"Ignoring Hanoi" a Hanoi Travel Page by richiecdisc

Think Communism, think red flags and what cities come to mind? Moscow, Beijing, East Berlin, and, just maybe, Hanoi. Even the Ramones immortalized "old Hanoi to East Berlin" as the path their "commandos" would have to travel to save the "free" world. Years later this may seem an effete idea but this is how the world was divided in the years of the Iron Curtain and the Cold War.

Hanoi paid a price for their allegiances in the form of being ignored, in the early stages of the redevelopment of Vietnam. The Communists may have renamed it Ho Chi Minh City after their illustrious leader, but the Western affection for Saigon remained undaunted as foreign investment poured into the south of the country. With this development came a steady stream of tourists bent on visiting the vestiges of a war most felt unwarranted and, in ways, unresolved. The south of Vietnam reaped these benefits and warmly welcomed even Americans, who could have been seen as deserters.

Those who ventured to Hanoi in the early days of tourism, say that the people in the north were of a different breed, much less accepting. Of course, with time and much of Saigon bought up, many investors have turned their greedy eyes to Hanoi and its marketable surroundings. Most tourists now consider Ha Long Bay and the Sapa Valley as must sees on any tour of Vietnam. So, Hanoi has become a city that everyone has to deal with. Though the people have become more in tune with the tourist pulse, they are not good at hiding their obvious motivation of reaping as much money from them as possible. These desires are normal under the circumstances but hopefully over time, they will learn that being nice and fair is the first step towards return business and friend referrals. Hanoi, once ignored, is perched to be a top destination in Southeast Asia. Let's hope it realizes this before it's too late.