A New Adventure - Visit to Malpica, Mexico

Saturday a.m.

After our busy day Wednesday we didn’t do much Thursday.I only took three pictures all day!  Just rode around town a little, picked up our laundry and had the RV washed. The guy came to the campground and charged 200 Pesos to wash Jennie – that’s about 17 US dollars. She looks so pretty now. Part of that is due the excellent wax job the man in Elkhart, IN did when we were there. Then that night we watched Bill’s favorite movie. Paint Your Wagon – cannot believe it was made so long ago – 1969! Even Eastwood was young once.
Friday the fog burned off early and the sun was shining brightly so we took off on another adventure to an outlaying town.
This is the main road from Mazatlan south – when we took it 33 years ago I took a picture of this same church. Now the town it is in is much bigger and the road much better. The town's name in Villa Union and it is the original site of Mazatlan back in the 1600s

As we leave the town to head inland on the Durango road there are a lot of vendors selling elote –corn on the cob. This is roasted and put on sticks. Haven’t tried it but it looks good.

Cooking the corn - and selling fresh corn

Again after spending time on the Internet I stumbled across some information about the tiny town of Malpica – about 700 residents. So we had to go there. Entering town – after missing it and having to turn around and go back.

Driving down the cobblestone street.

A neat screen door

We noticed that many of the metal doors and window bars on the houses were painted a bright gold color.

Some of the more colorful homes we passed.

Did you say you wanted to paint your house purple?

Or lavendar?

This is one building two homes.

Difference of opinion

What I had read about the town was that there is a marvelous bakery there. Of course I had no idea where it was. Then we came around a corner and saw one of Tourista vans parked on the street. And – tourists wandering around.
The first thing we looked at after we parked was the building and it’s great murals. It is a museum.

Front of building

Side of building

I saw a tourist type gentleman (camera on strap around his neck) eating a roll and asked him where the bakery was – he pointed (his mouth too full to talk) to a green building across the street.
Sure enough – Malpica Panaderia – and to make sure we knew – Bakery Malpica.

To get to the bakery we had to walk through the living room of the house. A couple of children were watching TV there and seemed unconcerned as we walked by therm. We followed our noses around a corner and were in the bakery area. The first thing I noticed was the huge - horno –a white brick and cement oven with a rusted metal door in the corner of the room.

Then I looked around at the rest of the equipment. A wooden worktable covered in flour with lots of baking pans and a scale on it.

Work table and supplies

The scale, a couple of scooping pails and a I don’t have a clue what the machine is . Electrical plug on wall behind table. Flour and sugar on the shelv underneath.

Well used equipment

A big electric mixing bowl and more sacks of sugar and flour. Most Mexican bread and rolls are sweet tasting.

The cooling racks

Bread goes on this rack to cool after being taken out of oven

The sales racks – These croissants were delicious!!!!!

Have to go back and buy more

Looking in the oven.

The Driver and The Baker inspecting the hot oven full of bread.

Using a long handled wooden paddle to take the pan full of freshly baked rolls out of the oven.

The Baker's husband

Oops The Driver already snagged a couple.

Fresh hot bolillos

The Baker using her sharp knife to slice his newly baked roll

Finishing touch. Putting butter in it.

Can you smell it?

Another customer – the sales racks in the background.

Bread for his family

The bread – well what is left of it.

As we stood on the sidewalk finishing our bread I noticed the tourists heading down a short alley across the street. Hum? Guess we should follow them.

There goes The Driver - I'd better hurry.

I was too slow and didn’t get a chance to get any good pictures. But basically behind a house in an old shed area was Jorge. He makes tiles, paints them and these were for sale.
Stacks of unpainted tiles

Some of the painted tiles that were for sale.

Abstract designs

The tiles are made out of marble dust, sand, cement and water. The clay/mud mixture is put in these forms then soaked in water for 18 hours then sun dried.
The paints used on the tiles.

Jorge displaying a just painted tile.

We did not buy any - this time. We’ll probably be back.

We saw this “mother-in-law” paint job on a house as we were leaving town.
We were on our way further inland to the towns of Concordia and Copala. Another blog.....