Sometimes a last minute invite can be a fun one!

Late this Wednesday afternoon, Lawrie just happened to check his emails and discovered a message from Marla Bainbridge Martinez asking if we would consider helping out as bartenders at a fundraiser starting at four in the afternoon.

I heaved an unhappy sigh, and stared longingly at my just-poured glass of Malbec wine. Our afternoon plans had included reading a book on the ocean-side patio, with a glass of wine in hand. But it was a fundraiser put on by a group of island friends and business people in support of a badly injured islander. Julio Zapata had recently been in a horrific moto (motorcycle) accident in the nearby City of Mérida. Julio has two young children and a third on the way. He is facing large medical bills for multiple surgical operations.

We couldn’t say no. It’s what people in small communities do – help out. Lawrie and I scrambled to get to the fundraiser for the four o’clock start time, knowing full well that as eager-beaver expats we would be among the first to arrive.

Navy truck in front, providing an armed escort for the ice?

Driving to the venue at the Casa de la Culture via Guerreo Avenue, we trailed behind a golf cart, loaded with bags of ice. Apparently ice for a party is a valuable commodity on Isla Mujeres. Driving ahead of the golf cart was an armed escort in the form of a truck load of Navy marines – presumably protecting against the threat of ice-bandits.

Lawrie and Fernanda all set to sell beer and drinks

At the ocean-side esplanade for the Casa de la Culture busy hands were in the process of setting up the venue. Lights and sound systems installed. Band instruments un-packed. Beer organized in the cooler and covered with the precious ice. Bid pages were arranged for silent auction items donated by several island businesses. And then our favourite beer dispensers arrived: Isla Brewing.

La Banda Sin Nombre

Okay, we’re good to go! Now let’s hear some tunes from La Banda Sin Nombre, the Band with No Name!

The crowd was small but very generous in their donations. Thanks to everyone for helping out. Here’s a copy of Marla’s list of contributors: hopefully no one has been left out.

Javi's Cantina Restaurant Tapas Bar, Bobo's Grill & Bar, Isla Mujeres Bar Card, El Arrecife, Parque de los Sueños, Restaurant Asia Caribe, CARM Tours & Transfers, The Joint Reggae Bar & Grill, El Patio house of music, Gigi Kraycar, Nirit Ben David, Olivia Tastes from the Mediterranean, Catrina Restaurant, BE Wings Restaurant, Nisa Disco, and Michael (no last name given).

Aida signing up for an auction item

La Banda Sin Nombre, and Deejay Dani for the tunes. Cheryl Gabel and Kevin Gabel for running the auction. Isla Brewing Company - Cerveza Isla for showing up last minute. Emilio Fernando Sosa Delgado and Martin Burgos for setting up. Jason Williams and Fernanda.

Some of the silent auction winners include: Phil the new owner of the Bahai Tortuga Restaurant, Mark and Monica Macpherson, Sandra Murray, Tomas Christianson, Terri Huff, Dede Clark, Aida and Patricio Yam.

Phil, Barbara Beck, Chris Shannon, Jimmy Picuri

Between the beer sales, the silent auction items, and an earlier Go Fund Me campaign the group efforts have brought in about $41,000 pesos of the $70,000 pesos needed to pay for the operations. It’s a great start! Donations are still gratefully accepted. Contact Marla at Javi’s Cantina for details.

The weather was perfect, the music enjoyable, and the crowd was happy.

Thank you everyone for your generosity.

 

Hasta Luego

Lynda & Lawrie

Organizing the silent auction items

~

Available as an e-book on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, or Nook. Paperback copies are available from Amazon. If you are on the island you can purchase a copy at  Jenny Penny Beach Boutique or Casa Sirena Hotel. 

Isla Mujeres Mysteries are the perfect beach-read for your next vacation.

Javi’s Cantina ‘Where Flavor Meets Harmony’

Music, good food and cold drinks!  What a great way to spend a Wednesday evening in paradise.  Marla Bainbridge Martinez and Javier Martinez recently held their grand opening event for Javi’s Cantina & Tapas Bar located in centro on Juarez near Abasolo Avenue. 

Cool new sign

Their eatery actually commenced operation in July of this year, but they wanted to ensure they had everything organized and ticking along perfectly before the grand opening.  The several times we have eaten at Javi’s, we have had a beautifully presented and tasty meal.  Practice does make perfect.

