We will be closed December 24th, 25th, 31st and January 1st.
Our regular hours are:
Monday-Friday
9:30 am-1 pm and 2:30 -5:30 pm
Saturday
9 am- 1pm
Closed Saturday afternoon and Sunday
AA meetings continue to be held as usual from 8:30-10 PM. Mon-Sat.
They usually open only a few minutes before the meeting, so if you arrive early, please wait!
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Monday, November 02, 2009
Directions to Akumal & Hekab Be
**PLEASE be extremely careful driving on highway 307, it is a very dangerous road and visitors are the most frequent victims of car accidents since the road is unfamiliar to them**
The library is located in Playa Akumal on the same road that leads to the tourist areas of Akumal Bay, Half Moon Bay and Yalku Lagoon (also known as "North Akumal").
The highway in front of Akumal is a divided 4-lane road.
Coming from North of Akumal (Airport)
Coming from the North on highway 307 from Playa del Carmen, it takes about 20-30 minutes to arrive at the turn-off for Akumal.
You will pass the resort called Palladium and go about another 3 miles before reaching the exit for Akumal.
Because the road is divided, you must first pass the Akumal entrance, go down about a quarter mile past all the speed bumps and carefully turn around (make a U turn to the left) at the green "RETORNO" sign, from the left hand lane of the highway. You will then head back in the opposite direction to the entrance and make a right turn into Akumal.
Please be very careful in making your U-turns on the highway. DO NOT EXPECT oncoming traffic to slow down, stop, or let you in. USE EXTREME CAUTION!!
Coming from South of Akumal
To get into Akumal coming from the South (Tulum, Akumal Beach Resort, South Akumal, Bahia Principe, Aventuras Akumal, etc), you simply turn right into the entrance from the right hand lane of the road, that is marked “Playa Akumal.”
Once you are in Akumal Playa
After getting onto the Akumal entrance road, you will find Hekab Be about a quarter of a mile down the entrance road, just past the first speed-bump at the information booth. You will see the library on the left side (set back from the road), there is a big blue sign that says Hekab Be Biblioteca. That's it!
If you get to the little grocery stores or the arch, you went too far.
Walking directions from Akumal Beach Resort
The library is within walking distance from ABR, maybe about 15 - 20 minutes or so. Walking from ABR, go north or left when facing the ocean on the beach for 5 minutes or so, until you reach the Lol Ha beach bar (great place to people watch, have a drink, etc.).
Then turn left away from the ocean and towards the highway (west). You'll pass through the arch and go past the little grocery stores Super Chomak and El Pueblito. Keep going and you will see a blue building set back from the road on the right, plus a big kids swing set, and a sign that says "Hekab Be Biblioteca." That's it. The library is roughly half way between the arch and the highway.
The library is located in Playa Akumal on the same road that leads to the tourist areas of Akumal Bay, Half Moon Bay and Yalku Lagoon (also known as "North Akumal").
The highway in front of Akumal is a divided 4-lane road.
Coming from North of Akumal (Airport)
Coming from the North on highway 307 from Playa del Carmen, it takes about 20-30 minutes to arrive at the turn-off for Akumal.
You will pass the resort called Palladium and go about another 3 miles before reaching the exit for Akumal.
Because the road is divided, you must first pass the Akumal entrance, go down about a quarter mile past all the speed bumps and carefully turn around (make a U turn to the left) at the green "RETORNO" sign, from the left hand lane of the highway. You will then head back in the opposite direction to the entrance and make a right turn into Akumal.
Please be very careful in making your U-turns on the highway. DO NOT EXPECT oncoming traffic to slow down, stop, or let you in. USE EXTREME CAUTION!!
Coming from South of Akumal
To get into Akumal coming from the South (Tulum, Akumal Beach Resort, South Akumal, Bahia Principe, Aventuras Akumal, etc), you simply turn right into the entrance from the right hand lane of the road, that is marked “Playa Akumal.”
Once you are in Akumal Playa
After getting onto the Akumal entrance road, you will find Hekab Be about a quarter of a mile down the entrance road, just past the first speed-bump at the information booth. You will see the library on the left side (set back from the road), there is a big blue sign that says Hekab Be Biblioteca. That's it!
If you get to the little grocery stores or the arch, you went too far.
Walking directions from Akumal Beach Resort
The library is within walking distance from ABR, maybe about 15 - 20 minutes or so. Walking from ABR, go north or left when facing the ocean on the beach for 5 minutes or so, until you reach the Lol Ha beach bar (great place to people watch, have a drink, etc.).
