The 2014 Sochi Olympics are just a year away. And they're a world away from the last Games in Vancouver. Here's a look at five things you'll find in Sochi, Russia:

  • Palm trees

  • Borscht

  • Russian folk dancing

  • Unlicensed "taxis"

  • $50 billion pricetag

Soaring snowcapped peaks, some topping 3,200 meters (10,000 feet), and palm trees rise near the airport of the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, Russia, in this Mon. Jan. 22, 2007 file photo. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel, File)
A bowl of Beet and Potato Borscht is seen in this Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008 photo. (AP Photo/Larry Crowe)
Dancers of the renowned Moiseyev Dance Company performing a traditional Russian folk dance at a Moscow concert celebrating Igor Moiseyev's 100th birthday on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006. (AP Photo/ Misha Japaridze )
Cars during a rush hour in downtown Moscow, Sept. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)
In this photo dated Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, The inside view of the Adler-arena speed skating venue at the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi, with just one year till the opening ceremony of the winter Olympic 2014 Sochi Games. (AP Photo/Igor Yakunin)
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Palm trees

The towering trees that conjure images of Hollywood or Hawaii line the streets of Sochi, making it seem an unlikely site for the Winter Olympics. But the climate of the city known affectionately as the Black Sea Pearl is subtropical, with about 200 sunny days a year.