After my successful suit collecting mission to Hoi An I had dinner and then a slow stroll back to the hotel minibus for the journey home. I arrived back at the meeting point a little early but as the Vietnamese family, who were also on the trip, had also returned early, along with their two small children, I got into the minibus and off we set.
All appeared well. Not far out of Hoi An the Dad cleared his throat, mid sentence and, sitting in the front seat, enjoying the view, I thought little of it. I had enjoyed my dinner of beef noodle soup (Pho) and spring rolls and it appeared that the family had also enjoyed theirs. As if to emphasise this the Dad left out a burp, followed up with a throaty clearance and another burp for good measure. Not wishing to be left out the Mum joined in their conversation and also contributed some belches too, delicately and skilfully managing to burp and not drop a word while chatting.
And so the pleasant 30 minute journey continued with Mum and Dad passing their time quietly chattering and belching away, occasionally chattering to their kids, while I sat in the front making a mental note not to eat at the restaurant that they had been to.
It was obviously a late evening out for little ones and as the we neared Danang and the hotel one of the children started to get fractious and needed calming and settling. No prizes for guessing how Mum eased the child's anxiety. She asked for the light in the minibus to be put on, gave her little one a quick cuddle and let out a soothing belch. Relieved by one of these interventions, I suspect the burp was the most efficacious, the child settled and all was well. We arrived at hotel and I got out of the minibus first thanking the driver. I am sure the family burped their gratitude and departed.
Clearly having a good belch in Vietnam is considered the done thing and not at all odd or impolite. I have to admit that I was chuckling a bit, while also feeling fortunate that I had decided to sit in the front well away from these enthusiastic practisers of this noble art. The same cannot be said for poor Lexi though. For the last hour or so of the train journey yesterday the seat next to her was filled by a Vietnamese bloke who enjoyed a good belch as much as the family this evening did. The proximity to so many burps drove Lexi bonkers.