Blame the Easter Bunny

Inevitably, despite our belief that the Easter holiday crowds would not be traveling the roads on a early Saturday night, we were wrong. About 15km from our beds, the traffic slowed, the rain intensified and we inched along as the men from the neighboring slums slid between the cars and took opportunity to sell us popcorn and biscuits. We couldn't see ahead. What was it? An accident? A mudslide? An Easter bunny?

When the kid in the back seat started crying out of exhaustion, my husband began hopelessly thinking of an escape strategy, but as we approached the next exit, we noticed the cars were lining up out of the exit and into the highway, causing the backup for miles back. What the h***? I was half wishing for more drama, a semi transporting chickens turned over on the median or a parade of clowns to warrant our delay and to distract the crying kid, but no. Do you know where are those people were going?

THE MALL!

The mall? Yup, said my husband, people are going there to buy last-minute eggs for Easter. He wasn't kidding. I could hardly believe it. Can you imagine a major highway pile-up in Canada because there's a line-up out of Home Depot for last minute Christmas trees? I cursed the Easter Bunny as we passed the exit and regained normal highway speed.

Speaking of malls, they're all the rage it seems, especially here in Barra. But there's a twist. I thought that Brazilians would hit the mall on super hot days, you know, to cool off in an air-conditioned environment, but no, on 40C days, they go the beach. On the more bearable days, when I'm happy to be able to walk more than a block without sweating profusely, they go shopping, and complain that it's cold out. Right, okay.

I should mention, that regardless of the temperature, you have to be vigilant and aggressive if you see a parking spot as most malls vacillates between "super packed and don't bother".  In a Vancouver mall, you might have to remember where you parked your car by looking at signs like P1 or P2. Here the signs range from A1-1 to M1-50. Make sense? No? Oh, okay. Good luck.

Surely it's because imitation is the best form of flattery, that Brazilians have adapted this love of shopping malls and have even decorated some with famous American icons, but I beg to differ. I think that America has done better things than to invent car dependent super malls, and Brazilians should just stick to their love of everything French, build more museums, fountains, cafes with terraces and romantic places to kiss.

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