Germany's Inter City Express (ICE) high-speed railway system is suffering a major scandal as thousands of people have had to seek medical attention from overheated trains.

Temperatures on some trains have reached as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) thanks to malfunctioning air conditioning. More than 2,200 people have had to go to hospital after their sweltering rides. Train operator Deutsche Bahn has paid out 500 euros ($645) and a refund to each as compensation.

Deutsche Bahn is blaming the company that built the trains, but the railway industry says poor maintenance is to blame. In other words, nobody is taking responsibility.

Photo courtesy Sebastian Terfloth via Wikimedia Commons.

A week ago we reported on the Zephyr solar airplane flying nonstop for a week. Yesterday it landed safely after flying nonstop for two weeks, achieving the goal its designers set for it.

The unmanned drone runs on efficient solar cells along its wingspan that charge batteries to keep it running through the night. Sunny skies over Arizona helped boost its power. Engineers hope that it will be the first "eternal plane", never having to land. Qinetiq, the UK defense firm that designed it and flew it over a US military base, said there was no need for it to land yesterday but that it had proven its worth and is now ready for production.

The US military is interested in using it for military purposes, but Qinetiq is also pointing up the plane's scientific and commercial possibilities.

The previous endurance record for an unmanned drone was 30 hours, 24 minutes. A manned solar plane, the Solar Impulse, recently flew through the night on a 24-hour flight.


Photo courtesy Qinetiq.

Earlier this week, it was reported by a number of sources, including the National Park Service themselves, that an unnamed woman and her friend were attacked by a bison in Yellowstone National Park. The story was that the pair were passing through a parking lot near Old Faithful when they wandered too close to a bison, who became agitated and attacked, slamming into the woman and sending her soaring end-over-end into the air. The woman and her friend, we were told, were lucky to walk away with minor injuries. But, as often is the case with these kinds of stories, there is more here than meets the eye.

It turns out that the woman in the story is 49-year old Kathy Hayes of Utah, and the man accompanying her was her brother-in-law. The two did indeed come across a bison, as the original tale went, but once the full video was released, it told another side of the story.

As you can see below in the video that comes our way courtesy of CNN, Hayes and her companion did spot a bison in the parking lot, and then proceeded to approach it on their own, getting as close as 10 yards. Park regulations prohibit visitors from coming within 25 yards of bison or elk for obvious reasons. (FYI: Safe distance for a bear or wolf is 100 yards.) While playing the video, watch very closely. On one of the close-ups of the bison, you can see that someone throws a stick at the animal, striking it in the hind quarters, which immediately sends it into an agitated state. The beast then turns on the two humans invading its turf, and the video becomes a mix of the Blair Witch Project meets Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom as Hayes scrambles to get out of the way while still holding the camera, which dutifully goes on recording the proceedings.

After tossing her into the air like a rag doll, the bison does wander off and leaves Hayes and her companion alone. She ended up suffering just some severe bumps and bruises, but is honestly lucky to have come away alive. Her brother-in-law wasn't quite so lucky however, as he ended up suffering a broken shoulder, as well as injuries to his hand and foot, but as the park service press release stated "He was not injured by the bison." In other words, he hurt himself while scrambling to get out of the way of the creature he provoked.

Where I come from, that's known as Karma.

[Photo credit: J. Schmidt]

A travel mascot injects levity into a journey. Photographing one's mascot in various exotic locations is an often hilarious way to articulate a narrative string for a journey. This image of a tiny robot on the Great Wall by cjthekid is playfully awesome. It neatly juxtaposes the old and the contemporary; the durable and the disposable.

Poke around cjthekid's Robot Travel Association 5000 photo set and you'll find additional images of this little robot in China and Mongolia. I look forward to seeing where this little robot will show up next.

Anyone with similarly whimsical images of mascot-like objects perched on popular tourist sites or elsewhere for that matter should submit said images to the Gadling Flickr Pool. You might just have your image selected as our Photo of the Day.

The Peninsula Hong Kong, The Peninsula Beijing and The Peninsula Shanghai are offering China travelers a new way to see three of the country's best city, thanks the "Tale of Three Cities" – the hotels' collection of itineraries showcasing the very best of China.

Hoping to bring back the glamor in travel, the Peninsula's are hosting above-and-beyond luxury experiences at each hotel that include accommodations, cultural tours, culinary and spa activities and sightseeing in style - via Rolls-Royce and helicopters.

The "Epic Tale" offer features Peninsula Suite accommodation and a host of benefits, while the more value-driven "Classic Tale" program also offers a range of distinctive advantages for the China traveler. Both programs include The Peninsula Academy, with its unique selection of heritage, culinary and lifestyle activities created to give guests a taste of Chinese culture.

"The Epic Tale" - starting price $20,000
Two nights' accommodation in The Peninsula Suite (the premier suite in each hotel)
Airport transfers by Rolls-Royce Daily American breakfast
A selection of Peninsula Academy activities
Spa treatments at The Peninsula Spa by ESPA
Additional benefits in each hotel, including spa treatments, complimentary drinks, laundry, dry cleaning and more.

