Ben and Carma

Welcome!

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 15:05:18 +0000

Welcome to our site!

Our goal with this site is to keep family and friends updated on our adventures. We want to stay connected with you! We hope to use this blog as a way to do that.

We will be sharing our thoughts on why we decided to do what we’re doing, how we decided to go where we are going, and then let you discover and explore the areas with us as we post images, videos and thoughts about what we are experiencing.

RABRAI's Most Amazing Stop: Largest Man-made Grotto in West Bend

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 13:27:34 +0000

Not only is it the largest man-made grotto in the world, but it also has the largest collection of precious stones and gems found anywhere in one location - petrified wood, stalactite and stalagmite, malachite, jasper, quartz crystals, and many more.

RAGBRAI's Most Popular Stop: Beekman's Homemade Ice Cream

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 19:47:07 +0000

Not only do they have the best homemade ice cream, but Beekmans also has the most unique way of making homemade ice cream.

Food, KYBOs, and Overnight Stays

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 15:46:37 +0000

The masterminding of RAGBRAI is mind-boggling.

Most questions we got were around these three topics:

Food. KYBOs. And overnight stays.

RAGBRAI 2022: Epic...in so many ways!

Tue, 02 Aug 2022 16:41:06 +0000

The logistics amazed us.

The variety of shapes and sizes and types of bikes and people astounded us.

The reality of riding 462 miles over 7 days still seems surreal.

And, we continue to unpack our thoughts and feelings about this epic adventure.

Gear/Energy Snacks for RAGBRAI

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 11:57:10 +0000

What does one need to go on a week-long bicycle tour?

We are finding out! And, you might be surprised!

Since the bicycle tour is RAGBRAI, we know they carry our stuff for us. Or, in our case, it will be on the bus that belongs to the local bicycling group.

Training for RAGBRAI

Fri, 15 Jul 2022 16:31:46 +0000

We have been training for several months in preparation for RAGBRAI which is the last full week of July. Over the past two months, we’ve averaged 100 miles a week. Here’s how we do it.

RAGBRAI 2022!

Mon, 11 Jul 2022 19:11:40 +0000

After a year and a half of silence(!), we are back to share our next adventure with you!

This past February we signed up to do RAGBRAI!

For those that don’t know, RAGBRAI is the granddaddy of all bike rides!

Renovation Project: Before & After

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 16:31:38 +0000

We are almost finished! What we thought would be a 6-7 month project is now nearing completion - after nearly 14 months!

The extended time (and resources) it took to complete the project seems to be a rather common occurrence for these types of undertakings. However, we are very pleased with how it has turned out.

Our Drive Back to the US

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 15:59:46 +0000

In late February, we left our home in Sisal with mixed feelings.

Our friendships with other expats in Sisal had deepened over the last 2 months. Plus, we knew we would not be returning to this home again. We had friends who were renting it for 6 months next year.

Palenque

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 22:08:12 +0000

Imagine a flourishing city in the 7th century - nearly 1400 years ago! Now, imagine what it would look like today.

We had the incredible opportunity to visit Palenque, located in the Chiapa mountains in southern Mexico. Palenque flourished as a Mayan city in the 7th century, then was absorbed into the jungle of cedar, mahogany and sopadilla trees till the 20th century. Since then, it continues to be excavated and restored.

Sisal Coast Boat Tour

Fri, 06 Mar 2020 15:25:00 +0000

Viewing the coast 300 yards out in the water is a very different feel than walking on the same beach. Both are rather wonderful!

We had the fun opportunity of joining friends for a boat tour along the coast near Sisal, and then we transferred to flat-bottom boats in the lagoons to see more birds and beauty.

Celestun Flamingo Boat Tour

Fri, 28 Feb 2020 11:05:00 +0000

Flamingos were a given. But…an alligator?!

And, so much more!

The tour was more than we expected!

Celestun is known for its flamingos. Our neighbors invited us to join them for this bout tour. They have done it several times and never tire of it.

Valladolid: Full of surprises!

Tue, 25 Feb 2020 12:00:00 +0000

‘Downtown’ cenote (underground swimming hole)!

An international flair.

Fascinating historical convent.

And, beautiful ‘Street of the Friars’, leading to the neighborhood of Sisal (the same name of the town we live in)!

We knew about the cenote. The rest were all surprises in our recent adventure to Valladolid.

Mayan Masks: CO Sports Teams!

Sat, 22 Feb 2020 15:00:28 +0000

Look what we found in Valladolid!

