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Subway Workers In China Accidentally Demolish 3000-Year-Old Tombs

Guangzhou Subway
DruhScoff, Flickr

Workers installing a new subway line in Guangzhou, China's third largest city, destroyed an ancient group of protected tombs by mistake during construction on the weekend. Some of the five tombs date back to the Shang Dynasty around 3,000 years ago.

The area, which had been set aside for further excavation and study, was intact on Friday night. When archaeologists returned to work on Saturday, the tombs had been obliterated.

The South China Morning Post reports that the group of tombs had been clearly marked and sealed off, and were of significant historical value. One of the metro project managers admitted that his workers had destroyed the group of tombs, but claimed the accidental destruction was due to a misunderstanding.

Representatives from the Guangzhou Archaeology Research Center contend it was impossible the construction workers could have missed the signs and plastic coverings marking the protected area.

This isn't the first time ancient sites have been bulldozed in Guangzhou in recent times. Around 10 tombs have been destroyed during the construction of a new metro line. Numerous other historical buildings have been razed as well, usually without permission from authorities, as the city undergoes hurried expansion and development.

In part because of Guangzhou's rapid development, more and more ancient sites have been discovered in recent years during surveying and excavation of new construction projects.

Hertz Launches Dream Car Rental Service For Those Who Just Can't Drive 55

Aston Martin Vantage available from Hertz Dream Cars
Courtesy of Aston Martin
Yesterday, Hertz, one of the largest rental car companies in the world, announced the launch of their new Dream Cars service in the U.S. This new offering allows customers to rent exotic sports cars and high-end luxury models that typically haven't been available from the company in the past, granting travelers an opportunity to explore their destination in head-turning style.

Some of the vehicles that are available for rent include the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Bentley Continental GT, Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes-Benz AMG, Porsche 911 and the SRT Viper, just to name a few. And for those who want to enjoy a luxury ride while still remaining eco-friendly, Hertz is even offering the Tesla Model S electric sedan.

The Dream Car service extends well beyond just renting an amazing luxury ride. Hertz will also send a representative to deliver the car to the customer and give them a one-on-one orientation of the vehicle as well. Customers can be met at their terminal in the airport or the car can be delivered to a location of their choice.

Video Of The Day: Cape Verde

"Cape Verde - twothousandtwelve" from Qjawa on Vimeo.

I'm in Cape Verde today and as a tribute to the country's islands and this trip, my Video Of The Day today is one I came across on Vimeo of Cape Verde. This video is of the island Sal, where I am currently staying. Featuring everything from the arid, desert scenery within the island to the lagoons, salt baths and crystal clear waters meeting the white sand beaches, this video from one vacationer (Vimeo user: Qjawa) is bound to plant the desire in you to visit Cape Verde, as well.

UK Royals Lend Name To Airport, Cruise Ship, Again

airport
Heathrow Airport media centre
London's Heathrow airport continues to expand and remodel to meet current demand and prepare for the future. Heathrow's Terminal 2 (T2) will be home to the Star Alliance airlines and has United making the inaugural flights in June 2014. But rather than leave the new terminal named simply T2, airport developers took a look at the history of the facility and came up with something better.

Re-naming the facility Terminal 2: The Queen's Terminal, will honor Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and her long relationship with the airport. The Queen formally inaugurated the airport's first passenger terminal in 1955. Originally named the Europa Building, it was later named Terminal 2.

Opening in 1946 with just 62,000 passengers passing through, Heathrow was originally known as London Airport and the terminal was a temporary village of tents. Those tents gave way to prefabricated concrete villages prior to the opening of the old Terminal 2 that saw more than 70 million passengers in 2012.

Las Vegas Is Getting A Sports Stadium

Pedestrian mall rendering courtesy MGM Resorts International.
Las Vegas has long been talking about building an arena to host sporting events and big-name concerts, and now that idea seems one step closer to reality. On Tuesday, MGM Resorts International and entertainment company AEG announced the two entities will join forces to build a 20,000-set indoor venue just off the Las Vegas Strip.

The $350 million arena will be the centerpiece to a new pedestrian mall being developed on a piece of MGM-owned land between the New York-New York and Monte Carlo resorts. Ground will be broken next summer, and the arena is expected to be completed by spring 2016. Design firm Populous, the powerhouse behind London's O2 arena and Kansas City's Sprint Center, will draw up plans for the arena.

Although there is no sports franchise lined up for the stadium, Associated Press reports former Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman had previously tried to attract a developer to build a stadium fit for a pro hockey or basketball franchise. Developers are just hoping the event capital of the world will be able to attract high-profile acts and sporting matches to fill the stadium to capacity.

