February on Isla Mujeres is jammed with fun, dancing, music, and food.

February is the shortest and the busiest month on Isla, plus we are currently undergoing major renovations in our little casa on the beach - so this week's blog is all about the visuals because my overworked brain just can't string the words together.

Willy and Deb at Captain Dulche's - F. Teny photo

February 2018 started off with the spectacular wedding of two beautiful friends, Deb Crinigan and Willy Chacon.

Lynda and Lawrie in the church

We, being good little Canadians, got to the church early.

Fifteen minutes later the pews were filled 

More people still arriving - the bride is waiting!

~

Then the next day was Superbowl Sunday with the underdogs winning the championship.

Philadelphia 13-3-0, 1st NFC East	9		13		7		12		41
									Final
New England 13-3-0, 1st AFC East	3		9		14		7		33

 ~

A couple of days to catch our breath and it’s Carnaval 2018 starting Friday February 9th.

                                                        ~

And by the time the exhausted islanders catch their collective breath again we are into the annual Island Time Music Festival with a lot of amazing musical events taking place all over the island. 

Cheers

Lynda and Lawrie

Are you missing your little piece of paradise?
Get your Isla 'fix' with the exciting Isla Mujeres Mystery series!

There's Trouble on Isla, Big Trouble!
  

Book #2 in the Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

5.0 out of 5 stars

Fast and furious

By CA reviews on September 26, 2017

Yasmin and Jessica are back and the gold they found in Treasure Isla is still haunting them, especially when Carlos, their boss at the Loco Lobo, and Yasmin’s new lover, is kidnapped. No spoilers here, but his captivity and the girls’ efforts to free him, with the help of Carlos’s pals—including local Isla Mujeres fishermen and a Mexico City cop—are the crux of this fast-paced story. Lock has created not only a compelling and authentic setting, but a well-developed ensemble cast. The next Isla mystery can’t come fast enough.

Available on Amazon e-books $2.99 USD
or Paperback $11.99 USD

Paperback are also available on Isla Mujeres at the Jenny Penny Boutique, Art Fair on Thursday evenings, or from the author. 

E-books  available on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Smashwords

 Treasure Isla - where it all began!

5.0 out of 5 stars

Captivating and authentic

By CA reviews on September 26, 2017

This was a truly fun in the sun kind of mystery, with an authenticity that was simply captivating. Set on the island called Isla Mujeres, not far from the better-known Mexican resort of Cancun, it follows the misadventures of two girlfriends, who on a drunken binge manage to wander onto the grounds of a cemetery and find a treasure map stuck in a crevice of an old pirate tomb. Jessica, from Canada, and local pal Yasmin both work at a tourist bar/restaurant called the Loco Lobo. Soon their boss Carlos and a handsome attorney named Luis are involved in the girls’ illegal hunt for pirate gold. Toss in a bad dude running from a string of crimes in Key West, and it’s the start of an addictive new mystery series.

Available on Amazon e-books $2.99 USD

or Paperback $11.99 USD

Paperback are also available on Isla Mujeres at the Jenny Penny Boutique, Art Fair on Thursday evenings, or from the author. 

E-books available on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Smashwords

Yazmin, resiliency and determination

Sean Petty and Yazmin Aguirre - photo from her FB page.  

It’s the smile that catches your attention then her upbeat personality pulls you in to her orbit - Yazmin Aguirre Rivera.

Originally from Tamaulipas and Nuevo León in the northern part of Mexico her family, mom, dad, and two sisters now live in Mexico City. She moved to the Caribbean side of Mexico about thirteen years ago working in both Cancun and on Isla Mujeres. Many of you will know her as the capable rental manager for Isla Mujeres Vacations, a company created in 2014 by Susan Marchon, of Mundaca Realty, and Yazmin.

Yazmin  Dia De La Independencia! 

We first met Yazmin a few years ago at the monthly Art Fair in the square. She happened to be walking by a display of Catrinas, the fancy-dress Day of the Dead skeletons, that are popular at the end of October and beginning of November. The vendor was one of her friends and Yazmin playfully started to hype the Catrinas creating interest from the crowd and resulting in a few sales. It was all light-hearted fun, smiles and laughter. That’s the Yazmin we know.  

So, about eighteen months ago when I was beginning to write my first novel in the Isla Mujeres Mystery series, I asked Yazmin Aguirre if she would mind me using a name similar to hers, Yasmin Medina, for one of the main characters. The character from my novel has golden streaks through her dark curly hair, and deep green eyes like La Trigueña the young Maya woman whom pirate Fermin Mundaca lusted after in the 1870’s. I wanted the character to have a great smile and curly hair, and the only name that seemed to fit was Yasmin. I tried a dozen other names, and just kept coming back to the same one. But as I said to Yazmin Aguirre, she’s not you. My character is shyer and wrestles with her role as a smart, determined woman in a very macho-society.

Yazmin - from her FB page 

When Yazmin read the first draft of Treasure Isla, she laughed, and said, “Well that could have been me when I was younger and shy.”  

Lawrie and I smiled at that thought. Yazmin shy? We just couldn’t see it. She’s confident, bold, caring and has an amazing energy for helping others. While she was in Mexico City recovering from major surgery for colon cancer, she was also fundraising for the victims of the two major earthquakes and the volcano eruption that was triggered by the earthquakes.

