Reading the quotes from this warning given by the State Department to Americans going to the Winter Olympics in Sochi, I'm struck by how surreal it is. "Remain vigilant and exercise good judgment and discretion when using any form of public transportation"? So if I get on a bus and a guy who look like a suicide bomber is saying prayers, I should excuse myself and get off the bus? That's not the worst of it. There's also a problem with Russia's 19th century health care system: Noting that the Olympics are the "first large-scale event to be held in Sochi," the U.S. government said, "Medical capacity and infrastructure in the region are untested for handling the volume of visitors expected for the Olympics," and medical care in many Russian localities "differs substantially from Western standards due to differing practices and approaches to primary care." Travelers were advised to consider "purchasing private medical evacuation and/or repatriation insurance." In other words,...(Read Full Post)