Long Neck Karen - is it a tourism spot or not, it seems (most likely) to be frankly. You know, a tourism spot that aims to gain from the visitors (but which tourism spot doesn't huh.. ), a place that tends to look real yet it's too commercial to be true.
I don't wanna be mean.. first.
I think this old lady is 52 years old. "The men in the village are working in Myanmar now," said her. We were told that their mythology explains this is to prevent animals from attacking in the village them while the men went for hunting.
To my surprise,
*click* accidentally googled this
fact -
In fact the appearance of a longer neck
is a visual illusion. The weight of the rings pushes down the collar bone, as well as the upper ribs,
to such an angle that the collar bone actually appears to be a part of the neck!
Spot the huge earrings on this old lady despite the striking custom of the neck ring. She told us that she had the earring on since she was 5. This can't be fake I suppose but at 5 her ears wouldn't fit such a huge one right. Ok it might be from a smaller one to a huge one today as what we have seen. hmm.. but sometimes you might come across some people on the street has such a huge earrings on too at these days.
They said they sew the scarfs. Half half to be trusted, at least they show us what they are doing. Apparently goods are all imported from China nowadays especially the souvenirs sold at the tourism place.
And this wooden bridge is a 'separator' for them?! They are not to leave the village because they basically don't have citizenship of the country and.. they can't remove the neck ring or the removal will lead to death as the neck muscles have been severely weakening over years for not supporting the neck.
Unless we were visiting their real village like this.. at least it looks more real to me, exploring their real life...
But what we actually visited in the Long Neck Karen is a well organised site with stalls building up connecting each other selling varieties of souvenirs, from handcraft long-neck statute, to long-neck keychain, to bookmark, to bamboo cups, to pouches and handmade scarfs and etc.
I am not prejudice but this twins attract most of the eyes I guess and they make most money out of all stalls, most probably. Everyone takes photo with them and
kindly buy something from them too. But they are really pretty, aren't they? :)
Oh and they have a grocery store outside the village - water, pepsi coke, coffee or beer, anyone?
300 Baht per person for the entrance fee to the Long Neck Karen. If there isn't any organization behind this, where does the money go? And how do they transport the souvenirs/goods here?
Yet to be known, or take it easy.. they just live as what we've seen. And there were kids in the village with hands without fingers. They need our sympathy, no doubt it's still heartbreaking to see that.
But things are funny when one of the uncle in our group softhearted-ly gave a 100 Baht note to a kid, in a blink of eyes a bunch of kids were running towards the uncle. The world is so damn realistic, everyone recognizes the money note. Lol. Instead of money, we should have bought some snacks or food for them, which is more realistic. Even a little candy will make their day.
At least this little boy poses for the camera :)
Say hi to the world out there!
