I first visited Vietnam in November, 1998. Then, movement through the country was still limited for foreigners, and the country had yet to fully embrace capitalism and tourism as they do now. Nearly ten years later I returned to this country, to Hanoi, on a free-fare ticket. They’ve gone through quite a bit of development (not all that good, either). It’s far noisier and chaotic now. However, it’s still an important stop in Vietnam.