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Thailand Day 10b
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Thailand Day
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Trip to Chiang Mai and the Mae Salong Hill tribes
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In
Mae Salong are several tribes. As a group they are known as the Karen
tribe, but they have different backgrounds. The women wearing the long-neck
rings are refugees from Burma (Myanmar) just across the border. They
are the Paduang tribe. It is said they retain the ancient tradition
of using the rings to create the long-neck look in order to earn a living
from the visits from tourists. The rings on the adult women weigh some
10 pounds or more. They start off with fewer rings from the time the
girls are quite young (we saw some on toddlers!) and are worn 24/7.
The rings actually force the shoulders to drop, making the neck look
extended. It is said this was done in ancient times to make the women
less attractive to marauding tribes. There is controversy over whether
or not they are using the rings now strictly to make themselves into
a living history "zoo" or to retain the ancient customs. There
are other members of this hillside community who do not wear the neck
rings, such as the Akha who migrated from Mongolia around 1500 years
ago. They are expert farmers, however their form of slash-and-burn agriculture
has resulted in the destruction of old growth forest, especially the
teak trees. The Akha women sell their handicrafts like jewelry and crocheted
pouches or perform music for tips.
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Above is one of the two LUXURY limo's we took to go
to the hilltop to see the Hill tribes in Mae Salong
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Bamboo home of a tribe family. Not for show, for real.
See Larger Version
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Kids waiting on a bamboo bench in the little village
- see larger size
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Entry arch with interesting stick figures - see
larger version
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Young Akha hill tribe girl with her booth selling
crocheted goods - see
close-up view
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Young Akha hill tribe girl selling jewelry - see
close-up
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Older woman in booth - see
close-up
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Another typical hilltribe bamboo home with very strange
looking produce tree in front - see
larger view
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Young Karen longneck girl with rings training her
body for the longneck look - see
larger view
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Young Karen longneck tribe girl. Notice rings below
knees as well. See
larger view
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Karen Longneck tribewoman cutting bamboo into small
thin strips with a machete. See
larger view.
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