Posted on 06/11/2014 2:11:25 PM PDT by nickcarraway
It's a long way from San Francisco to Brazil.
But a 1955 Chevrolet 235 pickup truck named "Nellie" got a Dutch soccer fan there in one piece.
Ben Oude Kamphuis drove Nellie nearly 13,000 miles to watch his team play in the 2014 World Cup.
"Four years ago when we, Holland, lost again in the final I was crying one more time -- that's three times that I cried in the final,” Oude Kamphuis said. “So I was telling my friends and family back in San Francisco, you know what, I'm driving old Nellie to Brazil." His journey began on Jan. 15 and took him through 12 countries.
In Colombia, Oude Kamphuis took a boat to continue through Ecuador and Peru before arriving in Brazil's Praia do Forte on June 2.
Oude Kamphuis said he and Nellie developed a “special relationship.”
"Every morning it started. I went through the highest mountains, through the deserts, through the Amazon, the rainforest. She has never let me down,” he said.
Oude Kamphuis, 53, works with disabled children in San Francisco and said they helped him paint his truck.
The Netherlands' first World Cup match Friday is a repeat of the 2010 final and a chance for revenge against Spain.
My only thought; Stupid is as stupid does.
If he tries driving back, it will not end well.
From my couch to the TV is eight feet. I wouldn’t go that far to watch a soccer game for anything.
I believe Oude “headed” too many soccer balls in his lifetime.
Yeah, sounds like an adventure.
Doesn’t the gas change as you head to Brazil? I thought they have different levels of ethanol that our engine would struggle with.
He looks like a young(er) Hulk Hogan, but I can hear Michelle asking “All this for a game?”
Not sure about your numbers.
The story quotes 13,000 miles (seemingly referring to the one way trip he’s already covered) which is about double the air distance shown as 6500 on an airline calculator.
Now that old buggy might on a real good day get 15mpg.
so 13,000/15 is 866 gals. I’m too lazy to pro-rate the fuel costs for each country segment of the trip.
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Ima gonna die.
Airfares to Brazil are probably sky high right now,as are hotel rates.But that trip through Third World cesspools like Mexico would have scared the fertilizer out of me.
My quick estimate of $2000 in gas was based on a more conservative $20 mpg and $3 per gallon average. So it should be seen as a minimum number. Oh and that is one way.
He must be a stalwart, those old pickups don’t have much in creature comforts. And I can imagine what the roads are like Mexico and southbound, OMG.
Yeah, my kidneys certainly would not have handled the trip very well.
why didn’t he drive a car from a socialist country like France Germany Canada or Japan if he is so passionate about a socialist sport. I wouldn’t drive two inches for a soccer game.
“My quick math says at least $2,000 in gas. I’m thinking a round trip ticket would have been less expensive.”
I’m going and can tell you that your calculation is probably true, if you booked very much in advance. As it turns out, I’m paying around the same to fly, and it is a coach ticket (ouch!).
David Beckham sure made some cool “Socialist” millions.
and I am sure that the English IRS took away like 90 percent of those millions. leave soccer to the third world or as Michael Savage calls it the turd world.
Soccer sucks
The answer lies in post #20......LOL!
Is there a Soocer Ping List? Please add me to it if so... Thanks!
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