(CNN) -- It has been dubbed Russia's Las Vegas. A place where Vladimir Putin's government rolled the dice in a grand project to help the world rethink the way it does business.
More than $50 billion has been
spent in reshaping Sochi for the Winter Olympics, in the process bringing
traffic gridlock, a decline in tourism and environmental destruction.
If it's been tough for the
locals, it has arguably been just as hard for the ex-pats who came to the Black
Sea resort looking for a new life and are left wondering just what the legacy of
this month's Games holds for them.
One British businessman, who came
to Russia in 1996, believes a huge opportunity has been missed by the
authorities.
"What the Russians don't
understand is the price of what they have. The natural resources here, the
forests, the rivers -- there's so much untouched nature here it's just
incredible," says James Larkin.
"You can walk in the mountains
for several days and you won't see any houses, any roads, there's no way to get
there except for walking. There's not really many places in the world left for
that. That is a huge tourist attraction in itself."
Category: PICTURE OF THE DAY
Feb 13, 2014
Picture of the Day: Sochi Winter Olympics from Space
THE 2014 SOCHI WINTER OLYMPICS FROM SPACE Photograph by NASA ISS038-E-042992 (10 Feb. 2014) — One of the Expedition 38 crew members aboard the International Space Station downlinked this vertical 600mm night view of Sochi, Russia, which clearly shows the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics while they are just a few…Read More »
Feb 12, 2014
Picture of the Day: This is How You Recreate a Childhood Pic Brother!
THIS IS HOW YOU RECREATE A CHILDHOOD PIC BROTHER! Photographer Unknown via j0be on reddit Now this is how you recreate a childhood photo with your childhood idol! I couldn’t find much information on the image so I’m unsure how many years apart this is but Hulk Hogan has aged pretty well!…Read More »
Feb 7, 2014
Picture of the Day: Northern Lights in Northern Finland
NORTHERN LIGHTS IN NORTHERN FINLAND Photograph by Jorma Luhta via Visit Finland In this breathtaking capture, we see the Northern Lights (aurora borealis) as seen from Lapland, Finland. Lapland is the largest and northernmost of the regions of Finland. It borders the region of North Ostrobothnia in the south and also borders…Read More »
Feb 6, 2014
Picture of the Day: Follow the Leader
FOLLOW THE LEADER Photograph by MATT HUTTON Website | Facebook | Prints available In this perfectly timed photograph by Matt Hutton, we see a dolphin and surfer riding a wave at Jacques Point in Kalbarri, Australia. Hutton, who was kind enough to share this photo with the Sifter earlier this week, said…Read More »
Feb 4, 2014
Picture of the Day: The Front Steps After a Snowstorm
THE FRONT STEPS AFTER A SNOWSTORM Photograph by ROBBERY LAWSON Portfolio | Prints available In this beautiful capture by Robbery Lawson, we see the photographer’s front yard after an early January blizzard dumped 10 inches (25.4 cm) of snow in a matter of hours in St. Louis, Missouri. If you look closely…Read More »
Feb 3, 2014
Picture of the Day: The Most Hypnotic Ceiling in Shanghai
THE MOST HYPNOTIC CEILING IN SHANGHAI Photograph by DEAN MULLIN Website | Facebook | Twitter | 500px In this dizzying capture by Dean Mullin, we see an incredible vaulted ceiling at a BMW dealership in a mall in Shanghai. According to Mullin: “no illusion, just a really high vaulted ceiling – which…Read More »
Feb 2, 2014
Picture of the Day: The Shadow Cube
THE SHADOW CUBE Artwork by ANILA QUAYYUM AGHA Website | See.me | Indiana U. Profile | Facebook In this amazing light and shadow installation by Anila Quayyum Agha, we see a large-scale patterned wood cube with an interior light source that projects brilliant shadow patterns on the surrounding walls. Entitled Intersections (6.5′…Read More »
Feb 1, 2014
Picture of the Day: Deer Oh Deer Oh Deer
