Big trip to little towns. Malpica for baked goods.

I am tuckered out today. For the last week it seems like it has been go go go. Today I just want to putter around, maybe go up to the office to see if I can upload some videos.

Someone asked me a few days ago how long it takes to make a blog post. I honestly don’t know. A lot depends on how many pictures I’ve taken and how many I post. Also what we did the day before. A lot to share or hardly anything. So today I thought I’d try to keep track of time. But I warn you, yesterday was a VERY busy day. A 100 mile driving day, visits to three little towns – Malpica, Concordia and Copala and visits with a couple of friends in the little towns. Also lunch out. I took around 140 pictures…So far I’ve spent about 5 minutes setting up the map and thinking about what I have written so far. Now I’ll go check out the pictures. 

Our travels yesterday.

The mapping program doesn't have the new bypass of Mazatlan on it - so we actually took the red line to go around town. 

This blog I’ve decided will only be about Malpica as it was getting too long. I’ll write about the other towns tomorrow, or maybe later today. Some information about Malpica that I found on-line.

Malpica is a very little town, the last census listed it as having 666 residents, 318 are male and 348 female. The population consists of 196 minors and 470 adults, with 112 of them being 60 years and older.

In Malpica exist about 178 households.

Of these households 179 are common houses or apartments, 7 are without floor and about 6 consist of one room only.

151 of the normal households have sanitary installations, 170 are connected to the public water supply, 174 have access to electricity.

The economic situation allows 10 households to own a computer, 130 own a washing machine and 164 households are equipped with one or more televisions. And a wonderful bakery - my comment. 

Here we are going through the arch into the town.

One of the brighter colored homes in Malpica

I like this one too.

Parked and Bill going into the bakery.

You go through the front room into the back where the actual bakery is.

The baker lady was glad to see us and welcomed us into her bakery/home with big hugs. BUT unfortunately – the rolls were still in the oven. She told us to come back in about 15 minutes.

So we took a stroll along the main street. A building that needs lots of TLC. And next to it a government building. Has information for the town and a small library in it.

nother look at the side mural.

I climbed up on the gazebo and took a picture of the mural on the front of the building. A couple of years ago we watched the artist repainting it.

Also took a photo of the little church. Which, of course, we went to visit.

It was still decorated with hundreds of fresh flowers from the celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe. And much to my surprise the interior of the church has been repainted in a plain white. It used to be chartreuse and lavender. I think I liked it better then.

There are new pews in front, even upholstered seats.

In the yard just outside the church there was the remains of a fireworks display. Pretty elaborate.

Time to go back to the bakery. These ladies were selling fresh squash.

The delicious aroma of fresh baked goods pulled us into the bakery. Some buns were just coming out of the big oven.

These had to cook a little longer.

Bill looking at the racks of fresh items. See the drool on his chin? The baker’s husband.

The baker and her husband. Over the last couple of years he has had both knees replaced. Now that he is all healed he looks 15 years younger. He says he can do so much now.

The rack of fresh bread and rolls.

Lorie and Mike trying to decide on what they wanted to try. The pan on the counter is full of croissants – Bill bought them all! [Half of what he buys we give away to friends.]

Pulling the pan off the rack of MY favorite, favorite bun. Sweet dough, twisted and topped with sugar. One is a whole meal. About 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. YUM.

Packaging things up for us. For 4 bags full it cost us 150 Pesos about US$7.

The scales, sacks of flour and sugar and on the other side of the half wall an industrial mixer. [My bad it is blurry]

We bid them Good Bye promising to return soon.

Put the bags in the car. But not before pulling out goodies to eat right then while they were still hot.

Walked across the street to where the man makes floor tiles – one by one!

Here he is, stirring the liquefied white marble that he uses. The big tub on the right contains a real fine sand/cement mixture. Just to the left of it is a bakers pan with the same mixture but it is damp.

He is oiling the bottom of the mold for the tire. It determines the shape.

Now he is dripping color onto the mold, he used two colors this time

The piece with the oil and colors on it goes into the big mold, then he puts some of the liquefied white marble over the colors.

Here he is using the eraser end of a pencil to make a design – swirling the colors around in the white.

 Making sure there aren’t any air bubbles.

For some reason I didn’t take pictures of him sifting the fine cement on the colors, then packing down the moist cement on top of it all. Then he put the piece of the mold sitting behind where the tile mold is.

He puts the whole contraction in a press. Grabs ahold of the big handle and presses it all together. Muscle power.

The finished tile. It will have to dry a while.

We bought one for the RV to use as a hot pot holder. US$3.00! I’d pay that just to watch him make it.

Leaving Malpica. 

We stopped on the way out to give one of the rolls to an older man who is always on his porch. After as many times as we’ve been there he recognizes the Jeep and expects his roll.

From there we headed to Alberto’s to visit, but he wasn’t home, he was in Concordia. We were going there next.

I managed to get in 4500 steps yesterday. Not great but better than the last few days before. 

For any one who has been reading my blogs over the years you've seen pictures pretty much like these already. But I still enjoy sharing them. 
This blog took 90 minutes from starting with the pictures to posting it.