Precariously swinging on the cliff, clinging to the rocks to scrape seaweed jam at Gia Lai beach

(VTC News) - To reach the precious seaweed beds, Gia Lai people have to face the harshness of nature, moments of swinging with "death".

When the tide recedes, a special "gold mine" is revealed on the rocky cliffs along the Gia Lai coast, which is a type of seaweed with high economic value.

From early morning, the harsh life on the rocky cliffs begins. Coastal people carry on their shoulders bags containing rudimentary tools, swing on the rocks before the waves to pick and scrape seaweed jam.

To reach the precious gift of the sea, people have to climb and cling to jagged, slippery rocks in the cold of early morning.

Every action and gesture of the seaweed scraper requires high concentration and precision, because just a little carelessness can lead to the loss of life.

At sea, there are always sudden "trick" waves crashing onto the shore, spraying white foam. The seaweed scrapers have to be agile, skillful in dodging the waves, sometimes "holding their breath" to continue their work.

At times, the water rose suddenly, forcing them to hastily climb higher, clinging tightly to the cliffs for safety.

Each strand of seaweed is the result of nimble hands removing each piece of seaweed, bodies stuck to the rocks, sweat soaking the back of the shirt, mixing with the salty seawater.

The worry about livelihood and the "life and death" struggle at sea have been closely associated with seaweed pickers.

After hours of struggling with rocks and waves to collect enough seaweed, the seaweed scrapers returned with calloused hands, bleeding from cuts from the rocks.

They carefully sort and clean the seaweed, preparing it for the next processing step. Each strand of seaweed is carefully picked, removing shells and sand, demonstrating meticulousness and patience after moments of facing danger.

Seaweed jam brings high economic and nutritional value. According to Gia Lai fishing villagers, the price of seaweed jam at the present time fluctuates from 250,000 - 300,000 VND/kg fresh, about 1,100,000 - 1,200,000 VND/kg dry.

Although the seaweed season only lasts a short time, it is a source of income from the sea that helps many coastal families earn extra income.

Seaweed jam is best when it is still black and golden. If left past the harvest time, the seaweed will age and turn green or yellow-green when exposed to sunlight, at which point the seaweed jam will no longer be valuable.

The moments of hard work and hardship repeated every seaweed season on the rocky cliffs are deeply engraved in the minds of the children of the sea about survival.

Nguyen Gia - Vtcnews.vn

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/chenh-venh-du-ganh-bam-da-cao-rong-mut-o-bien-gia-lai-ar965347.html