Then turn left away from the ocean and towards the highway (west). You'll pass through the arch and go past the little grocery stores Super Chomak and El Pueblito. Keep going and you will see a blue building set back from the road on the right, plus a big kids swing set, and a sign that says "Hekab Be Biblioteca." That's it. The library is roughly half way between the arch and the highway.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
MEET THE LIBRARY FAMILY
Leo Bermudez is our program director and librarian. Leo is from Mexico City and has lived in Quintana Roo for 10 years. During most of her time in Quintana Roo she has worked teaching children and helping to build community institutions that advance education. She has a degree in Early Education and is a certified Montessori instructor at both the preschool and primary school levels.Leo worked for 6 years as a Montessori teacher in Cancun and later came to Akumal and worked for 3 years as the Director of the Otoch Paal Montessori Preschool. During her time at Otoch Paal, Leo helped achieve the school’s certification by the State Secretary of Education. She also participated in various municipal and private fundraising campaigns to bring much needed resources to the school and the community of Akumal.In addition to her many qualifications, Leo brings to Hekab Be a profound enthusiasm for community work, involving not only children, but whole families in the process of education. Her philosophy is “Communities do not just happen, we build them day by day.”A message from Leo to all library friends and supporters: It is impossible to create a community without living it, and for this reason I am interested in working directly with the entire Akumal community, adults and children alike. Under my direction, Hekab Be will continue working to help preserve the Mayan roots and customs of Akumal’s community members, as well as to inspire them in reading and learning, though new classes and workshops.Of course, the path to cultural integration and enrichment cannot be achieved by one person alone. Many people have worked on behalf of the library, and without their contributions it would not be possible to continue moving forward. During this new stage of Hekab Be’s growth and renovation, I hope we can count on your continuing support!
Carlos (on the right in black) is our new full time library assistant. Carlos speaks English, so please direct your questions to him when visiting the library. He's a bit shy, but he does understand quite well, so please be patient with him while he overcomes his timid tendencies.Carlos is an Akumal Pueblo resident and father of 2 young children, who you will also often find at the library as well.
Belen (on the left in green) is our new part-time assistant who works in the afternoons and on Saturdays. Belen is also an Akumal resident and mother of a young baby. She primarily works with the children and helping maintain order.
Ellie is an active library volunteer who lives in Akumal and has been involved
in the library since it was founded over 10 years ago. She is an American married to a wonderful local man, and they have a young son, Niko, who keeps them both busy! But Ellie still finds time to help maintain the library blogs, answer emails, make financial decisions, and help with just about everything else as needed.
Debbi and her husband Frank, live in the East SF Bay area. They love the Akumal area and have been devoted to the Library for a number of years. She is a mother of three and has owned and operated six businesses since 1984, serving as CEO, Operations and Business Office Manager. Currently she is in charge of operations and finances for two businesses they still own and operate, and is now putting her experience to work for the Library. Debbi was instrumental in establishing a Paypal account so that the Library could more easily receive donations to enable it to make ends meet. Her best times are spent snorkeling Half Moon and Akumal Bays and exploring the east coast of Quintana Roo.Alice Gartell (Alice in AZ): Alice and her husband, Chuck live in Arizona. They enjoy vacationing in Akumal, but also are devoted to this wonderful literacy project. About 10 years ago, there were less than 50 children’s books in the entire village. Now the library has over 1,500 children’s books in Spanish and is a catalyst for literacy programs in the region. Alice is a vital information link to library visitors and donors on the US side. As an outgrowth of her work with the library, Alice has become a board member of Books for a Better World and taken several trips to countries in Central America to deliver books to areas in need. Alice has helped keep the library alive in times of scarcity, and we are so grateful for all she has done!
Friday, October 30, 2009
How to make a donation when the library is closed
** Our STRONG preference is to receive all donations during library hours (Mon-Sat 9:30-1; Mon-Fri 2:30-5:30) so that we may thank you appropriately and record the donation in our guest book **
If time runs out and all else fails...
Please do not leave donations outside the library. Materials left outside often disappear--we cannot assure its safety. Donations in kind may be left with Charlene (an American woman who uses a wheelchair) at the Super Chomak, the little grocery store in front of the arch at the entrance to Akumal Bay Beach.
If you have a monetary donation and the library is closed, we ask that you consider mailing the donation directly to us (via Debbi in CA) or donate using paypal. Because Charlene is not always at the Super Chomak, we cannot assure donors that cash donations left there will be received by the library. If you decide to leave a cash donation at the Super Chomak, make sure to put it in a sealed envelope that says "Hekab Be Library" and give it directly to Charlene.
If time runs out and all else fails...
Please do not leave donations outside the library. Materials left outside often disappear--we cannot assure its safety. Donations in kind may be left with Charlene (an American woman who uses a wheelchair) at the Super Chomak, the little grocery store in front of the arch at the entrance to Akumal Bay Beach.
If you have a monetary donation and the library is closed, we ask that you consider mailing the donation directly to us (via Debbi in CA) or donate using paypal. Because Charlene is not always at the Super Chomak, we cannot assure donors that cash donations left there will be received by the library. If you decide to leave a cash donation at the Super Chomak, make sure to put it in a sealed envelope that says "Hekab Be Library" and give it directly to Charlene.
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