[via Skift]

Railway Hackers In Cambodia Build 'Bamboo Trains' (VIDEO)

A decrepit railway line in Cambodia only sees about one scheduled train per week, but that doesn't mean it goes unused the rest of the time. According to BoingBoing.net, entrepreneurial railway hackers have been building makeshift trains out of a slatted, bamboo platform set on two sets of wheels. The cart-like contraption is then power by a motor, which propels it at speeds up to 35 mph. It's a cheap and efficient way to move both people and cargo around the countryside, although the structural integrity of the rig is questionable. A lack of safety concerns didn't seem to stop a traveling couple from taking one of these trains for a ride, and they documented the process in the video above.

[via BoingBoing.net]

Get Warm, Get Lucky: Gadling's Exclusive Summer Playlist

Alessandro Oddi, Flickr

Just in time to officially celebrate the summer solstice comes the Gadling Exclusive Summer Playlist. You might have had the new Daft Punk album on repeat for the last few weeks now, but it's time for something new, so the Gadling crew got together and compiled all of our favorite warm weather songs the perfect summer playlist. We do of course kick off with Daft Punk's insta-jam "Get Lucky," because for summer 2013 there's just no other choice, and then we work our way through 67 more songs, all intended to keep your summer days chill and your summer evenings rocking.

Just like summer, or a good ice cream stand, there's a little bit of everything in this playlist. A little funk, a little country, a little Euro, a little reggae, a little indie pop... you get the idea.

Perfect for: road trips, afternoon lemonade drinking, taking the metro in a new city.


Listen to the full playlist on Spotify.

United Allegedly Runs Out Of Toilet Paper During International Flight

Shorline, Flickr
We've heard of flights running out of sugar, snacks and even fuel - but never have we ever known a flight to run out of toilet paper. That's what happened on board a recent flight from London to San Francisco, when United Airlines allegedly forgot to re-stock the plane's supply of toilet paper.

According to an account posted to FlyerTalk.com, it seems some creative flight attendants put together a pocket to hold some cocktail napkins, so passengers who had to use the loo weren't left completely stranded in the bathroom.

Although we've heard some crazy schemes for reducing the weight of aircraft to save on fuel - like how Spirit Airlines recently started serving wine in cans - we hope airlines overstock toilet paper on long-haul flights so more passengers don't have to rely on cocktail napkins in the future. It would be crazy to not be able to count on toilet paper being provided with the cost of an airline ticket, but in the age of add-on fees, who knows what can happen?

Vagabond Tales: Kayaking With Thieving, Soda Drinking, Bloodthirsty Monkeys

monkey beach, koh phi phi, monkey beach thailand
Heather Ellison

Most people who think monkeys are cute have more than likely never met a real monkey.

Although they might be cute on television, as anyone who has actually met a monkey will tell you, their cuteness is simply a disguise for their evil.

Yes, I'll say it again: monkeys are evil.

They have stolen my lunch while hiking in Costa Rica, and broken into my backpack in the streets of Kathmandu. They have danced on my roof all night in Bolivia, and an orangutan managed to steal this man's shirt off his back. In Peru, one even crawled into my sleeping bag, even though I was already sleeping in it.

Nevertheless, even once you realize they're mischievous little thieves, it's hard to not be drawn to them. There's just something about their pudgy face and long, dexterous tail that makes them too hard to pass by.

Which is why I found myself – despite all past encounters with the cheeky little devils – kayaking the waters of a Thai island with the specific intent of sharing a beach with monkeys.

Need Some Fudge? Visit The Wisconsin Dells, The Midwest's Most Delightfully Tacky Resort Town

You don't have to leave the Midwest to catch a glimpse of the Roman Coliseum, the White House, the Kalahari Desert and the fabled windmills of Mykonos. Nope, all you have to do is take a road trip to the Wisconsin Dells, one of America's delightfully tacky resort towns, where you can travel the world without venturing very far off the Wisconsin Dells Parkway.

I've lived in Chicago for years but have somehow managed to avoid visiting the Dells, the region's quintessential summer weekend getaway place for families, until I finally experienced the place in all its tawdry glory while on a camping trip at nearby Mirror Lake State Park. Sophisticated city types mock places like the Dells, which is chock-a-block with mini-golf, wax museums, water parks and every conceivable type of tourist trap imaginable. But I have a soft spot for tourist traps. You could even call it a morbid fascination.

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