Lawrie's favourite - Sliders

The grand opening started off with a blessing from the priest, and continued into the evening with fun, laughter and music.  Until the flashy new sign was installed the cantina was a bit difficult to find.  In case you are still having challenges, it is almost directly across the street from Jeri Roozeboom Mattox and Steve Mattox’s rental property La Vida Dulce, and the Farmacia y Consultorio Similares otherwise known as Doctor Simi.

Spilling out onto the street - Grand Opening

Javi’s Cantina is an intimate and thankfully air-conditioned space, usually holding about thirty patrons, but for this evening they had permission to block off the street and spill out onto the cobblestone roadway.  It’s an island custom for important events, especially funerals when the large extended families can’t all fit inside the diminutive houses.  Javi’s family has been on the island for generations which probably helped in obtaining a street closure permit.  We are glad he did, the large turnout created a festive atmosphere with an entertaining mix of old friends, and new acquaintances all laughing and enjoying the warm tropical night.  And yes, our shivering northern friends, it was a warm tropical night in the middle of November.

Marla singing with the band

The street tables were available for patrons who wanted to drink adult beverages and enjoy the music of La Banda Sin Nombre, the Band with No Name.  The inside tables were reservations-only for folks who wanted to scarf down some great chow like Sliders, or Kabobs, or the Catch of the Day with their drinks.

Some of the menu choices

Most evenings at Javi’s Cantina there are musicians playing great tunes in Spanish and English. Tuesday night’s Hammock for 2 with Marla and Javi singing their favourite songs. Wednesday night Jorge Santoyo. Thursday night Willy Chacon.  Other nights might feature Javi and his dad Toso, or any combination of friends and fellow musicians. 

Grand opening

For the Grand Opening we had made plans to enjoy the festivities with two island friends, and then discovered two more amigos were going to be seated next to us, so we pushed the tables together and became one big happy group. 

It’s times like this that we really appreciate island life, small communities, and upbeat positive chums.

Best wishes for a successful adventure Marla and Javi.

Cheers

Lynda & Lawrie

~

Available as an e-book on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, or Nook. Paperback copies are available from Amazon. If you are on the island you can purchase a copy at  Jenny Penny Beach Boutique or Casa Sirena Hotel. 

Isla Mujeres Mysteries are the perfect beach-read for your next vacation.

Musicians of Isla Mujeres – part two

Jesús Campuzano

Two weeks ago we published a long blog article featuring some of the talented musicians on the island.  

We had so much information it spilled over onto another article this week.  Here in their own words, are a few more of the talented folks on Isla Mujeres.

Jesús Campuzano (affectionately known as Chucho Ruidos) has been performing his magical music on Isla Mujeres since 2005. His music is the heartbeat of the island. Call it electro jazz or island jam, it is a most uncommon music – music you will never forget. You can find him rocking Poc Na on Saturday and Monday nights, the new Amar Restaurant, as well as venues all over the island.  

When asked to describe his music, Chucho says: ‘I am an animal playing my instrument and I have always been a rebel.  I try to play the most uncommon music, things that not even a 5-piece band will do. The only certain thing to say about my style is that is violently genuine.’

Jeff at Barlito's @ Marina Paraiso 

Jeff Current says: I'm from a musical family of six kids; my siblings are all more talented than I.  When I was younger I had a lot of choir, church, and school choir training.  At about age ten I learned to play the guitar, performing with various bands until I finished high school.  

I played solidly in college with a trio doing soft and country rock, up and down the front range of Colorado for a few years.  I still enjoy performing some of those songs today.  

Isla Animals clinic - Can you teach me to be a brain surgeon?

After college my musical career was mainly light jamming until we discovered Isla in 1993, and eventually moved to the island in 1999. 

  

I got to know a lot of the talented Isla musicians when we owned the Sunset Grill on north beach from 2000 to 2005.  I have great memories of Javi Martinez, Miguel Hernandez, and Willie Chacon, and occasionally jammed with them just for fun.  

When our dear friend from Isla Mujeres, Ron Brown, learned to play the mandolin he and I performed as the "Soggy Bottom Boys.’  We played together until his passing in 2009.  Twas a hoot, I miss him dearly.

