We were midway into our trip to Vietnam.  We had ventured to Halong Bay, a fairyland of limestone peaks.  It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to  and I felt like I was dreaming.  As we headed into a smaller boat from our cruise liner for a day of kayaking in the caves, a Vietnamese worker on the boat looked at us - a group of five American women with no men in tow - and called us "Independent Women".  A big smile swept over my face, and it remained with me throughout my travels. Every which way you look in Halong Bay, you see … [Read more...]