The LG Travel News Roundup: Roman Police Go Undercover as Gladiators

Extras — By Candace R on August 19, 2011 at 6:00 am

By Susmita Baral
LG News Intern

Missed the big travel stories of the week? And the weird, wacky and insignificant ones? We’ve got your roundup right here…

Roman Police Go Undercover to Nab Con Artists

Roman policemen recently went undercover and dressed as gladiators to patrol the streets of Rome in a sting devoted to catching cheating centurions. Dressed-up gladiators often stand outside Roman landmarks and take pictures with tourists, however it is believed that many of these men threaten outside competition and tourists have been scammed. Twenty to thirty gladiators were arrested in the operation. Source: AOL Travel

A Tour Around the States that Goes “Pop”

Are you a soda aficionado? Test your dedication by visiting the pop shrines of the US including: The Doctor Pepper Museum in Waco, Texas; Pops in Arcadia, Oklahoma; Marietta Soda Museum in Marietta, Ohio; Galco’s Soda Pop Stop in Los Angeles, California and the World of Coca-Cola, in Atlanta, Georgia. These shrines vary in what they offer: Pops is a restaurant featuring over 500 varieties of soda with a 66 foot-tall LED bottle out front while the World of Coca-Cola features Coke-related artifacts and memorabilia, an operating bottling line, and an art gallery. Source: MSNBC’s Overhead Bin

“Flotels” to Cater to Olympic Tourists in London

Due to shortages in hotels, the London 2012 Olympic chiefs are considering booking three cruise liners that will be docked on the River Thames as floating hotels, or “flotels” as they’re also known. Located only three miles from the Olympic Park in Stratford, these hotels just may be in more demand due to their convenient location. It has been estimated that visitors will be paying 10 times the normal amount for a traditional hotel room. Source: DailyMail

Stowaway Bat on Flight Causes a Stir

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are trying to locate all the passengers on the Aug. 5 Delta flight 5121 which departed Madison, Wisconsin at 6:45 a.m. for Atlanta. The plane was in air when a bat started flying throughout the cabin, causing the flight to return to Madison. The bat managed to escape so it is unclear whether it had rabies or not, which is why the CDC hopes to track down all the passengers to protect them. Source: Yahoo

* * *

Travel News Bits

Adventure is Key to New Travel Writing Contest

Online travel community Gear Up and Play wants to hear your adventure travel stories–and they’re even giving the winner $200 cash. Entries are due by August 31, but only those registered with the website can enter. Source: Gear Up and Play

Thumbnail courtesy of CTV News