"The Classic Tale" - starting price $1,595
Two nights in a regular room
Daily American breakfast
Round-trip airport transfers by limousine
One Peninsula Academy program Spa credits at The Peninsula Spa by ESPA

The Peninsula Hong Kong, The Peninsula Shanghai and The Peninsula Beijing "Tale of Three Cities" programs are available through Dec. 29, 2010.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

It isn't exactly a wide-open commercial route, but at least the door is slightly ajar. Korean Air charter flights will start flying from Shanghai to Pyongyang on August 6, 2010, when the first group of tourists will take advantage of this (rather slight) liberalization of North Korean travel rules.

The goal, of course, is to "help to further promote cooperation and exchanges between China and North Korea in trade, tourism and culture," according to People's Daily Online.

It doesn't look like the move is coincidental, as this is the 60th anniversary of the start of what we call the "Korean War," though on the other side of the border, it's given the moniker, "the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea."

August is a great time to go to Pyongyang, given the Arirang Festival, which usually runs until October. And since North Korea is now a new destination for the Chinese tourist travel market (since April 12, 2010), the locals can take full advantage of this unique opportunity.

[photo by yeowatzup via Flickr]

The British have given us so much in the way of comedy; from Monty Python to The Office to the newly ubiquitous Russell Brand, funny is their best export. What else would you expect from a country so often bereft of sunshine? Now comes a delightful series of short videos from the BBC starring the hard-drinking, hapless Misery Bear, an English (but Made in China) stuffed teddy bear who never seems to catch a break. In the latest installment, Misery Bear goes on a seaside holiday to Brighton, England. Sad but familiar hilarity ensues as dodges seagulls, gets sick after riding a roller coaster, and tries to free some of his fellow bears from a claw vending machine. All that's missing is a rotund man chasing after some scantily-clad women.This isn't M. Bear's first trip out, previous episodes have sent him to London and South Africa for the World Cup.

Do you get frustrated when you walk into an airport? Even before you get there? On good days, it's a painful experience, with long lines, the security gauntlet and procedures (which may or may not be appropriate) that are guaranteed to annoy. It should come as no surprise that some are better than others. While the hope for a headache-free flight may not change your vacation plans, knowing that you'll pass though one may take the edge off a bit.

The Air Transport Research Society has put out a list of the world's most efficient airports, large and small, in the top three regions for travel: North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe. The rankings were based on a wide range of statistic, including "traffic data, on-time statistics, financial reports and passenger throughput."

According to the ATRS, the five airports least likely to drive you nuts (by region) are:

• Europe, Large Airport (more than 15 million passengers): Oslo, Norway
• Europe, Small Airport (less than 15 million passengers): Geneva, Switzerland
• North America, Large Airport (more than 15 million passengers): Atlanta, Georgia
• North America, Small Airport (less than 15 million passengers): Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
• Asia-Pacific, Large Airport (more than 15 million passengers): Hong Kong
• Asia-Pacific, Small Airport (less than 15 million passengers): Seoul-Gimpo, South Korea

So, which one is the best in the world? The ATRS gives that distinction to Atlanta, which is tops for traffic and has solid financial management. Seoul-Gimpo, according to the study, has made a "remarkable turnaround, and Oslo knocked Copenhagen out of the winner's circle that it had owned for several years.

[photo by Franco Folini via Flickr]

Part of the fun in each year's leading air shows comes in the showboating. Whether it's the newest, best window technology from PPG, the sexiest landing gear from Goodrich or the quietest, most efficient jet engine from Pratt and Whitney, people love seeing new products and the way that our future might look.

And just like auto shows around the planet, where concept cars with futuristic designs are displayed in front of lush, velvet curtains, the airframe manufacturers of 2010 have concept planes. Instead of building a $50m prototype, however, Airbus and Boeing just use a healthy dose of computer graphics with a heaping spoonful of marketing on top.

This year's concept fluff comes from the Farnborough Airshow where Airbus, Europe's largest airframe manufacturer and fierce competitor to Boeing is showing of it's latest aircraft of the future.

Chock full of engineering marvels such as a "U" shaped tail and a streamlined engine profile, Airbus says that the passenger airplane of the future will feature marvelous new materials, from transparency-shifting windows to comfy, form fitting seats. You can check out all of the details over at The Daily Mail.

Don't plan on seeing this aircraft anytime soon though, this uber concept model could only be ready by 2030 or 2050 -- and by then, we'll probably all be flying around in our own personal jetcars instead.

One of the best things about life as an expat in Turkey is easy access to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, with many previously far-flung destinations only a few hours' flight away. I might not plan a week-long vacation in, say, Kosovo, but if I can be there for Friday happy hour and home Monday morning, why not? My main criteria for choosing weekend trips are easy access, no advance visa required, and access to sights and culture I won't find in Istanbul. Other than that, I pore over the Turkish Airlines timetable like a Stieg Larsson novel, choose a destination, and start planning.

The place: Beirut, Lebanon

All the travel mags have recently hyped Beirut as the "Paris of the Middle East," a title the city has long boasted but only recently regained after the 2006 bombings. Now it's *the* place for nightlife in the Middle East, a hot bed of new construction with luxury hotels opening like the Four Seasons and Le Gray, and a diverse mix of culture (Lebanon has 18 official religions, representing Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and the Islamic Druze sect), where you can often hear church bells and the mosque's call to prayer on the same corner. The downtown district has been beautifully restored, though it lacks a little soul; the Corniche waterfront is pleasant for strolling among Muslim families and locals drinking tea and smoking nargileh pipes; and the university area of Hamra is dotted with cozy pubs and cafes.