Karen Long Neck Hill Tribe of Chiang Mai

I have had a hard time trying to figure out what to write for this blog.  I have a friend that went into a village in Thailand where the long neck people lived.  Since she told me about it 2 years ago I have wanted to visit this village.  However while doing research I found out the village I wanted to visit was actually in Myanmar.  Well, Hubby can't go to Myanmar due to security reason and I'm not sure I would want to take our  family there anyway, so going to the longneck village was out, I thought.  Once we were settled into our hotel  and I started looking at brochures I found out there were a few longneck tribes in Chiang Mai, so we decided to go, this is something I really wanted to do.  I don't know why I felt I needed to go, but I did.  Once I got there I was surprised to find out there was an entrance fee.  (Call me stupid...)  I didn't realize how 'touristy' this would be, but we still went.   The first part of the village was just that - a village of people selling goods at a cheap price. 

We paid the little boy in the picture to let us shoot his dart gun. The guy in the red shirt is our driver.

A young girl in the tribe making scarves.

I talked with the lady in the next picture for quite some time. I wish I could remember her name, but I am horrible with names and can't remember it for the life of me.  Her English was great & when I ask her how she learn such good English she told me there is a teacher that comes to the village once a week.  I ask her all sorts of things, like what are the rings around the neck for.  She told me they were a sign of beauty.  She also told me that long ago they started wearing rings around their necks as protection from wild animals.  Another thing she told me is that they do not wear them 24 hours a day, she said they take them off at night.  Young girls start wearing rings at the age of 5.  Her daughter (to the right of me) is 6 years old and has been wearing the rings for about 2 years.  The baby in her arms is also a little girl. 

I ask her about school for the kids.  She told me the kids go to school daily for ONE HOUR a day in the school house on the hill.   The picture below is their school house.

I also learn that men do not wear the rings around their necks. 

I wanted to go pick this little guy up and love on him.

A view from the high point of the village.

Look at what their roofs were made of.

Something I learn about the rings after I left the village is that the rings worn around their necks actually distorts the growth of their collarbones and makes them 'look' as if they have long necks.  The rings actually squash the vertebrae in the collar bone, giving the appearance of the long neck.

Upon leaving the long neck village I had mixed emotions.  I was a amazed at how poor they were and I felt bad for them, but on the other hand they all seemed happy, and it made me wonder what life is like for them on a day to day basis.  I would love to live in a village like this for a short period of time.  I don't know how long I would be able to handle living without many of the modern conveniences I have grown accustom to, but would like to give it a try....