DEER OH DEER OH DEER Photograph by Renatas Jakaitis In this perfectly timed photo by Renatas Jakaitis, we see what appears to be a three-headed fallow deer. In reality it’s three separate deer that happen to be standing in perfect alignment with the camera, with all three turning and looking back at…Read More »
Jan 30, 2014
Picture of the Day: Reflection Perfection in Paris
REFLECTION PERFECTION IN PARIS Photograph by JOANNA LEMANSKA Website | Facebook | 500px | Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram In this beautiful black and white reflection photo by Joanna Lemanska aka MissCoolPics, we see the pedestrian underpass at Pont de la Tournelle, an arch bridge spanning the river Seine in Paris. According…Read More »
Jan 29, 2014
Picture of the Day: NYC from the Top of the Rock
SUNSET IN MANHATTAN Photograph by Örs Cseresnyés Website | Facebook | 500px | Prints available In this evening capture by Örs Cseresnyés, we see the Manhattan skyline as observed from the ‘Top of the Rock‘ observation deck at the Rockefeller Center’s GE Building (RCA Building). The Top of the Rock observation deck…Read More »
Jan 27, 2014
Picture of the Day: Skogafoss, Iceland
SKÓGAFOSS, ICELAND Photograph by STIAN KLO Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | 500px Skógafoss is one of the most famous (and visited) waterfalls in Iceland. Photographer Stian Klo (featured previously) says he had seen thousands of pictures from this iconic location and really wanted to try to get a ‘fresh’ angle of…Read More »
Jan 26, 2014
Picture of the Day: Lake Superior’s Fortress of Solitude
LAKE SUPERIOR’S FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE Photograph via Dirtyflowerz on reddit In this amazing capture we see the frozen shores of Lake Superior awash with giant chunks of ice that look eerily similar to Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. Unfortunately there is not much information available about the exact location this picture was taken…Read More »
Jan 24, 2014
Picture of the Day: This Lake is Pure Lava
THIS LAKE IS PURE LAVA Photograph by Cai Tjeenk Willink In this amazing photo we see the lava lake at Mount Nyiragongo, an active stratovolcano inside Virunga National Park, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The volcano has erupted at least 34 times since 1882, creating various-sized lava lakes that have…Read More »
Jan 22, 2014
Picture of the Day: A Fox Says What?
A FOX SAYS WHAT? Photograph by Gabriel Ciora-Márkus In this fantastic capture by Gabriel Ciora-Márkus, we get a candid close up of a fox in the mountains of Transylvania, Romania. I’m not 100% sure (maybe a Fox enthusiast can confirm?), but I believe this is a red fox (Vulpes vulpes). The red…Read More »
Jan 21, 2014
Picture of the Day: Looking Up to Giant Sequoias
LOOKING UP TO GIANT SEQUOIAS Photograph by xeno_sapien on reddit In this breathtaking photograph by xeno_sapien on reddit, we look skyward, surrounded by giant sequoia trees. The photograph was taken at Sequoia National Park which is located in the United States in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California. Established on…Read More »
Jan 19, 2014
Picture of the Day: Split Apple Rock
SPLIT APPLE ROCK Photograph by Rosino on Flickr Split Apple Rock is a geological rock formation in The Tasman Bay off the northern coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The rock, made of granite, looks like an apple split in half. The popular tourist attraction is located in the Tasman…Read More »
Jan 17, 2014
Picture of the Day: This Contact Lens Could Save Your Life
THIS CONTACT LENS COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE Photograph by Google Google is well known their ambitious and audacious side projects and their latest idea is no different. Announced yesterday on their official Google blog, project co-founders Brian Otis and Babak Parviz unveiled an intriguing image of a contact lens with a tiny…Read More »
Jan 14, 2014
Picture of the Day: The Standoff
