Heat + Humidity = Death

Just before we leave for Hoi An, I would also like to make a comment about the climate here in Hanoi. As the title suggests, its very hot and humid. Those brave enough to sit outside without some shade is sure to get sun-burnt to a crisp.

Today we managed to make it to the Museum of Ethnology - a showcase of Vietnamese culture throughout the entire country. We took the local bus #14, and the bus driver's assistant was nice enough to tell us where to get off and walk to. The ride cost about 3000 VND, (which is about 25 cents) on a fairly comfy and most importantly, air-conditioned bus. Anyhow, the entrance fee of 20,000 VND was worth the investment. The museum is a very clean, modern, and well-maintained facility with bi-lingual exhibits (Viet and English), and the occasional video montage. It explains the hardships of the early communist era, up to modern-day Vietnam. It's quite an interesting history even for non-history buffs like myself.

After the museum, we paid a three-wheeled motorcycle taxi to take us to the Temple of Literature - an ancient university of sorts. By this point, we were so hot and tired that we didn't pay much attention to a lot of the details. Luckily, we just snapped a bunch of photos to review at a later time.

The heat was getting unbearable after the Temple of Literature... we walked around for about an hour and a half looking for food, and then headed for the huge market on the north end of the Old Quarter (didn't find a thing to buy). Blah blah blah, and here I am now, back at the guest house using their internet. Its just too bloody hot to do anything else right now!