Van-tastically affordable way to see World Cup
Recife THEY came in a convoy, more than 3000 Chileans in cars, motor homes and trailers who travelled for days across the Andes and Argentina to Brazil to support their beloved national team in the World Cup.
But they couldn’t afford hotels, so they are staying at campsites.
‘‘We wanted to see the country and show the force of Chileans for football,’’ Matias Inostroza said over a crackly cellphone line as the so-called Chilean Caravan crossed western Brazil. ‘‘I am happy, content and emotional.’’
The cramped conditions, with five people travelling more than 3000 kilometres in one car, had not fazed him, nor did the prospect of sleeping in a tent. This was the only way the 26-year-old could afford the trip, despite parking cars and waiting tables for four years to save up.
Alternative accommodations are making World Cup dreams come true for fans who have had trouble finding hotel beds, or who have refused to pay inflated prices.
While the Chileans, who initially came together on Facebook, will be camping out, others will be staying in hostels, subletting apartments and using the Internet service Airbnb, which connects tourists to hosts with rooms, apartments and houses to rent. The Chilean Caravan arrived at a campsite in Cuiaba, the remote Brazilian city where Chile’s team is based, in plenty of time to join the estimated 20,000 Chilean fans who watched their team beat Australia 3-1 there last Friday.
‘‘It is a dream I have had,’’ said Jose Aragon, 59, who drove the car Inostroza travelled in. ‘‘The last chance to see a World Cup in Latin America.’’
And when their team beat Spain 2-0 on Wednesday, the Chilean caravanners had even more to celebrate.
The Brazilian government expects 600,000 foreign tourists for this Cup – double the 309,000 who went to South Africa for the 2010 tournament.
WASHINGTON POST-BLOOMBERG