Wish We Had Swimsuits ...
... our guide suggested that we bring swimsuits for cooling off in this refreshing stream - we didn't bother, however, because of the suspect accuracy of online weather forecasts. The Sapa area is usually cool, due to its elevation, and all the online sources indicated it would only be about 23-24 C for the two days we were here. Unfortunately, the temperatures crept well into the 30s - combined with the humidity and high UV index at this elevation, it made for some really uncomfortable hiking over some unexpectedly tricky terrain. Lesson learned - always go with the local expert opinions!
The conquest of Vietnam by France began in 1858 and was completed by 1884. It became part of French Indochina in 1887. Independence was declared after World War II, but the French continued to rule until 1954 when they were defeated by Communist forc... ... read more 