These days I strum and sing to music backtracks, during the tourist season, at a few of the local bars on the island.  The money we raise money goes to our non-profit charity, Isla Animals.  The evenings are a real blast, and we all have a bit of fun for a good cause.  

(What Jeff, otherwise known as Jeef, didn’t say is - he has a wicked and occasionally bent sense of humour that slips out during his live performances.  His events are always good for a chuckle.)

And there are more:

Gregorio Sanchez

Due to challenges with communicating in Spanglish, we are still missing information on a few more of the islands talented folks. 

We can always add information at a later date.  The wonders of electronic publications!

Gregorio Sanchez sings at Barlito's on Saturday evenings, and performs on Hidalgo Avenue other nights.  

He is a well-known islander, famous for beautiful voice and his dog song.  Our dog Sparky was fascinated by Gregorio's song.

Where to find our island musicians:

Here’s a few of the places that you will find live music, mainly on weekends but other days as well during the winter months.

Adelitas Tequileria – Hidalgo Avenue, centro

Almar Restaurant – Guerreo Avenue, centro

Barlito’s @ Marina Paraiso – Rueda Medina

Caribbean Brisas - Payo Obispo (near Mango Café)

Chichi's 'n Charlie's Beach Bar – the north end of Rueda Medina

El Patio House of Music – Hidalgo Avenue, centro

Faynes – Hidalgo Avenue, centro

Fenix House of Music – Calle Zazil-ha, next to NaBalam Hotel

Javi’s Cantina – on Juarez, centro

The Joint Reggae Bar – Rueda Medina near Punta Sur

Mamacita's – Hidalgo Avenue, centro

Miguel's Moonlight – in centro

Nash's Tapas Bar – Hidalgo Avenue, centro

Parque de Los Suenos – Rueda Medina near Punta Sur

Sardinian Smiles – Hidalgo Avenue, centro

Soggy Peso – Friday nights in high season

Zama Beach Club – Carreterra a Sac Bajo, west-side of the island

Sol Rockers at El Patio House of Music - FB photo

Whatever your choice in music, there is probably someone, somewhere on the island singing that tune. 

Hasta Pronto!

Lynda & Lawrie

There’s music in the air

The musical talent on this little Caribbean island, Isla Mujeres, is amazing.  We recently asked a few of the musicians that we know if they would be interested in being featured in this week’s blog article.  Some are full-time residents, others live here in the winter months, and one well-known musician was born on Isla.  We started to write the article from our point of view, and then decided that since the musicians had sent us such great biographies …we’d use their words instead.  So here they are, in alphabetical order by surname.

Willy Chacon was born in Acapulco. He started playing guitar at age 11. He spent all his time learning American and British music. Willy formed his first band in high school and played in various venues in Acapulco.  In 1995 he moved to Isla Mujeres and started a band featuring international and Caribbean music.  He was a regular at Toninos Restaurant owned by his cousin, Juan Basto.  Other venues include NaBalam and Sunset Grill.  In 2000 he began playing at Faynes when it opened.  In 2005 he moved to Michigan and continued to play a variety of gigs and venues. In October 2015, Willy moved back to the island and joined Toso Martinez' band “Los Que No Son.”  He is currently adding a variety of music to his repertoire ~ bossa nova, reggae, rhumba, and flamenco.  On April 7, 2015 he was recognized with Toso and inducted as part of "La Trova Islena"....these musicians are preserving our local cultural treasure of traditional Isla music. Currently, Willy and Toso play together at Faynes with "Los Que No Son" and as a duo at Parque de Los Suenos.  In addition, he works as both a chef and entertainer for Dinnertainment owned by Javier and Marla Martinez.

Mike Davanzo has been playing guitar and singing professionally with a variety of bands since the age of sixteen in the New York area.  He has also performed in twenty American states, plus locations in Canada and Mexico.  Mike has worked with numerous old time rock n rollers including Lou Christie, Jimmy Clanton, Chubby Checker, Joey Dee and the Starlighters, Jay and the Americans, The Belmonts, The Crystals, The Vanilla Fudge, The Rascals and Tommy James and the Shondells.  Mike has been visiting Isla Mujeres for 15 years and now spends the winter here.  He plays and sings rock n roll of the 50's-60's- 70's during the November - March winter season at Miguel's Moonlight and Parque de Los Suenos, with guest appearances at Marina Paraiso and other venues.