The professional sports teams of Colorado (minus the Nuggets) showed up as Mayan masks in Valladolid!

And, no, that is not Ben sticking out his tongue. It’s just the reflection of his chin through the mask! :)

Izamal: The Magical Yellow Town

Fri, 21 Feb 2020 11:27:00 +0000

There are number of designated magical towns in Mexico - two of them are in the Yucatan Peninsul: Izamal and Valladolid.

Izamal is known as The Yellow Town. The Centro area of Izamal is painted yellow - all the colonial buildings, the market, the huge convent - everything!

Rio Lagartos & Salt & Pink Lakes!

Wed, 19 Feb 2020 08:58:00 +0000

Flamingos.

Shades of clear green and blue water.

Tour boats and fishing boats.

And, . . . salt ‘mountains’!

It was all a part of our day trip to Rio Lagartos.

Rio Lagartos is a small community that sits at the center of the north coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Chichen Itza

Tue, 18 Feb 2020 08:28:00 +0000

It’s one of the seven wonders of the world! (depending on which Seven Wonders list you read!)

We enjoyed a morning at Chichen Itza - a complex of Mayan Ruins in the center of the Yucatan Peninsula.

This ancient city thrived between 600 AD - 1200 AD.

Our Drive Thru Mexico

Sat, 15 Feb 2020 15:58:53 +0000

We returned to Sisal, Mexico in early January - the same place we stayed thru April of last year. We will be here for two months.

And this time we drove from Iowa!

Some thought us crazy. Some cheered us on.

Coming Back to Our Gulf Oasis

Sat, 20 Apr 2019 16:47:49 +0000

Sunrise walks,

Where do seashells come from?

Sun, 14 Apr 2019 14:36:42 +0000

Well…we asked…and then breathlessly discovered what we never would have guessed!

Here is the progression; from birth to adult.

We’ll start with a video showing how the sea shell egg case is laid. Amazing!

(We didn’t do this video. This is one of the videos we saw that took our breath away!)

Great Neighbors and Their Ranch in Chochola

Tue, 09 Apr 2019 14:36:53 +0000

Vi and Ridell are awesome neighbors!

They bought a ranch a couple of hours from Sisal 16 years ago. About 6 years ago they moved to the beach two houses down from us and took in these newbies shortly after we arrived.

SUP (Stand Up Paddle Boarding) Sunrise Tour

Sun, 07 Apr 2019 17:47:06 +0000

I’ve done a lot of paddling while I was sitting down, but my sweetheart (Carma) has loved doing it standing up. Who am I to argue with someone I love this much. So I was excited. Three hours of sunrise tour standing on a stylized plank, covering numerous kilometers of still morning waters watching the sun come up.

Sailing on Lake Bacalar

Sun, 31 Mar 2019 17:55:49 +0000

Who doesn’t want to sail on captivating crystal waters of every blue hue?

So we did.

On a catamaran with three others and a crew of two.

We sailed in shallow waters azurely colored. We swam in the chest deep water’s of Pirate’s Canal. We ate a lunch of freshly cut mangoes and bananas and apples and kiwi in the almost 600 foot depth of the Black Cenote.

Bacalar - The Town that Grew On Us

Sun, 24 Mar 2019 16:00:20 +0000

Five and a half hour drive, kitty-corner from Sisal on the Yucatan Peninsula. Recommended by people we had met. Off we went for eight days.

We were not impressed when we drove in. We ate a decent lunch on the strip along the highway coming into town, looked around a little, and found our way to our AirBNB. Nice place, but not on the water.

Flamingo/Birds Sunrise Tour - Pics

Sun, 17 Mar 2019 18:50:54 +0000

We shared videos of our sunrise Flamingo tour in our last post. Here, we share the story in pics. Enjoy!

Flamingo/Birds Boat Tour - Videos

Tue, 12 Mar 2019 20:24:40 +0000

A couple of hundred yards behind our house in Sisal is a lagoon. So near but yet so far! From Seashore to Lagoon is like changing countries! The birds love the Mangrove Islands and the shallow waters. So did we!

Choco-Story

Mon, 04 Mar 2019 16:04:00 +0000

It has been used as currency.

It was a nobility drink.

It is a fruit!

These are just a few of the fascinating details we learned about chocolate as we leisurely strolled through the outdoor “Museo del Chocolate”, sipping our chocolate drinks.

The Stuff Movies Are Made Of!

