ブラジル・サントス「初夏？の海辺」の思い出

２０年程前の９月、プライベート兼仕事？でブラジル・サンパウロを訪問しました。

理由は２００２年の日韓Wカップ共同開催を前にサッカー関連のボランティアをしている知人グループが、

「ブラジル代表チームの事前合宿地」にと地元への招致活動を熱心に行っていてその活動関連でした。

（まあ、当然本当に実現するのは難しい事だとは理解していましたが。。。。）

しかし、その知人らは、ブラジルの名門チームの幹部らを知っており

特にその通訳の日本人とは親しく、連絡が取りやすかった側面もあります。

そして、その事前交渉活動に同行させてもらいましたが、現地に着くとブラジル人は総じて日本人には好意的で

どこでもフレンドリーな態度で接してくれました。

私達は連日、サンパウロのサッカー関係者へのお願い、説明に飛び回りました。

その過程で、ブラジルのサッカーへの思い、歴史と伝統の重みを体感しました。

例えば、プロチームには、サッカーシューズ専門のメンテナンスの職人がいて

練習後には、選手各個人の個性に会わせて手入れを行います。

また、専用の練習場も一軍から三軍まで分かれていて、一軍は安心・安全のセキュリティ対策が万全にされています。

それに比べ、二軍、三軍はかなり緩いです。(笑)

そして、忙しい交渉の間に　通訳の人が、息抜きにと地元の観光名所「サントス」に連れて行ってくれました。

ここは、内陸部にある大都市サンパウロの外港として機能していてます。

そして、電気製品や自動車、コーヒー、大豆の輸出の拠点として世界的にも有名です。

流石、世界３大貿易港の一つと言われた場所だけに町は大きく開放的でした。

また、日本のサッカーファンにはお馴染みの「ペレ」や「三浦知良」も所属していた名門クラブ、サントスFC本拠地でもあります。

車で二時間弱、ここには、大西洋に面する長～い、長～い海岸線と砂浜がありました。

当然、そこでは、ビーチバレー、ビーチサッカーが盛んで大勢の若者らが楽しんでいました。

季節は９月でしたが、初秋の日本とは反対に初夏の眩しい大西洋の日差しと潮騒、

若者の歓声が心を和ませてくれました。

私もちょっと素足で砂浜を歩きましたが、熱いと思っていたブラジルらしくなく？適温で快適でした。

また、海岸では多数の売店があり、日本でも人気の「ジェラートアイス」が販売されていて夏の最盛期に向けて準備中でした。

その売店の横では、旧植民地時代からの歴史でしょうか、イタリア系やポルトガル系の白人の美人グループが

輪になって、なにか楽しそうにワイワイ話しているのが印象的でした。

また、この市の周辺には複数の美しいビーチがあますが、特に隣町の「グアルジャ」では

国際的な高級リゾート地としての開発が進められていました。

私が訪問した時も、広い大西洋を見下ろす様に高層マンションやリゾートホテルが林立し始めていました。

まるで、アメリカのフロリダやカリフォルニアの高級リゾート地の感じでした。

見渡す限りの広い海（大西洋）、広く長い砂浜、林立する高級マンション、多民族の若者グループ～、

私が、毎年９月になると思い出す「初夏の懐かしい光景」の一つです。

Santos, Brazil: “Early Summer? Memories of the seaside in early summer!

About 20 years ago in September, I visited Sao Paulo, Brazil for private and business purposes.

The reason was that I was doing volunteer work related to soccer before

the 2002 Japan-Korea World Cup was held in Sao Paulo.

The reason for my visit was that a group of my acquaintances, who were doing volunteer work

related to soccer before the 2002 Japan-Korea World Cup.

The reason for my visit was that a group of my acquaintances, who were volunteering for

soccer-related activities, were enthusiastically promoting the city as a “pre-training camp

for the Brazilian national team.

It was related to their activities.

(Well, of course I knew it would be difficult to make it happen. 。。。。)

However, the acquaintances knew the executives of the prestigious Brazilian team.

However, the acquaintances knew the executives of the prestigious Brazilian team

and were especially close to the Japanese interpreter, which made it easy for them to contact me.

I was able to accompany them in their pre-negotiation activities, and when I arrived at the site,

I found that the Brazilians were generally friendly toward the Japanese.

When we arrived in Brazil, the Brazilians were generally very friendly to the Japanese,

and we were treated in a friendly manner everywhere.

We flew around every day making requests and explanations to soccer officials in Sao Paulo.

In the process, we experienced Brazil’s passion for soccer and the weight of its history and traditions.

For example, the professional teams have maintenance workers who specialize in soccer shoes.

After practice, they take care of the shoes according to the individuality of each player.

There are also dedicated training grounds for the first and third teams, and the first team has all the security measures in place to ensure safety and security.

The first team has all the security measures in place to ensure safety and security.

Compared to this, the second and third armies are much looser. (laughs)

During the busy negotiations, our interpreter took us to Santos, a local tourist spot, to relax.
Santos.

This place serves as an outer port of Sao Paulo, a large inland city.

It is also famous worldwide as a base for exporting electrical products, automobiles, coffee,

and soybeans.

As expected, the town was large and open as it was said to be one of the three largest trading ports in the world.

It is also the home of Santos FC, a prestigious club to which Japanese soccer fans are familiar with Pele and Tomoyoshi Miura.

Less than a two-hour drive away, there was a long, long coastline and sandy beach facing the Atlantic Ocean.

Naturally, beach volleyball and soccer were popular there, and many young people were enjoying themselves.

The season was September, but contrary to Japan’s early autumn, the dazzling sunshine of the Atlantic Ocean and the sound of the tide in early summer.

The cheers of the young people soothed my heart.

I also walked on the sandy beach a little barefoot, but not like Brazil, which I thought was hot. It was a moderate temperature and comfortable.

Also, there were many stores on the beach selling gelato ice cream, which is popular in Japan.
They were preparing for the peak season in summer.

Next to the store, a group of beautiful Italian and Portuguese Caucasian women were standing in a circle, probably from the old colonial period.

I was impressed to see a group of beautiful Italian and Portuguese Caucasian women talking happily in a circle.

There are several beautiful beaches around the city, and especially in the neighboring town of Guaruja.

In particular, the neighboring town of Guaruja was being developed into an international luxury resort.

When I visited, high-rise condominiums and resort hotels were beginning to stand in a row overlooking the wide Atlantic Ocean.

It was like Florida or California in the U.S.

It was like a high-class resort in Florida or California in the United States.

The wide ocean (Atlantic Ocean) as far as the eye could see, the wide and long sandy beach, the luxury apartments standing in a forest, the multiethnic youth groups….

This is one of the “nostalgic scenes of early summer” that I remember every September.