It's been 3 days since I landed in Hanoi Vietnam. My previous trips to Hanoi were in 1995 and 1999. Perhaps the spanking international aiport was a taste of what to come in Hanoi. All things changed but not always for the better in some respects.
The best place to stay in Hanoi is in the Old Quarters area. The entire area is criss-crossed with several streets each specialising in a particular trade and product. There is a street with shops selling shoes. Other streets had shops selling silks, mirrors, dried meat, tofu etc.
In the morning, after breakfast I used to take a walk from my hotel (Nam Phuong), one of the few mini hotels available at that time to Hoan Kiem Lake. Crossing the roads sparsely trafficked by vehicles, I strolled around the lake enjoying the cool refreshing winter air. (Both of my trips were in winter)
In the evening, after dinner I liked to walk around the Old Quarters. By 7.30 pm, most of the shops would be already closed. Families would sit outside their shops or houses to eat dinner. Children played on the pavement and streets. There was hardly any traffic. By 10.00 pm, things became much quieter. The area was deadly quiet with very few vehicles or people lingering on the streets.
Oh how things change in just 6 years!
My hotel now lies among assorted shops catering for the commercial and tourist trade. There are 2 mini hotels 20 meters apart. Just next door to my hotel, an establishment with bright red and green neon lights rudely advertises "Foot Massage". There are two souvenier shops, several travel companies. There is a shop selling CD, VCD and DVD all fakes of course, copies may be made upon request.
Crossing the streets entails having a wide angle view from a 180 degrees. Lest one get runs over the motorcycles or cars. Unimaginable a few years ago. Frankly I was quite shocked at the number of vehicles passing through the area at all hours of the day.
I never thought the goverment would allow such development in staid and laid back Hanoi. A city graced with elegant French buildings, tall Banyan trees and filled with legendary lakes. This is the capital city of a communist goverment for heavens sake!
The Old Quarters is now like that other city, in the South that the North Vietnamese army overran in 1975 - Saigon renamed Ho Chi Minh city after their victory. I wonder what uncle Ho would think about Hanoi now?
Today I went on a tour with eight other tourists. It was the first time in Hanoi for them. I told them tabout he Hanoi I visited years ago. I guess they will never experience the Hanoi I knew then. The new Hanoi is here now for good.
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