, one need not inquire any further why the Kremlin is investing billions of dollars to renovate the entire city to world class standards. The reality, however, is not merely for the creature comforts of Putin. The reality is that Sochi is competing for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Huh? Isn’t this a beach resort?

Yes, it is. But drive one hour up the steep slopes of the Caucasus Mountains rising above Sochi and one can be skiing by mid-morning. Pretty cool if you ask me.

Photo of the Day (2/18/2007)

by Jamie Rhein on

Whether you just appreciate the majestic beauty of nature or appreciate the science implicit in this photo, you can’t deny it is really cool. I departed today from taking photos out of our Gadling Flickr site because I saw this photo of a young volcano and my jaw dropped.

The photo is apparently from Kamchatka in Russia, and it was obviously shot from a plane or helicopter, although “guy with a jet pack” is an acceptable answer as well. But what I found so interesting about this photo is how much it reveals about how the early earth must have looked, and what one picture says about how land is made.

Moscow’s Pink Taxis: Women Only

by Neil Woodburn on

One of the great things about Russia is when you need a ride you simply stick out your hand. Someone will stop, negotiate a price, and you have a way back to your hotel. During Soviet times it was a way to make a little extra money.

Unfortunately, in post communist Russia, it can be a bit dangerous–especially for women. In fact, even licensed taxi cabs can be a dangerous proposition in the anything-goes capital of Russia.

That is why two Moscow women have launched Pink Taxi, a taxi company run by women, with women drivers that only pick up women. The company which began with only two cars has quickly exploded in popularity and now maintains a fleet of 27 taxis and handles 140 calls per day.

If you happen to be a subscriber of the Moscow Times you can read more about the company here. Otherwise, click here for a less detailed story.

The Five Most Dangerous Roads in the World

by Justin Glow on

Out of the few near-death experiences I can recall in my lifetime, just about all of them involved cars — driving them, being driven in them, being hit by one of them; even when the roads are perfectly asphalted and traffic is flowing smoothly it can still be dangerous. Just think of the times you find yourself in an overcrowded bus on Bolivia’s “Road of the Death,” which landed in the number one spot on this list of the world’s most dangerous roads.

“It runs in the Bolivian Andes, 70 km from La Paz to Coroico, and plunges down almost 3,600 meters in an orgy of extremely narrow hairpin curves and 800-meter abyss near-misses. A fatal accident happens there every couple of weeks, 100-200 people perish there every year.”

Other deadly roads include the Russian Siberian Road to Yakutsk, Russian-Georgian “Military” Mountain Roads and Mount Huashan Hiking Trail in China. Be sure and check out the list, complete with lots of goose bump-inducing photos at the Dark Roasted Blend blog.

Russia’s First Budget Airline

by Neil Woodburn on

The budget airline trend which has swept through Europe in the last few years has finally reached Russia.

On Monday, January 29, SkyExpress launched Russia’s budget airline category with an $18 flight from Moscow’s Vnukovo airport to the city of Sochi on the Black Sea.

Affordable transportation has always been a goal of Russia, the largest country in the world. Without it, the country would grind to a halt. “When the trains stop,” Lenin once said, “that’s it.”

Unfortunately, “affordable transportation” usually means 3-4 days on a train. Personally, I love the trains. But the last few times I’ve been to Russia I simply didn’t have the luxury of such time and purchased airline tickets instead. Russian domestic flights are still somewhat affordable for tourists (the Sochi flight is normally $105 on Aeroflot) but not so much for the average Russian.

A budget plane option will be a godsend to Russians tired of traveling long distances on trains. Let’s just hope that “budget” doesn’t’ mean cutting too many corners. Russia already has one of the worst airliner safety records in the developed world.