The Chicken Feets Story

On our return from Coc Ly market we travelled several hours via some very winding narrow mountainous roads which offered us more spectacular scenery and interactions. 

Along the way we saw a funeral possession.

Chinese- Vietnam Border Crossing

Travelling via Lao Cai we stopped at the Chinese border crossing and observed the interchange between China and Vietnam.  The crossing is guarded by soldiers on both sides and evidently if you try to cross the border on either side without the appropriate Visa the consequences can be fatal.  Despite this we saw fishermen in the water below the bridge definitely on the Vietnamese side of the water and fishermen on the Chinese side - No room for error or drift.

Corn Stop

As we leave Lao Cai, we travel through more  winding mountainous roads, either side of the road offering intriguing views, lush green terraces, water buffalo and chickens roaming freely around the fields.  We then stop at a road side corn seller.  Red Zao women boil and barbecue corn on the cob and sell it to passing travellers en route to Sapa.  There were some fairly edgy young people indulging in the corn stop who had driven jeeps and ridden motor bikes from Hanoi. 


The Chicken Feets Story

As we are travelling along more picturesque mountainous road and engage with Mu in a discussion about the mores and traditions of marriage in the Sapa region.  Mu tells us of her marriage to Bu, a man of the Red Zao, Mu being of the Black H'Mong people now adopts her husbands traditions, she had 400 guests at her wedding and wore an elaborate outfit including the red head-wear of the Red Zao.  Mu then explains the symbolic meaning of chicken feet in determining one's matrimonial happiness.  Many young Vietnamese go to a chicken feet specialist soothsayer who can interpret the meaning and potential consequences of their unions based on condition of the chicken feet once they have been cut of the chickens legs, Whether the chicken feet are contracted or spread out determines whether the girl is fit to be your wife and if the marriage will be an effective union or a catastrophe.  Some couples return to the chicken feet soothsayer several times in the hope of a positive reading in the face of earlier negative readings.  Mu told us that she did not consult the chicken feet expert herself but is not sure whether it is true or not, but leans towards believing there is truth in the tradition.  She tells us the foundation of her belief is based on the fact that her cousin and his wife consulted the soothsayer multiple times and the chicken feet went against their union.  Despite the ominous signs her cousin married his girl and two years later catastrophe struck and her cousin died.  Mu concludes the tale with "So I think maybe the chicken feets story is true".   

Children of Sapa

As we travelled further towards Sapa we stopped to take a closer look at the bridge being constructed near the rice terraces.  These local little children were playing nearby and immediately gravitated towards us.  Our hearts really went out to this little girl who clearly suffers with an eye condition and apparently cannot see out of the more damaged eye.