Being my first trip to Viet Nam, I somehow expected a communist country to be quite different from most SE Asian cities. Capitalism permiates everything, and tourism is fast becoming a big industry. Centuries of French occupation influenced some great food, especially bread and pastry. I visited most of the standard tourist stops and also sought out the prison museum and the military history museum. It was quite fascinating to see the government's spin on the events of 40 or so years ago. In talking to my guide everyone not old enough to remember just assume it is an accurate historical record.