Mon, 25 Feb 2019 20:36:34 +0000

Forts and walled cities and cannons and swords and swashbucklers and pirate ships and treasures…

Where Did You Go For Valentine's Day?... We Went To Campeche!

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 18:08:50 +0000

And romantic it was!

Campeche is a city of a quarter million people on the Southwest coast of the Yucatan. Founded in 1540, it was later walled in to protect it from pirates. Much of the central portion still has the wall in place. We spent four days there and loved it. The city is beautiful, the food was wonderful, and our lodging was located perfectly.

Mexico Medical!

Tue, 12 Feb 2019 14:05:48 +0000

Lizzie’s been to the Vet. Carma’s been to a Chiropracter, two different Specialists, a General Practioner, and a Dentist. I’ve been to an Otorrinolaryngologist. (That’s the short name for an ENT Specialist)

We did all of that in the short time we’ve been in Mexico. Some of it was planned before we came down and some of it was “life happened” stuff.

Making Decisions

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 19:17:38 +0000

Although this post isn’t directly about our current travels, we thought we would share one of the most useful exercises we did last summer that has proven invaluable to us as we make decisions on this life journey.

We had just sold our home in Golden and were now traveling with our popup camper in tow, across the States, visiting family along the way. Our destination was to eventually get to North Carolina and explore potential small towns that had piqued our curiosity. We also know we were interested in exploring potential expat options, as well.

We are back!

Mon, 04 Feb 2019 13:52:07 +0000

On December 18th we left Lizzie (our puppy dog) in Mexico and traveled to the States for a month.

Leaving our dog in Mexico felt very weird, yet we knew she was in good hands.

We found the best pet sitters through a Facebook group called House/Pet sitters in Mexico. Christina, Tony & William (their 2 yr old son) took great care of our house, and loved on Lizzie till we returned Jan 19th.

So What's Up Next

Sat, 15 Dec 2018 21:32:06 +0000

We’ve been here three months.

Wow! That went fast.

The first 6 weeks in Merida were a blur of immersion in culture, language and sights and sounds and tastes of a place completely new to us. Exciting, wonderful, stretching, thought and discussion provoking, we were breathless.

Coconut Water

Mon, 10 Dec 2018 19:28:57 +0000

Coconut water everywhere and not a drop to drink! That is, until our neighbor Aaron stopped by and asked us if we liked it. Si!

The next day he comes with three coconuts and his machete and we have coconut water.

Uxmal (ushmal)

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 21:48:26 +0000

I wonder what Chicago would look like if we could see it after it had been abandoned for 600 years. During that time, invading groups occasionally pilfer what’s left to build their own structures. Finally, future archeologists attempt a restoration so “modern” people of that day could surmise what life was like back then.

Seashore Art

Mon, 03 Dec 2018 12:26:05 +0000

Seashore sounds. Seashore smells. And, one of my honey’s favorite: Seashore shells!

Not only this, his artist eye for beauty, shapes, lines and colors comes out in his most recent activity - beautiful seashell arrangements - all from items found at the beach.

Fly Bys

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 13:25:49 +0000

Ka-Plop! Poor fish! He just slid sown the Pelican gullet.

The birds are so amazing and fun to watch!

We love the wave skimming, the fishing dives,and the new sounds of early morning birds that live in our neighborhood down here.

From Sea to Table

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 13:33:06 +0000

Have we told you we have a great property manager? He knew we wanted fresh fish, so gave us a head’s up text about the fishermen selling their catch of fresh Liza. They weren’t even gutted yet.

Thanks Manuel! They are delicious!

Saturday Nights: Pizza & Pier

Mon, 26 Nov 2018 12:45:31 +0000

Saturday Night! Date night with my sweetheart!

For these mountain land lubbers, we start hankerin’ for something they didn’t catch a little below sea level. Wa-La! Our go-to Saturday night, on-the-beach restaurant, Muelle de Sisal, has one non-fish pizza on the menu on weekends.

Our Own Botanical Garden

Sun, 25 Nov 2018 17:55:25 +0000

It feels a bit like paradise!

Will the newness of it all eventually wear off? It sure hasn’t yet! And, we hope it never does.

Since you can’t just drop by to enjoy it with us (although we’d love that!), we’ll share it with you through pics!

Our First Norte!

Mon, 19 Nov 2018 12:52:26 +0000

We are quickly learning about weather patterns on the beach of Northern Yucatan!