Miquel and his son at Barlito's 

Miguel Angel Hernandez grew up in an artistic family in Mexico City.  At the age of twelve he started learning guitar, playing in a band with his uncles when he was a young teenager.  By the time he entered high school he had his own rock band that performed at school functions and parties.  By learning the harmonica, Miguel was able to find work with a Mexico City blues band, entertaining at dance clubs.  He also studied flute and guitar at the Escuela Libre de Muscia in Mexico City for two years.  By 1987 Miguel had discovered Isla Mujeres and a Louisiana band who played blues in Cancun and also on Isla at the Bad Bones Bar.  Then he switched to bass guitar for five years at the same island restaurant when it was re-named Ya-Ya’s, and still later when the name was changed to Jax.  In those years there was only work for musicians during the high season, the winter months so to keep himself employed Miguel traveled to Canada and Germany with other musicians.  Today the Isla Mujeres music scene is so busy he is employed throughout the year as part of both The Sol Rockers, and La Banda Sin Nombre as well as solo gigs.  Miguel says, “Music has been my love, and my life, and I am always available to play for private parties and weddings.”

Javier Martinez Cen was born and raised on Isla Mujeres.  He writes: I can't remember when I picked up an instrument for the very first time, but when I was eight years old, my fifth grade teacher asked me to play Mexican songs for a school festival.  I asked my dad to show me how and it was fantastic, people clapping and smiling.   I knew then I wanted to be a rock star!

Year by year learning more from my musical family (my dad and his musician friends, The Vampers), I finally got my chance on the electric guitar.  I played everywhere I could including five government sponsored international festivals.  My favourite gigs were with La Trova Isleña, an association tasked with preserving our cultural music.  With La Trova Isleña I went to Cuba where I learned to play percussion.  A few years later I toured with my dear friends Sebastian and Miguel Hernandez, through Germany and Holland.  Later I met my beautiful wife, Marla Bainbridge, and we created a duo called Hammock for 2.  We toured through Chicago, Minneapolis, and Indianapolis doing private performances.  Fun!

Little by little I started my cooking business with Marla, where I can mix my two passions, cooking and music. Our Dinnertainment created the opportunity for my restaurant, Javi’s Cantina where I combine a taste of Isla Mujeres with international flavours.  I love what I do there; cook and play my guitar!

My gigs are Javi’s Cantina, Faynes, Adelitas, Zama Beach Club and where ever a costumer asks me to play.  La Banda Sin Nombre, my second family, is the oldest band in town.  Love all of them, Julio, Yasser, Miguel, Javier and my dad Toso, together play anything we want.  Music, music, and more music!

Ryan Rickman: Having started to play music at the age of eight, Ryan has always loved performing on stage and being a musician.  Once done with High school he immediately got a job with Club Med as the house musician, starting in the Bahamas and then landing in Cancun in 2003.  Lucky enough to find Isla for the first time on a day trip he fell in love with the Island and continued to visit ever since.  Having started many of his own bands in California and always working as a musician, Ryan has always been busy with music.  Being in the right place at the right time in 2012, Ryan met Penny Deming the owner of El Patio and he has been playing music for her establishments ever since.  His musical selections include, Smooth Island tunes, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s Soft Rock, Country, California Reggae, Jazz, and lots of originals too!  Never far from his side is his huge, but lovable four-legged companion O.G., who will steal your heart (and some of your food) the second you meet him.  He is part of the show!  Ryan loves Isla and is happy to be a part of the community here and being able to have the opportunity to help Isla evolve, grow, and continue to stay the beautiful island that we all love and some of us are so fortunate to call home!

Ken Wanovich: My first trip to the island was in 1989 just after hurricane Gilbert.  The impact on Mexican families made a huge impression on me. Now, twenty-seven years later, my wife Debbie and I are regular visitors to the island in February and July, where I play music as a soloist, and we work for our non-profit organization "Keys 4 Life."  When we are on the island, you'll find me playing music at Mamacita's, Chi's 'n Charlie's Beach Bar, Caribbean Brisas, Sardinian Smiles, and Nash's Tapas Bar.  It’s hard to put a title on my style, but variety comes close: Classic Rock, Trop Rock, Oldies, Country, and Pop. Our work with Keys 4 Life has allowed us to work with families in Guadalupana and La Gloria installing new cement floors over dirt, repairing and replacing leaky roofs, bringing school supplies & clothing, supplying paint for the soccer stadium and middle school, and recently, installing new white boards in each of the thirteen classrooms at the middle school.

