I believe today's temperature was 95 with 100 percent humidity. It felt like a 110 with a 150 percent humidity. It's so hot I can barely describe how difficult it was to be outside and how red, puffy and sweaty I was and felt. I couldn't even bring myself to lay in the shade by the pool, it's too hot for that even. But of course I had to leave the hotel at some point and see Hanoi. I'd kick myself if I didn't go have a look see. So I hopped on the cyclo you see above and this poor man peddled me all over Hanoi! He deserved every extra dollar I gave him.

First we cruised Ho Chi Man's mausoleum, which was closed so I only viewed the building and surrounding grounds. Next door is the One Pillar Pagoda which is said to resemble a lotus blossom. According to legend, in his dream, in 1049, the childless king saw a vision of a female Buddha. She led him to a shrine in the middle of a lotus pond [which is the site of the pagoda]. When he woke up, he found his wife was pregnant and later gave birth to a son. Yeah, lady Buddah.

Next he peddled me to the Temple of Literature. This is a stunning attraction with traditional architecture and design details which I love. It's also a serious homage to knowledge and Confucianism. I was so hot after walking through the temple and grounds, I had to find some air conditioning. I walked down the street to the fancy silk shop called CocoSilk and stretched my decision making as long as I could. It's tough when you're being shadowed around the shop. I really don't like that. Then back to my sweet cyclo driver who pushed me all the way to St. Joseph's Church.

From there I cruised around on foot. With the blazing heat pressuring me, my energy and enthusiasm were waning. I picked up some fresh pineapple from a street vendor and walked to Hoan Kiem Lake [which means lake of the returned sword - a King Arthur like story]. While enjoying the lake view and suffering in the midday swelter, I was sort of accosted by the guy above. Of course he was hitting me up for money. He wanted me to buy toothpicks made by blind men to raise money for the red cross. Uh huh. I asked him how long he was planning on sitting next to me. Turns out, it may have been all day. After we chit chatted longer than I'd like, I decided that if he wanted to give me a brief tourist education of the sites I had seen this day that I'd give him a dollar or two. While viewing the images on my digital camera back and in his finest broken english he explained as best he could the purpose of all. Too bad I didn't know that I should have touched one of the turtle's heads in the temple of knowledge — it brings good luck. It turned out to be a nice encounter, though it cost me. I couldn't tour anymore, so I asked my cyclo driver to wind our way through the old quarter maze and get me back to the cushy sofitel hotel. ahhh, air conditioning.

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