2014 Sochi Winter Olympics: Journalists Report No Wifi, Poisonous Water and Broken Elevators

The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics are just days away and already controversy is emerging. It seems that while the athletes' accommodation is quite adequate in the Olympic Village, journalists at the games are facing a much more troubled time. Reports are emerging from numerous journalists at the games citing appalling conditions, poisonous water, no WiFi and broken elevators. It is not a good sign that the most expensive Olympic games cannot provide appropriate accommodation for the media.

Bruce Arthur, a reporter for Canada.com at the games gives a good run down: "Almost every room is missing something: light bulbs, TVs, lamps, chairs, curtains, WiFi, heat, hot water. Shower curtains are a valuable piece of the future black market here. (One American photographer was simply told, 'You will not get a shower curtain')" he writes. Meanwhile "In the Ekaterininsky Kvartal hotel, the elevator is broken and the stairway is unlit, with stairs of varying and unpredictable heights."

Twitter accounts have also posted dozens of photos and comments of the sub-standard lodgings. Stacy St. Clair from the Chicago Tribune tweeted "My hotel has no water. If restored, the front desk says, "do not use on your face because it contains something very dangerous." Shaun Walker from The Inependent tweeted "Went to buy water, realized at last minute was big plastic bottle of gin. Then got accosted by 3-legged dog." Tweets of this kind are flooding the hashtag #Sochi.

German photographer Joerg Reuter revealed "the outdoor area and floors/staircase/elevator inside were still under construction and completely dirty," Reuter wrote, adding that the room he was shown "had no light in the main room, the water out of the tap was yellow/brown, the air conditioning, TV, kitchenware were all not working ... Beside this the room was totally dirty and everywhere covered with dust."

With reports of broken elevators, no water, no WiFi and stray dogs all over the Sochi, it's looking like a difficult Olympic Games for journalists and fans. Considering Putin's government spent over $50 billion on these games, many have been left wondering what, exactly, all that money was spent on. Here's hoping for a mind-blowing opening ceremony.