Soccer Fanatic Drives From San Francisco To Brazil For World Cup
(CBS) How dedicated of a sports fan are you?
Not as dedicated as Ben Oude Kamphuis, that's for sure.
A huge Dutch soccer fan, Oude Kamphuis is currently in the process of driving all the way from San Francisco to Brazil for the World Cup, according to a Sports Illustrated report. Yes, you read that right. The 52-year-old Oude Kamphuis is crossing two continents and more than a dozen countries by vehicle to see his beloved Netherlands play in its opener against Spain in Salvador on June 13.
It's well over 6,000 miles on a direct line from San Francisco to Salvador, and Oude Kamphuis certainly couldn't take a direct route. He's navigated down the western side of central America and South American countries, so it's probably well over 7,000 miles.
And some of the details from the SI story are every bit as amazing as you'd expect:
--- Oude Kamphuis started the trip in mid-January, and as of the weekend, he still wasn't to his final destination yet after more than four months of travel. Part of that's because he's made stops along the way to volunteer and speak at schools about using the sport to stop racism and discrimination, according to SI, but much of it has to do with the uneven terrain and bumpy roads. It's slow going, and he's driving a 1955 Chevy truck.
"In Mexico I'd say, 'Amigo, how far from Mazatlán to Puerto Vallarta?' And they'd say, 'No worries, amigo, it's direct, like eight hours.' And it takes me three frickin' days to get there," Oude Kamphuis said, according to SI. "It's been like that all along. I thought I'd be in Brazil way earlier. But with the mountains and some of the gravel roads I travel, I can barely go 10 miles an hour, because it shakes."
--- He's got lost in the mountains several times.
--- He often sleeps in the bed of his truck.
--- He was inspired to make the trip after the Dutch fell in the 2010 World Cup final to Spain.
--- Yes, there have been a couple ferries he's had to put his truck on.
Click here to read the full story, which we highly recommend.