There are more folks out there making beautiful music, folks that we weren’t able to connect with this time around, but we’ll do another article featuring island musicians - soon.   We hope you liked reading about some of Isla’s great musicians.

Local musicians honoured by La Trova Isleña

Get out there and enjoy the great tunes!

Hasta Pronto!

Lynda & Lawrie

Missing! Five Islanders and the Anastacia

Anastacia - before it went missing.  Isla Fiesta photo

They are husbands and fathers, brothers and sons, uncles and nephews, cousins and friends; and they are missing.  Five friends left Isla Mujeres on a 32-foot boat, the Anastacia, Wednesday March 30^th.  They were headed towards the island of Cozumel to fish for sharks.   

They have not been heard from since.

Waiting for news

At the fishing coop where the Anastacia berths the families wait, faces pinched by worry and love, seeking comfort from each other.  

Eyes brim with tears that quickly spill with the arrival of more friends, affectionate hugs, and soft words of solace.  An upset child picking up the unsettled mood, tugs at a sleeve of his mother, plaintively asking: When is papi coming home? 

But each new day is a morning filled with hope and optimism.  “Today is the day we will find them!” 

The search coordinating committee is made up of many islanders including Jorge Fernando De La O Pino papa to Jorge De La O, the captain of the Anastacia.  

Javi, Marla, Jorge Sr., and Jill

Others members are Marcelo Cupul Ku, Rogelio Digurnay Perez, Marcelino Cupul Avalos, Javier Martinez Cen, Marla Bainbridge Martinez, Wilberth Ancona Argaez, Julio Sosa Chuc and Thelmo Burgos Uc.  Jill Hardekopf is also helping out with her American contacts.  

Most of the committee has other jobs that they have taken a leave of absence from, allowing them to devote time to finding their family members.  In the case of Jorge Sr., the opening for his new restaurant has been delayed indefinitely.   Javier Martinez Cen (Javi) and Jorge Jr., have been as close as cousins since birth.  For him, and all of the other families, this search is intensely personal.

Currents - Mexico, Cuba, US

The search grids are based on suggestions from highly qualified experts from around the world and experienced members of the community, fishermen, captains and mates who know the currents and wind patterns.  From early morning to late at night coordinators makes phone calls to authorities seeking assistance, asking permission, planning for the next day’s search grid, raising money to pay for the massive amounts of fuel required, and answering hundreds of emails and Facebook posts.  

All through the day optimistic words of hope are spoken.  Never give up!  We will find them.   Each sunset is the beginning of a night filled with very little and restless sleep, exhausted brains spinning with questions.  Where are they?  Are they okay?  What can we do next?  Where should the search focus tomorrow?

Huachisan III and crew searching in Cuban waters

Deline García Canto talks with pride how his papa Juan de Dios García Povedano (Huacha) and crew aboard the Huachisan III have been given permission to search in Cuban waters.   They are tired, worried and a long way from home, but still searching for their friends.  The Mexican government has initiated the request for assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard, and are still waiting on their reply.  

Also out searching

The navy, the harbor master, and the UltraMar passenger ferry have all assisted. Mexico News Daily with a readership of twenty thousand expats carried the story a few days ago, as did a TV station in Houston because Jorge De La O lives there part of the year.  A gofundme campaign has raised thousands of dollars to assist with the cost of fuel for the search boats; more is needed.  

Locals and expats have come together providing basic needs for the five families, waiting without a source of income, for the return of their husbands and fathers.  The search committee is working remotely with the specialized, volunteer Search & Rescue team from the USA.  Their arrival has been delayed, awaiting documentation.

Isla Mujeres is a strongly knit community of locals and foreigners all pulling together to bring the five men home safely, hopefully with an interesting adventure story to tell their children.  But the social media network is slowly picking at the threads of the community, bit by bit, picking and unraveling the fabric of the island.  

