The long necked women of Panpet

Today was filled with different visits. We were in local markets (have you seen a chicken carcass being shaved?) and then the villages of Kayan. Here the Padaung women and their community live.

Tourism is restricted here and we needed a special pass to visit. In two separate villages we had a local guide, from the village and we were taken to the houses they chose in order to show us local crafts.

In my main blip, we were visiting a roadside market where local people sell their wares. Nearly all the stalls were for hand woven products. This small girl was trying her hand at weaving and rejected offers from her mother to help! She is wearing a few brass rings, but this may have been for show. The first rings are usually fitted at the age of nine. More rings are added during the teens and then early twenties.

In my extra you see one of the women with her rings. They look very uncomfortable, although we learned that small items like paper money may kept inside for security.

We had been photographing on a veranda, where the light was not helpful so I asked the woman to move into the darkened kitchen, where the fire is in the centre of the room. The light from the door was perfect to catch her features.

We pondered on what changes more tourism will bring to this area and feared it will not be all good for the people here. Our hotel was made up of bungalow style rooms, but on plots on either side new hotels of the multi-storey type were being built.

Yes, I had a building site by my room and work went on long into the night, using arc lamps.