Brazil's team already training for the World Cup in Teresópolis
A city gateway gives a welcome message to the Brazilian team
Teresópolis, a mountainous town in the state of Rio de Janeiro, home to the official Brazilian football team's training center, has been breathing fresh air since Monday (May 26) and through the upcoming weeks as an estimated 100,000 visitors add to the 150,000 locals to take a glimpse of the players training at Granja Comary.
A city gateway gives a welcome message to the Brazilian team, while totems hang over the main avenues with stylized figures of the players and flags of Brazil and the other competitors. Some of the central streets were decorated by the local residents and shop owners themselves, with ground paintings and pennants all around. “Everyone in our circle of friends gave their contribution. This year's decorations look really good,” said Carlos Queiroz, a retiree who led the decoration efforts in the central area.
The presence of the Brazilian squad is felt as a wind of change in the recent past of the town, where locals still recover from a severe storm in January 2011 that killed more than 900 people. “Joy is coming back again. I can feel a sense of pride and self-esteem in people's hearts about their city,” said the local Secretary of Tourism, Ronaldo Fialho.
The hotels in town are 93% booked for the period. “Tourists are really flocking in. Teresópolis has been the home of the Brazilian squad since 1966, when the Pinheiros hotel became their training base. Hosting the World Cup means more visitors and more business. It's a win-win for restaurants, hotels, and trade,” Fialho went on.
The inflow of visitors colors the streets all yellow and green. They are keen to go to Granja Comary to take shots of the clean pitches where the five-time champions train. There, players will be put to the first crowd “pressure” test as a preview of what they will find playing Croatia in São Paulo on June 12 when the World Cup kicks off.
The inflow of visitors colors the streets all yellow and green.
Themed meals
Merchants are adding in staff reinforcements and themed menus. Eleine Gaudenzi, who owns a restaurant downtown, has hired four new employees and created a range of special meals. “We're giving our menu a more international flavor, with typical meals of the World Cup countries. From the United States, for example, we'll have burgers and t-bones. From Italy, the pasta. And so it goes with the Argentine empanadas; the Spanish paella; and the Japanese makimonos. Additionally, we are offering a taste of each of Brazil's regions for visitors to try,” she said.
Taxi drivers also expect to drive business and are gearing up to welcome visitors. “The people of Teresópolis will go out of their way to make Brazil a winner. We're excited with our visitors coming in, because as cab drivers we are familiar with the fine views,” said one driver, Adilson Junior.
A taxi driver for 20 years, José Augusto Carvalho is also looking forward to welcoming visitors. “It means money to us. We have been preparing for that, taking language courses and all. When visitors speak English or Spanish, we can get around a little,” he said.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Brazil's team already training for the World Cup in Teresópolis
