The Competition Pool

As we drive to the competition poo, about a 20 min ride. We get an idea of how people live here. We don't see to many houses, but thousands of apartments. Apparently our guide in Moscow told us that people live in very small apartments, but the government gives them some land in the country and people build small houses there for the summer. No apartments or houses have air conditioning and you probably don't need either.

The first view of the competition site is a football stadium.

Wow its big and that's where the pool is. We drive closer and security is very tight. The bus stops and is checked, including in the luggage compartments and using a mirror to look under the bus. When we finally stop we get off to the next security check point. We must go through at least 20 times a day every where we go. There is never just one guard, but at least 5 of them. Our credentials are all bar code written, so we have to scan them to get in (and out?) Its a ritual that we are use to now, but the funny thing is Nuna's credentials, do not work on getting into the European food court. So each time the guards get confused, call some one over, they get confused and then decide to let her in. She has been a good sport about this every time.

Back to the stadium entry. As we enter the pool I say wow this awesome, Nuna is quiet, which is not surprising as I have found her not to be a morning person. I take pictures etc.. and then we walk to the other side of the pool. I then realise we are looking at the warm up pool, not the competition pool. Opps. Then double wow. It is amazing. I've been to Omaha twice (home of our Olympic Trials), but this has a stadium feel to it, absolutely amazing.

                    Nuna at the warm up pool

Pano of the competition pool

Finally we Stretch, warm up, do some pace, warm down, get dressed and head back to the village.