Social media is a curse and a blessing.  It is an instant form of communication.  And an instant form of condemnation and criticism.   Why didn’t they do this?  Why don’t they do that?  I could do this better.  Not taking into account the tangled regulations involved with three separate countries – Mexico, USA, and Cuba who hasn’t had a diplomatic relationship with the USA from 1960 until just this year.  Permissions are required to cross, enter or fly over airspace and oceans.  And not taking into account the personal toll on the family members as each new rumor is bandied about as “the truth” while family members are left to wonder: Why wasn’t I told.  I am sitting right here five feet away from the coordinators.  Why didn’t they tell me my son was okay?  And then it’s revealed to not be the truth, but just a fast-moving rumor spreading like wild-fire through the internet searing the hearts of those waiting for news.

Dawn of another day of hope!

Maybe today is the day that they will find them!  

Be strong, stick together, and work to a common goal.  It’s what makes Isla Mujeres such a special place in a complex world.

Hasta Luego

Lynda & Lawrie

Please feel free to share our blog post. 





If you would like to help - please donated to the Find the Anastacia Fund gofundme

How do you make a living in a small community? Diversify!

Javi & Marla 

Earning a living in a small community can be daunting, but for energetic and resourceful people it can be a very interesting adventure.  When Javier Martinez Cen and Marla J. Bainbridge teamed up romantically and professionally their world got a lot more interesting.

Javi’s family, Martinez, is one of the oldest families on Isla Mujeres.  He has spent his entire life on the island, with the exception of a few vacations to Canada, Germany and the USA.  Grinning Javi added he was actually born in Mérida.  He is not sure if his mother planned to have him in Mérida, or she just happened to be visiting family when Javi made his debut. 

Not long after they joined forces, Marla created a spreadsheet for Javi, with the week blocked out in one hour segments, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  It was a simple demonstration that they would have plan where and when they worked as sleep was a non-negotiable line item on the spreadsheet. 

Toso, Julio, and Javi part of Banda Sin Nombre

In previous years Javi had tried a variety of jobs.  He worked on the reception desk at the Cristal Mar Hotel and as a guide at the turtle farm.  He also tried his hand at lobster fishing and cleaning boats but music was always the main motivation in his life. 

Taught at an early age by his dad, Toso, Javi later expanded his music education in Mérida.  His grandfather and uncle were also musicians, and his dad stills plays a mean bass guitar in the La Banda Sin Nombre.  However, for Javi, playing a late night gig at Fayne’s and then reporting to work at the middle school at 6:45 in the morning was not going be successful in the long term.  It doesn’t matter how young you are, eventually the body says: stop!

Javi and his bud.  

On the other hand, Marla who was originally an Alabama girl first moved to Isla Mujeres about three and a half years ago.  She has lived in a number of American cities, and states, and enjoys the challenge of re-inventing herself when presented with new opportunities.  Marla readily admits when she was in high school she was an awful student, she had absolutely no interest.  Several years later she decided she was bored and needed a new challenge.  She enrolled in Pepperdine University in California, and breezed through her Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership.

Moving to Isla she realized she had to cast a large net over the island to find job opportunities, and business ideas.  Creating websites and promotional ideas for various island businesses, plus property management for seven or eight homes got her started.  The property management led to purchasing the web-based business Isla Mujeres Budget Rentals, offering booking services between a number of lower priced properties and tourists. This has expanded to include Isla Mujeres Vacation Rentals for mid-priced properties and Isla Mujeres Luxury Rentals for the higher-end properties.  

Another one of their business ventures

Creative and restive her mind is never still, so Marla came up with two more inventive ideas. Dinnertainment: private dinner parties hosted in your home, condo, or apartment complete with music.  And Transportainment: Javi tours clients to the off-the-beaten path locations of Isla Mujeres complete with a local history lesson.

Just when I thought they had revealed all of their business secrets, an early morning email informed me of their newest venture Isla Iguana Tag, to be launched in November.  According to Marla, “it’s an updated version of a scavenger hunt where teams use their smart phones to join in the fun, and are given a list of challenges to compete for points.  It’s a great way to see the island, and to visit local attractions or businesses.” 

 

Singing "Sweet Home Alabama!"

With all of these enterprises rolling along, Marla reflected that she has realized a very important fact about herself.  She enjoys the development of new business ideas.  

Her criteria for a great business venture are simple: the joy derived must be greater than the time spent, and money earned.  

For Javi he wants to be a good husband, and a good dad to his thirteen year-old daughter Ambar, and to lead a balanced and happy life. 

Check out their website:

http://www.islamujeresvacationrentals.com

Hasta Luego 

Lynda and Lawrie