On the island she is an active promoter of the Isla Mujeres Scholarship program, providing financial assistance to students. Yazmin is also deeply involved with the annual Island Time Musical Festival. The proceeds from the six-day event go to the Little Yellow School House, a local facility for children with developmental problems.

Yazmin teaching the kids - Pamela Ballo photo

And for fun she teaches yoga, a combination of Hatha and Vinyasa practices, plus specializing in instructing children. Yazmin recently told me that once she has ‘kicked the cancer’s butt’ she plans to offer free lessons for local kids in Las Glorias as she said, a karma payback.  

Now it Yazmin’s turn to get a helping hand from her many friends and acquaintances. Her medical bills will exceed $60,000.00 USD for her cancer treatments plus the six rounds of chemo therapy. Generous donations are happening hourly but there is still a long way to go.

Yazmin - Andrea Luff photo

One islander came up with an inventive way to raise more money for Yazmin. Laurence Levy otherwise known as the creative owner-chef of Lolo Lorena’s Restaurant on Isla Mujeres was planning to donate $250, but then she had the idea to turn that $250 into $2500 with a 7 course dinner, all proceeds going to Yazmin’s gofundme campaign. And she did, all while confined to a wheelchair the result of her accident several years ago. Islanders continue to amaze us with their resiliency and determination.

So, if you are interested in helping Yazmin ‘kick cancer’s butt’ here’s how:

There is a Go Fund Me account set up on the internet to facilitate donations. The link is added below. https://www.gofundme.com/yazmin-battle-against-cancer

Donations can also be made anytime at Javi’s Cantina on Juarez Avenue on Isla (Javi’s will be closed November 1^st to 15^th for kitchen renovations.)

And please share this blog post on your social network accounts; Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Goggle Plus.

That's another good thing about living here, everyone (locals, ex-pats, tourists, and friends) are willing to pitch in and do what they can to help.

Cheers from paradise

Lynda & Lawrie

5.0 out of 5 stars Fast and furious

CA review on September 26, 2017

Yasmin and Jessica are back and the gold they found in Treasure Isla is still haunting them, especially when Carlos, their boss at the Loco Lobo, and Yasmin’s new lover, is kidnapped. No spoilers here, but his captivity and the girls’ efforts to free him, with the help of Carlos’s pals—including local Isla Mujeres fishermen and a Mexico City cop—are the crux of this fast-paced story. Lock has created not only a compelling and authentic setting, but a well-developed ensemble cast. The next Isla mystery can’t come fast enough.

A wacky week of fun – something for everyone

Just hanging out with family and friends

It’s February in paradise, the high season for tourism, and there is fun for everyone.  

You can buy beautiful crafts, listen to Nashville performers, go deep sea fishing, hang out with friends, or have a visit with a free-roaming crocodile. 

On Monday night the Mexican Artesian Pavilion was officially opened by local dignitaries.  This national exhibition is here on Isla until February 21^st.  

Beautiful crafts from all of Mexico - City FB page photo

The big white tent in centro houses an assortment of beautifully handmade items from several different Mexican states, featuring a tasteful assortment pottery, hats, jewelry and clothing.  

It’s a fun place to do a little shopping in the afternoon, especially earlier in the week when unexpected downpour put a one hour hold on many of the other activities, such as the Island Time Music Fest.

Hidalgo Avenue - after 20 minute down-pour

Now in their 7^th year the Island Time Music Fest – and Island Time Fishing Tournament started rocking the island with music and Nashville singers on Monday February 15^th.  

Originally a smaller, two-venue event it has grown to include a variety of restaurants and bars scattered around the island.  And for the diehards, there is still the exciting fishing component of the event – sailfish, marlin, wahoo, Dorado, and yummy tuna.  

All proceeds from the week-long extravaganza go to funding the Little Yellow School House on Isla Mujeres.

Island Time Music Fest - FB page photo

For us we have had a more personal, but very fun time with family members, first-time-to-Mexico cousins, and an assortment of Canadian friends.  

We ate, drank, napped, ate, drank and napped our way through two laughter-filled weeks.  

If the fun doesn’t end soon, we will have to buy our clothes at Jones Tents & Awnings. 

Richard, Scott & Judy (cousins) Lynda, Linda, Lawrie

The margaritas at the Soggy Peso are now on the “that’s-never-gonna-cross-my-lips-again” list for a number of our friends.  Something to do with memory loss, I think.

As for the visit with the free-roaming crocodile, Lawrie’s cousin Scott and I were driving back from taking the two pooches out for their morning swim, and I spotted a local woman standing beside the pond near the new hospital.  

“Ah ha, I bet she is taking a picture of the croc.”  

Smile - say Tequila!

I did a u-turn and we parked alongside the pond.  Yep!  There was the crocodile stretched out and sunning on a mat of vegetation.  

The crocodile didn’t seem at all concerned at the attention, just continued to sun itself, although I think it was keeping a hopeful eye on the two dogs.  Perhaps it was hoping a little morning snack would just happen to come its way.

Just another fun week in paradise!

Hasta Luego

Lawrie & Lynda

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