Julia was actually working in a village belonging to Kareni refugees from Burma at the time, and I got to spend a few days hanging around there as well. It felt even further from London than it actually was, and I've never known darkness before or since that was so enveloping and complete at night. Literally, I could not see my hand in front of my face.
You'll notice that some of the Kareni women in the photographs wear the traditional gold rings round their necks. As it turns out, they are actually paid to do this so that tourists will come and find look with fascination. Boats would come along the river and the tourists would walk around and look. I guess that is essentially what I was doing as well, but being a guest in people's homes gave me a slightly different perspective.
