I am glad you got to do this. How did the people treat you? Are there any hard feeling about the war we fought? I have thought about maybe one day going back and see how the country rebounded. Keep up the good work.
Like royalty. Most, if not all of the children had never seen a Westerner before and their eyes were wide with amazement. When we went to Ho Chi Minh's memorial, we were asked to take photos with people outside, like we were some kind of celebrities. The government still plays the propaganda radio broadcasts daily in public as well as show propaganda videos on some of the large digital displays in some areas, but the people have been so embattled in war over the last 200 years, the french, China, Russia, America, etc. that they seem to be too tired to hold onto grudges and only want to live a peaceful existence.
The economy is ridiculous compared to ours. 21,000 VD = $1 USD. The average Vietnamese salary in Hanoi is $1400 USD a year. I raised $2100 USD to take over to buy supplies and nutritional aids while we were there. When I went into the store, I asked the manager, "I have 44 million VD to buy stuff in your store, can I get a discount?" He thought I wanted to buy his store/business, since that amount was almost double an average yearly salary. I had to get my translator to help communicate, I only wanted the goods, not the store itself. In essence it would be like going to Target or Walmart with $250,000USD to spend on school supplies and nutritional aids. Kinda seems a little far out there when I put it in that perspective.
Hotels were cheap too. The Sofitel in Hanoi was a 5 star hotel, $89 a night. Cabs were under a $1 or $2 to go anywhere. Beer was $0.50 a can in a restaurant. Everything was very affordable. I asked our guide and translator what his professional services would cost me if I returned on my own? He said, $50 USD a day for him (all day) and $30 USD a day for a driver, car and gas. So for $80 USD a day, you could have a personal guide and a chauffeur all day that is university educated on the history of Vietnam and licensed as an official guide.
I would highly recommend it to anyone.