Long Neck Village Visit Udon to Mae Hong Sonn Loop

ray23

0
Oct 14, 2005
1,985
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36
Sorry David spent two hours telling
> what each picture was and for some reason they didn't
> show up. One of lifes little unsolved mysteries. So I guess
> this is a good as it's going to get
>
>
> We had spent five days on the bike by this point so a boat
> trip sounded like a nice change. Met a really nice guide
> turns out he was from The Issan area just like us. Started
> there doign ack pack tours for five years. This was during
> the time when he airports were closed. So we had everything
> available to u and most the time at discount prices.
>
> The old lady in the photo, was the first person you run
> across. Yuo will see her photo on every brochure and even a
> really big one of her in the Opium Museum in Chaing Sean
> (those photos will get to you some day).
>
> There are photos of some young girls just starting in with
> the rings on the neck, they call them long necks but what
> really happens is it forces the shoulders and rib cage down.
> Not much fun. But, I guess you can used to anything
> especially if you want to beautiful in the eye of the
> beholder. I knew about the neck rings but not about the ones
> on the legs.
>
> These girls are expected to get married at 14, so probably
> not that unsual a hundred years ago even in our country.
> Interesting people they really have no country, they live on
> the border of Myramar and Thailand, no citzenship in either
> country.
>
> They are not Budhist they are Christian, so a Catholic and
> Protestant church in this tiny village. They have a school
> that goes to the six grade, the norm in the country
> area's here. They are required to learn four languages,
> Thai, Burmese English and the Karin Language.
>
> There are photos of some young ladies weaving thread by
> hand to waeve into cloth later. The weaving method was the
> same that I saw in the Philippines years ago. Long equipment
> sit up to the cealing and the weaver sits on the floor and
> just works away getting it done, Looks odd but it works and
> has for a few thousand years.
>
> A photo of a young baby just learning to walk, not a patch
> of level ground anywhere must be agile people. Got a shot a
> of some young kids playing by a hut, thinking kids are kid
> no matter where you go. Then I noticed the little turkeys
> were playing craps.
>
>
> From nine to ninety they sit on a bench and pat it as you
> walk by. Indicating for you sit down, when you do the
> selling begins. I had always been told you ahd to pay to
> take photos. I asked the guide, he said not to do that. That
> ha trinkets for sale and if you saw something you like they
> would be happy thar you bought something. Well having Poi
> along that was no problem.
>
> There are only two roads into the village, very narrow and
> the water supply runs across the secondary road. They had a
> socker field that was busy being used by the only cow in the
> village. They had pinned pigs and the usual chickens running
> around.
>
> At one point I got a photo of a young woman feeding her
> baby lunch, didn't notice it at the time. Didn't
> seem to bother her one bit. That was when the guide went
> into an explanation that he was really not to happy about.
> As you can see the ladies wear long skirts. Seems like when
> they have to pea they just stop standing up and do so
>
> We went by long tail boat used all around Thailand, they
> are good for both deep and shallow water. The prop can be
> raised and lowered by the helmsman to clear rocks and such.
> At this time of year the river is low so yuo go through some
> rapids. In the wet season it is about ten feet higher you
> will notice the houses are built on stilts.
>
> Well I can't think of much else at the moment sorry the
> explanation did come out on the photo, but this should be
> enough for you to get the idea. This is a way of life that
> will probably disappear in the future. Many of the young
> people leave the village after shcool to seek work in
> factories and they sure can do that with those rings on.
>
> Oh no roads to this village everything is delieved by boat,
> Other villages do have roads to them. Boat I wanted the boat
> ride LOL
>
> You woudl have goten the biggest kick out of this. When the
> lady at the tour office gave us a price she told me how much
> for Poi and then rather proudly double the price for me LOL
> I explained to her that I want a tourist thaat I lived here.
> Her response but you are a farrang (forigner)
>
> Hit the wrong button on me she took mine down to the Thai
> price.
>
> They were really nice people, they price wasn't bad. I
> told the lady when she see's a farrang and a Thai
> standing there she already knows the farrang is going to
> pay, just give them one price for the both of the, Don't
> talk about doubling the price unless she is asked.
>
> They really don't get it can you imagine telling a
> black person they had to pay twice a much to get into
> Disneyland, Having lived here in Udon for six years yuo
> rarely see that here. If it happens it's all over the
> foriegner community and that business won't be seeing
> many farrangs again.
>
> To be honest I expected it in the tourist area. But not
> that balantant LOL
>
> Enjoy

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Great write up Ray. Loved your pictures, I hope to get over there one of these days. I am sure the young girls will all go gaga over my two little men. :D

Tourist places like to gouge, unlike Nong Khai and Udorn. It was so bad in BKK that my wife and ours friends would go buy the tickets then come back to the car and collect me. Ticked off quite a few places but my wife and our friends would go to town on them. :D

Eric