Under the palm trees!

Many times when I return to the Bay Nui area, I really enjoy leisurely strolling along the roads that cross the palmyra palm fields. In the last days of March, the sun is about to come early, penetrating the canopy and illuminating the dry land. However, the scene still has a peaceful beauty, because the vast palmyra palm fields soften the harsh sunlight of the dry season.

Meeting Mr. Tran Van Thach (living in Nhon Hung ward, Tinh Bien town) to chat, I heard more about the palmyra palm tree. Struggling to climb down from the top of the palmyra palm tree to the ground, Mr. Thach gasped: “The palmyra palm trees around this area are about 40 - 50 years old, not a few, some are nearly a hundred years old. This type takes a long time to grow, but once grown, they are very durable against the weather. Having been climbing palmyra palm trees for more than 30 years, I know all the “faces” of the trees here. When I first started this job, these trees gave water. And to get water, the palmyra palm tree must be at least 20 years old.”

The vast palm fields are a typical beauty of the Bay Nui region.

According to Mr. Thach, palm trees are planted for many purposes, not just to exploit the water to make sugar. The first purpose is that palm trees help farmers "keep the land". Because the soil in the Bay Nui area is mainly sand, it is very easy to erode during the rainy season. Therefore, people plant palm trees to maintain the banks of the fields. Over the years, they grow, the banks are still there and people will exploit the palm water to make sugar.

“In fact, the palmyra palm tree has many benefits. The water is boiled into sugar, and the fruit is sold to tourists for entertainment. With trees that are too old and have less water, people will make handicrafts. I have seen several establishments in An Phu ward, they make all kinds of handicrafts, from tables, chairs, chopsticks, ashtrays to tea pot covers, decorative vases... Even the palmyra palm leaves are used to wrap sugar, they look very beautiful, and tourists love to sell them,” Mr. Thach said generously.

Because he has been attached to the palm trees for almost his entire life, Mr. Thach considers the palm trees as his longtime friend. For about 10 years, he went to Binh Duong to work as a worker, but his life was not good. After much hesitation, he decided to return to his hometown, to the profession of climbing palm trees that he had been attached to since he was “17 years old and broke a buffalo horn”. He confided that although this job is hard, if he is diligent, his life will be stable. Every year, palm trees give a lot of water from the 8th lunar month to the end of the 5th month of the following year, so he has a regular job and does not worry about poverty.

Bay Nui people make a living with palm trees

As a “colleague” of Mr. Thach, Mr. Nguyen Van Tan (living in An Phu ward, Tinh Bien town) also determined to stick with the palmyra palm tree until he can no longer. “If we make a living by this job, we have to endure the hardships of it. There are days when we climb many trees, and when we get home we are so tired that we can’t eat. But no one quits the job, we just keep working hard from season to season. Because we understand the hardships of the job, we often help each other. If someone is tired, they can rest at home, and the others will climb for them for a few days, and when they are healthy, they will return to the palmyra palm tree.”

Mr. Tan also said that those who have the means have switched to other jobs to make it less tiring. As for them, because they lack capital and are passionate about this job, they just "hug" the palmyra palm trees to make a living. Most people like Mr. Tan will rent palmyra palm trees seasonally at a cheap price, then climb to collect water to sell for profit, so their income is quite good. Therefore, despite the hardship, they can still provide enough food and warm clothes for their families. "Living with the palmyra palm tree, I gradually realize that I am just like it, no matter how hard it is, I can overcome it. I have climbed palmyra palm trees in my life, I just hope that my children and grandchildren will find a job underground to keep their bodies healthy" - Mr. Tan confided.

Listening to their stories, I felt admiration for those hard-working people. For them, the palmyra palm tree is not only a longtime friend, providing shade and protection throughout their childhood, but also a means of livelihood, helping them earn an income to support their families. Although they once wanted to leave their hometown to earn a living, their attachment to their homeland and the palmyra palm fields urged them to return.

I am not a person who makes a living from the palm tree, but I still enjoy it every time I see this tree. Visiting the palm fields is like finding a sense of peace and relaxation. There, there are the chirping of birds, the chirping of palm climbers telling each other all kinds of stories. Photography enthusiasts also often come to Tinh Bien, Tri Ton to find inspiration with the palm fields. This affirms the spiritual and aesthetic values ​​that the palm tree brings to visitors from afar...

Therefore, if you are an adventurous person, try once to wander under the rows of palm trees to feel the unique beauty of the Bay Nui region, to love more the charming land of An Giang!

THANH TIEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/duoi-hang-thot-not--a418077.html