812: HO CHIH MINH'S MILLIONS

Missions:
11: Ho Chi Minh’s Millions

My comments:
    While the group was still Vietnam the group finds out that their next mission is to raise money for the orphanage. Their mission is to raise 12 million dong (866 US dollars), but to do this they had to spend 12 million dong, and when they do this they can not have anything to show for it. So they are off to spend the money, on their way to find an expensive restaurant they find a little boy named Spanky. Spanky is a tour guide and he agrees to help them out by showing them around. So once the group explains what they are looking for Spanky takes them to an expensive restaurant. When everyone else is ordering food Ayanna is out renting a van. Next they go to a salon, the first one Veronica will not go in because it is not a name brand place. So they go to another, when they get there Ayanna says that she will not go into this one because they did not go to the home based one. So everyone else gets a haircut and a massage, eventually Ayanna decides that she will get a massage just to help spend the money. That night they go to another restaurant and they finish off spending the money by paying the bill and tipping Spanky.
    The next morning they present all the receipts and they finish the mission. When they get back to the ship Pawel decides that he is going to sell prints to get money for the orphanage, he ends up making over 30 million dong (2,000 dollars).

What Bunim-Murray had to say about the episode:
    Put away those piggy banks, because the Road Rulers aren't pinching pennies anymore. Following their clue, the group heads to the Christina Noble Children's Center, an orphanage for sick and abandoned Vietnamese kids.
    Touring the overcrowded nursery and playground, the emotional Road Rulers immediately bond with the many children, sharing smiles and hugs. Noticeably pained, Paul is particularly shaken by a helpless young victim of Agent Orange. Shortly thereafter, the Roadies get their dream-come-true mission: They must use 12 million dong (roughly $864) in twelve hours to earn a comparable monetary gift for the Children's Center.
    With money in their pockets and charity on their minds, the newly-wealthy gang sets off for a serious shopping spree. But hold on there, big spender. This mission isn't child's play. There are a few restrictions that accompany that wad of cash. The anxious Road Rulers soon learn that they can't buy any items to take home and must only pay the going rate for their purchases. With the rules in place, the quibbling Roadies scavenger for the best way to quickly blow their bills.
    Unfortunately, Vietnam proves to be painfully cheap, and the Road Rulers can't seem to spend enough, despite splurging on a Mercedes taxi and an outrageous amount of food. Since they can't buy tangible items, the gang concludes that spa services might substantially lighten their pocketbooks.
    After deciding against a questionable neighborhood salon, the affluent bunch gets the works behind the gilded doors of Armani. Disgruntled Ayanna is visibly upset by their rejection of the smaller salon and deems the gang "ethnocentric." After initially refusing any of the spa's treatments, Ayanna later submits to a massage for the greater charitable cause. Newly coifed, the pampered Road Rulers polish off their dough with a bottle of expensive champagne and complete their mission.
    However, Paul's heartstrings are still tied to the tiny victim he encountered at the orphanage. Determined to make a difference, Paul resolves to sell prints of his precious photos to benefit the Vietnamese kids. Orders from SAS students pour in, and Paul's personal mission is a snapshot of success, raising $2000 (nearly 30 million dong) for the center.

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