Video of the Day – Paraglider collides with vulture

by Stephen Greenwood on

It’s been a wild month for ‘animals vs. adventurers’ on Gadling. First, there was the antelope that tackled a cyclist harder than any NFL linebacker could, then there was the kayaker that got up close and personal with a blue whale, and finally, the South African motorcyclist that saved a calf from drowning in a canal.

Today’s battle? An incredible video from Russian YouTube user Paravoffka, captured as he was paragliding high above the Indian Himalayas. Midway through his flight, a Himalayan Griffon Vulture became entangled in the slings of the main chute, causing Paravoffka to drop through the air like a rock (with an eagle clawing at it).

Luckily, Paravoffka deployed the emergency chute, which allowed him to regain enough control to crash land in a tree, breaking his fall and eventually allowing him to free the vulture. Incredible footage and a great example of another extreme situation handled well under pressure.

Have you battled any forces of nature recently? We want proof! Submit pictures to our Gadling Flickr Pool and leave video links in the comments section below. It could be our next Photo/Video of the Day!

Video of the Day: My Jet Pack

by Mike Barish on

We’ve covered jet packs before here at Gadling. We’ve looked at water-powered versions, jet packs used for stunts and attempts to bring jet packs to the masses. However, as a viable means of transportation, jet packs still seem to fall a bit short. That said, they are perfectly suited as inspiration for an epic New Wave travel song. While we might have to wait years about we lift our feet off the ground with a jet pack, we can at least tap those feet to the beat while listening to this little ditty about a jet pack, a girl and a magical trip to space.

Keep the dream alive!

Photo of the Day – Route 66 Signage

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Route 66, the legendary roadway of American lore, may be no more, but ghostly vestiges of its existence still remain. Take the lovely stretch of retro hotel signs in Albuquerque New Mexico – part of the old Route 66 route. Just off the University of New Mexico campus, you’ll find a scattered collection of these aging neon beauties, sprouting like weeds among discount furniture stores, flophouses and trendy coffee shops. Today’s gorgeous example is brought to us by Flickr user Christian Carollo Photography. Pop quiz – can any of our Gadling readers name the TV show this exact sign recently appeared in?

Have any great travel photos you’d like to share with the world? Why not add them to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

Photo of the day – Cours Saleya candy

by Alex Robertson Textor on

Cours Saleya is a big public market in Nice, France, where all sorts of things, including the bright candy pictured here, can be purchased. I like this image, snapped by Flickr user Kumukulanui, for its bright colors and composition. Plus my teeth ache when I look at it. How often does an image engender such a visceral response?

Upload your images of sweet things to the Gadling Group Pool on Flickr. If we see an image of something we want to eat there’s a decent chance that we’ll then want to feature said image as a future Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day – Barcelona jamon

by Meg Nesterov on


The humble ham and cheese sandwich is a basic staple of the travel diet. In nearly every country I’ve traveled to, I can count on finding a cheap and tasty toasted ham and cheese at a snack bar or cafe while exploring a new city. With a nice glass of local wine or a cold beer, this simple sandwich can be sublime. The Spanish, however, have made ham an art form, noted by this display in Barcelona taken by Flickr user BaboMike. From the relatively cheap Pernil Bodega to the pricey (but worth it) Pernil Iberic de Gla, any of these would make a divine snack or a meal. Since I live in a Muslim country where pork is hard to find and expensive, I remember eyeing ham like this in Barcelona like a wolf in an old cartoon and contemplated bringing one home to be the envy of all my fellow expats in Istanbul.

Do you agree with the photographer that the Spanish out-do the Italians in the ham department? Where have you had the best ham? Upload your tastiest shots to the Gadling Flickr pool and we might salivate over them for a future Photo of the Day.