Overheated in Beijing

The worst thing about traveling alone is ... getting sick.

This has happened to me now several times. Once it was food poisoning in Vietnam. But my real Achilles heel is heat exhaustion. Had it in India, had in Vietnam. Got it now in Beijing.

I flew here a day early just to take advantage of what promised to be a sunny day. (Photographs, don't you know.) And then, there was barely any sun at all! So I started out without a hat, and without much food in my stomach.

Then the sun came out. And I forgot to eat (happens.) And I didn't drink enough water. And.....

Calling a doctor is out of the question; an English speaker costs $300! So I got the girl at the front desk to write down my symptons in Chinese and headed out for the local pharmacy.

Whether what I got will do anything for what I've got remains to be seen. So here's the drill: Room 435 at the Jianguo Hotel in Beijing. Honey, if you don't hear from me tomorrow, call the U.S. Embassy and tell them where to find me. It's just down the street.

Who said this was a glamorous job?