Malpica - Bakery and Town revisited

We finally made the trip to the bakery at Malpica. Got an early start – well kind of early 9:30 – picked up our friends in front of their hotel and were on our way. We started out going north so we could drive south….Actually we went up the road that would take us to the toll road 15D – it runs through the outskirts of the city of Mazatlan. Through the city there is no toll and all the construction that’s been going one the past few years is done. Not a bad drive at all anymore. Wide street no topes and well marked. Once we reached Villa Union we turned inland on old highway 40 passing the interchange for the new Durango/Mazatlan toll road.

As we entered Malpica we noticed a couple of the homes have been repainted – their colors were more vibrant than last year. We pulled up in front of the bakery and stopped. When we got out of the car I saw that the very green walls of the bakery were reflecting on the car making it look a sicly green color!

We pass through the living room of the house to reach the bakery. Just followed our noses; the smells were heavenly. Some of the pastries on the cooling racks. A few of the pans were still warm – especially the bottom left hand one. And those were the pastries I love! Sweet bread with sugar on top. YUM! Just had one warmed up with butter for breakfast. 

The baker’s husband is doing so much better now. When we were here last year he was just recovering from surgery on his knees – has had them both replaced now. He was even walking without his cane. He says he can now “run away from his wife again” Any way he opened the big wood heated oven to show us some breads were ready to come out. You can see the red hot wood off to the right.

The husband [in the white t-shirt] uses a long pole with a flat shovel type end to remove the pans from the oven.

As he pulls the pan out his helper takes it with big pot holders and transfers it to the cooling rack.

 

Buying our pastries from the baker. I mentioned a year or so in a blog how the oven is prepared. The wood is light at night around 10/11. The baking starts around 4/5 in the morning. The wood is pushed to the side of the oven where it provides enough warmth to continue baking until mid morning.

After leaving the bakery and munching on our purchases we walked across the street to see the tile maker. I’ve also written about him and the process he uses to make the tiles in the past.  First he sprinkles drops of color on the bottom part of the mold. The drops don’t look it but they are red.

Then he greases with plain old oil the inside edges of the sides of the mold. Then he places that part around the bottom part.

Using a scoop he picks up a slurry of marble.

Next he carefully pours it on top of the colored drops.

He shakes the mold a little to make sure the covering is even. Adding a little more slurry if needed.

Next he finds his high tech tool – actually yesterday he couldn’t find his high tech tool – asking his friend who was watching Donde esta mi Lapiz? Lapiz?  The high tech tool he was looking for a plain old pencil with an eraser on the end. Couldn’t find it so had to improvise with the push button end of a ball point pen. He swirls the pen around making designs.

When he likes his design he uses a metal sifter to add a layer of dry cement to the top of the tile. He has made the sifter.

The last piece of the mold is settled in place and the whole thing is moved into the vice like machine. We asked and he told us the machine is well over 100 years old.

Once the mold is in the vice he takes hold of the long handle and moves it forward and down towards the floor. This presses the marble and cement together.

A better look at the vice thingy as he takes the mold apart.

This is the tile he just made – sorry about the blurry picture. Then the tile has to dry for up to 24 hours before it can be used.

Bill asked him if he could do enough tiles to do a floor and how long it would take. He only has the one mold. He said he could do 200 tiles a day so it would take about a week to do a rooms worth.  He sells them for US$3.00 a piece.

Then we walked a short block towards church. An old building that has been painted several times.

The mural on the side of the community building.

The front of the building

A close up of one part. 

When we were here last year it was being repainted. These pictures are from last year.

Then on to the little church

Inside altar area of church.

The flowers smelled so good I walked up to see what kind they were. Interesting vase. 

Then back into the car to go to Concordia. Will write about that after we get home from downtown and grocery shopping.