Staying in Sochi is a "hilarious adventure," weary media types have revealed, as they descended on Russia for the Sochi Winter Olympics.
The Games begin Thursday, but scanning Twitter it is debatable whether or not Sochi is actually prepared to host the 2014 Olympics.
Pleas for doorhandles and bargains being made with lightbulbs indicate some journalists have been transported to post-apocalyptic, Mad Max-style accommodation.
As the Washington Post wryly notes:
The disarray seems to contradict repeated promises from both Russian and Olympic officials that Sochi is ready for the games, despite terrorist threats, unfinished construction and concerns over human rights abuses in the country.
Here's our pick of some of the most appalling testing conditions the press is facing:
Canadian sports columnist Bruce Arthur wrote, "Almost every room is missing something: lightbulbs, 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."