“Norte” was a new term for us. It was used with other exclamations like “Button down!” and “Strong winds!”. We heard it would start Tuesday evening and go into Thursday morning - 36+ hours! Yet our ever-so-trustworthy weather apps were saying 12-18 mph winds.

From Chicxulub to Sisal

Sun, 18 Nov 2018 14:19:40 +0000

When you’re in Colorado and you’ve never been to Northern Yucatan, you close your eyes and point at the map and say, “I’ll try that town”.

We didn’t really do that, but we made the best choice we could from a distance, knowing at least a little of what we wanted.

The Nautical House in Sisal

Fri, 16 Nov 2018 15:34:05 +0000

Welcome to our home in Sisal!

We will tell you why we are in Sisal in the next post, but we couldn’t wait to have you ‘join us’ in this home! It is appropriately called The Nautical House.

Ben walks you around the outside of the property (and to the beach!) in the first video. Carma shares the inside of the home in the second video. Enjoy!

Tis the Season for Octupus

Mon, 12 Nov 2018 16:33:34 +0000

In the northwest corner of the Yucatan Peninsula, in the middle of a wildlife sanctuary (ie. flamingos!), sits a relatively busy fishing village called Celestun. We have learned the catch of the day, during this time of year, is octupus.

Telchac: Long Walk-able Beaches!

Thu, 08 Nov 2018 17:51:38 +0000

Long walk-able beaches. Sounds of the Gulf reaching the shoreline. Clean downtown. Fresh coconut water.

Those are just some of the sites, sounds and tastes(!) we enjoyed as we explored Telchac during our ’northern fishing villages’ tour.

In our goal to find the ‘right’ area for us, we hired a touring guide to introduce us to the 6-8 fishing villages along the northern shore of the Yucatan Peninsula. Our favorite was Telchac. (stay tuned as we found an even ‘more favorite’ since then!)

Birthday Celebration in Progreso!

Sun, 04 Nov 2018 13:34:48 +0000

We celebrated Ben’s birthday on the beach in Progreso!

Our celebration included

delicious breakfast at Crabster’s (a restaurant along the Malecon (boardwalk-like)
strolling along the shoreline
a dip in the Gulf to cool off (Carma)
shopping for a guayabera, a Yucatecan men’s shirt (although we didn’t find one…yet)

Chicxulub Views

Sun, 04 Nov 2018 00:53:22 +0000

We have been in Chicxulub a week! Chicxulub is a fishing village on the north end of the Yucatan Peninsula.

We spent the first 6 weeks in Merida. A week ago we came to Chicxulub. Chicxulub (blue pin on map) is approximately an hour north of Merida.

From Oliva's to Mamma Mia's

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 15:25:34 +0000

The last night of our “Life in Merida” trial was spent at an Italian restaurant a couple hundred feet from where we had lived. We hadn’t tried it yet but knew it received the highest ratings. We found out why. Pictures of the food don’t begin to do it justice. The ambience, service and flavors were deliciously memorable!

Walking Tour of the Plaza Grande

Mon, 29 Oct 2018 16:10:16 +0000

This free walking tour came highly recommended. It’s offered daily at 9:30am in the heart of Merida (Plaza Grande).

There were 20-25 people in our group and everyone of us (some couples) were from a different country!

Our talented tour guide gave the tour in Spanish, Mayan and English.

Hacienda Sotuta de Peon Part IV

Tue, 23 Oct 2018 22:18:57 +0000

Swimming in a Cenote!

How do you wind down from an amazing tour!

Take a swim in an underground river flowing through a cave that has water so crystalline that you simply see the bottom as far as the light goes. We were just told there about 3000 cenotes in the Yucatan.

Hacienda Sotuta de Peon Part III

Mon, 22 Oct 2018 22:20:27 +0000

In the Presence of a Master

Have you ever met someone that that leaves you in awe? Not the ones that are famous that you never thought a normal person like one of us could meet, but one that no one knew about that left you feeling like you had just been in a master’s presence?

Hacienda Sotuta de Peon Part II

Sat, 20 Oct 2018 21:54:15 +0000

From Plant to Rope

The growing and harvesting and processing and machinery of rope making from sisal, aptly demonstrated by our incredible tour guide and rope making crew from the Hacienda, left us in awe. It’s probably better seen than described on paper, so Carma took videos along with pictures.

