re: #56 Charles Johnson

I can hardly believe these pictures coming out of Sochi of the “hotels.” If this is how they treat a world-class event with huge public attention, imagine how Edward Snowden is living right now.

The photos I’m seeing are strikingly similar to what are called “hotelov dům”, hotel houses, in the Czech Republic. Many of them are badly antiquated buildings, mostly built during the communist era here, that have been converted into hotels or hostels.

The conditions in many of these buildings is appalling; I lived in one for awhile, and I was pretty damned happy to get out. The photos you’re seeing from Sochi are no different from what I lived in here, aside from the fact that the bathroom facilities are newer.

At least we didn’t have orange water which burns your face. Thank heavens for that, at least.