THE STANDOFF Photograph by ALESSANDRO CANCIAN Website | Facebook | Twitter | 500px In this fantastic close up by Alessandro Cancian, we see a chipmunk and bird facing off, both clearly interested in the food that is atop this post. In the photo description page on 500px, Cancian says he used a…Read More »
Jan 13, 2014
Picture of the Day: Little Lake of Reflection
LITTLE LAKE OF REFLECTION Photograph by Gitta Sladič Lake Jasna is a picturesque alpine lake that covers a modest surface area of 2.2 ha (5.4 acres). What it lacks in size it makes up for in breathtaking surroundings. Located in northwestern Slovenia, Lake Jasna is 2 km from the small town of…Read More »
Jan 12, 2014
Picture of the Day: Freediving with Tuna Fish
FREEDIVING WITH TUNA FISH Photograph by KURT ARRIGO Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | 500px In this breathtaking underwater photograph by Kurt Arrigo, we see a woman freediving (i.e., no breathing aid) with a school of tuna fish. This is not a composite or digitally manipulated as many may be…Read More »
Jan 10, 2014
Picture of the Day: The ‘Wind Chilled’ City
THE ‘WIND CHILLED’ CITY Photograph by Hank Cain In this aerial photograph by pilot Hank Cain, we see the beautiful Chicago skyline below on a chilly morning on January 7, 2014. The photo was taken with Hank’s iPhone and the image has quickly spread online in the last few days. If you…Read More »
Jan 9, 2014
Picture of the Day: Frigid Falls
FRIGID FALLS Photograph by Shaheen Karolia In this beautiful capture we see the famous Niagara Falls on a frosty winter day. The photograph, by Shaheen Karolia, was taken on January 2nd, 2014. According to FriendlyForecast, the weather that day was between -10 and -15 degrees Celsius (14 – 5 degrees Fahrenheit). The…Read More »
Jan 8, 2014
Picture of the Day: San Francisco Fogginess
SAN FRANCISCO FOGGINESS Photograph by Michael Bennett In this beautiful sunrise capture, we see the Golden Gate Bridge enshrouded in fog. Interestingly, fog is so prevalent in San Francisco the weather phenomenon even has its own Wikipedia entry! The article explains in detail how the combination of Pacific Ocean moisture, prevailing winds…Read More »
Jan 7, 2014
Picture of the Day: The Blue Poison Dart Frog
THE BLUE POISON DART FROG Photograph by Quartl on Wikimedia Commons “This thing just looks poisonous” – me The blue poison dart frog or blue poison arrow frog, Dendrobates “azureus”, is a poison dart frog found in the forests surrounded by the Sipaliwini savannah, which is located in southern Suriname and…Read More »
Jan 6, 2014
Picture of the Day: The Frost Forest
THE FROST FOREST Photograph by exploreroftheworld on reddit In this random capture by reddit user exploreroftheworld, we see frost on a window that looks like a miniature forest of evergreen trees. The image was taken from the user’s apartment in Montreal, Canada, with his iPhone. This frosty winter has certainly created its…Read More »
Jan 5, 2014
Picture of the Day: The Sky Shadow
THE SKY SHADOW Photograph by runrgrl on reddit In this beautiful sunrise capture we see Washington’s Mount Rainier casting an upward shadow towards the sky. The photo was posted by redditor runrgrl, who says the image was taken from Fox Island, near Gig Harbor. The body of water in the foreground is…Read More »
Jan 3, 2014
Picture of the Day: Art Imitating Life
ART IMITATING LIFE Photograph by DANIEL KRONE Website | Twitter | Vimeo | Blog In this perfectly timed (and framed) photograph by Daniel Krone, we see a painting of the popular New Orleans street performer Uncle Louie in a store front while the actual Uncle Louie is spotted in the distance crossing…Read More »
Jan 2, 2014
Picture of the Day: A Natural Viewfinder
A NATURAL VIEWFINDER Photograph by John Fowler | lumenetic.com At the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument in Southern Utah you will find this impressive alcove at the end of the Jacob Hamblin Arch in Coyote Gulch. While you can experience Coyote Gulch as a day-hike, many choose to spend 2-4 nights backpacking…
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