Hacienda Sotuta de Peon Part I

Sat, 20 Oct 2018 20:42:41 +0000

From Starbucks to Hacienda Sotuta de Peon

We have 20 feet of sisal rope. It’s coiled and ready to hang on our wall as soon as we have a place of our own. We watched it being made by hand on a day of Olympic proportions when it comes to fascinating memories.

Fresh Juices. World's longest pier. +More!

Mon, 15 Oct 2018 02:11:39 +0000

And, Saturday Night Biciruta (Bicycle ride). Meat market. Arugula pizza.

Just a few of the images you will see in this week’s slideshow - coming to you from Merida, Mexico.

The Ways of Merida

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 01:09:58 +0000

A Few Observations

Bagging Your Groceries

Tip the older gentlemen and women that bag your groceries. Who knew?! We were here a couple of weeks before we found out about this one. They are volunteers and they are there to earn a few pesos. (25 t0 50 cents)

Doing Laundry in Merida

Mon, 08 Oct 2018 22:37:39 +0000

If you saw our short video of the home we are staying in while in Merida, you know that doing our laundry is a very manual process.

We thought we’d share how it looks doing laundry at our house… enjoy the pics, presented in order of your normal washing cycle! The dry cycle can take up to 36 hours!

Hola!

Wed, 03 Oct 2018 18:20:53 +0000

Wow! 20 hours of class in 5 days with homework at night. So much for that easy-going lifestyle!

Actually it was great, but it sure was intense! Nidi, our amazing teacher, did a great job giving us just what we needed to start dog-paddling in the pool of Spanish. We think it’s actually an ocean. We can’t wait until we can swim well enough to enjoy diving in to some real conversations at normal conversation speed. We are thrilled to be on our way however.

Yucatecan Food I

Mon, 01 Oct 2018 22:33:03 +0000

We anticipate we will have multiple posts about the Yucatecan food. Here is Yucatecan food part 1!

We enjoyed our Friday evening at a local Yucatecan restaurant called La Chaya Maya.

The highlight of the evening was watching local Mayan make handmade tortillas. They had two Mayan ladies making hundreds of tortillas while we enjoyed our meal.

Sunday Bike Ride on Paseo de Montejo

Thu, 27 Sep 2018 11:12:18 +0000

We had the wonderful privilege of taking advantage of the Sunday tradition of closing down one side of the main avenue in Merida so that walkers, bicyclists, skateboarders, joggers and families in all sizes take over Paseo de Montejo.

Families, young and old, some just learning to bike, scooters, and more are all a part of this family-oriented event. Bikes for up to 5+ people, some with canopies, navigate the avenue.

Our Anniversary Celebration!

Sun, 23 Sep 2018 12:07:08 +0000

We celebrated our fourth anniversary at Hacienda Xcanatun, just north of Merida a few miles.

After our meal, we were completely surprised with the dessert you see above! Here we were in Mexico, we didn’t know anybody, and they had made us a special dessert for our anniversary!

First Visuals of Merida

Wed, 19 Sep 2018 17:15:05 +0000

Our first couple of days in pictures!

Click on an image to view larger version, and to scroll through the entire gallery.

Our Home in Merida

Mon, 17 Sep 2018 21:35:14 +0000

We are settling in to Merida! View the video above to get a quick tour of our home in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico.

We also spent the first night at a local hotel since we couldn’t get into the home until the next day. Here are a few pics of the hotel.

Privacy Policy

Tue, 04 Sep 2018 13:35:28 +0000

Privacy policy

This privacy policy (“Policy”) describes how Website Operator (“Website Operator”, “we”, “us” or “our”) collects, protects and uses the personally identifiable information (“Personal Information”) you (“User”, “you” or “your”) may provide on the benandcarma.com website and any of its products or services (collectively, “Website” or “Services”). It also describes the choices available to you regarding our use of your Personal Information and how you can access and update this information. This Policy does not apply to the practices of companies that we do not own or control, or to individuals that we do not employ or manage.

Merida: Yucatan Peninsula

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 17:09:08 +0000

Here We Go!

Have you ever heard of Merida, Mexico? We hadn’t either, but now we’re just about ready to try it out as our possible new home.

Last fall, while comparing cost of living stats for different areas of the U.S., we noted they also listed international locations.

Why We Are Doing This

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 14:08:16 +0000

Because we are two people with our eyes wide open, grateful for 117 years of separate but wonderful pasts, and now 4 combined years of amazing togetherness.

We’ve come together in later life, and both feeling that we have a lot of life yet to live, wish to live it well!

Contact Us

Thu, 30 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000