HillTribe visit

While in Thailand- we sure did the tourist thing...more than ever before cause what we realized is traveling with a child makes all kinds of things different. This trip to the Hill Tribe folks felt very strange to me and Devin.....like we were in a human zoo. Not comfortable...and yet we shared some money which hopefully goes to the people themselves...at least they money we handed right to them for some amazing artifacts. But for Nevi- it was a chance to expand her little self even farther than the days before...she saw poverty, she saw how people adapt their homes to the environment and climate, she saw people weaving and creating and she even saw how people define themselves through different traditions. So I guess in all our discomfort- we expanded our views of life. Worth it.

This is a beautiful Longneck woman. When a girl turns 5~ the process of adding rings to her neck begins. More rings are put on about every 5 years until she is about 30. The spine and neck are stretched. We have heard lots of reasons for this tradition...and as much as I try to get out of my Western ideology and respect all people's traditions...I am left with a pit in my stomach. These rings are SOOOOO heavy....often they can never be taken off cause as the neck stretches it loses the strength to hold up the head without the support of the rings. Oh my. OK enough said for now- just being glad that I have not had my necks stretched or feet bound or my body mutilated for beauty or domination...

Beautiful Nevi surrounded by beautiful mountain women...