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.

Isla is Booming!

2015 concrete docks, bigger boats, new signs

Our little paradise here on Isla Mujeres is rapidly changing.  We think it’s great.  The focus has been gradually shifting from a sleepy fishing village to a tourist-based economy with more amenities available for everyone.

Fortunately our Presidente Agapito Magaña was way ahead of the curve on this.  A great many of the projects he has introduced have the tourism industry front and foremost, from having our beaches designated as the coveted Blue Flag status, to getting Isla Mujeres chosen as a Pueblo Mágico destination in Mexico.

Of course it doesn’t hurt that Isla has been frequently mentioned in the news:

Old ferry terminal - 2007 Lawrie waiting for friends to arrive

Trip Advisor - Top Beaches in Mexico

NBC News – Best Islands to Live On

Travel & Leisure - World’s Best Islands

Islands – Best Islands for Retiring Early

And as you explore the island on a golf cart you can’t help but notice the construction of new homes, condos, and resorts, including in-filling of vacant lots in the local neighbourhoods.  

2015 Street side entrance to the new terminal

On our street, in the last seven years, there have been twelve new houses built plus several other existing home have undergone major renovations.  Chris Shannon, Managing Director of Mundaca Real Estate, (Isla’s biggest real estate company) told us that it is hard to keep up with the requests to show property.  Their sales team is busy, and it’s a good busy!

At Punta Sam the continental part of Isla Mujeres, a larger car ferry terminal is under construction.  We haven’t heard what the projected completion date is, but it looks like the project is well under way.  Hopefully the new facility will have a better system for selling tickets to drivers.  



It is always amusing if not a bit unnerving to wait, and wait, and wait until mere minutes before sailing time to see if you are actually going to be able to get your vehicle on the ferry.  It’s all part of the adventure of living here.

Feb 2015 - starting to remove tower (right)

At the south end of the island, Punta Sur, the large observation tower that was built shortly before, and severely damaged by, Hurricane Wilma in 2005 was finally demolished and removed in February of this year.  The newspaper report said that there were 100 tons (metric tons probably) of metal to be removed.  The demolition company cut the tower into several slightly more manageable chunks and lowered them to the ground.  

At the present time there are four modern homes/townhouses being built in the same area.  The removal of that towering menace is certainly a relief to everyone living within its considerable reach had it broken off and crashed to the ground.

Oct 2015 Four new homes being built at Punta Sur

Another new project this year was the completion of a new fire hall, next door to the renovated police station and across the street from the soccer fields.  Now the new fire truck has a home out of the weather, and hopefully will last longer than the last vehicle.  The previous vehicle disintegrated into a heap of rust.  As we have often mentioned living on an island surrounded by warm salty water, creates a huge corrosion and rust problem for anything electronic or mechanical, although for humans, it’s a perfect environment. 

New fire hall and new truck

We know some of you will lament the changes to Isla, remembering the sand covered streets, the small tiendas (shops), and the slower pace, but change happens and we can’t go back.  We wouldn’t want to.  We love our large well-stocked grocery store, the new hospital, a second gas station, the larger passenger ferry terminal, reliable electricity, paved streets and sidewalks.  And the internet – well, it works, most of the time. 

The island people have not changed.  They are still the most welcoming and friendly folks you would ever meet, but now they have more employment opportunities to provide for their families.

Isla is changing, and getting better every day.  Enjoy!

Hasta Luego

Lawrie & Lynda

Discovered by the world as a wedding destination

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