Baked Goods and Ice Cream from Malpica and Concordia

Yesterday, Monday, morning bright and early we picked up George and dropped off our laundry to be done. Then we headed inland to the tiny town of Malpica. Yum! We were headed to the Malpica Panaderia – bakery. Unfortunately the baking for the day was already done. But all the delicious baked goods were on the shelves waiting for hungry customers. The oven is a big adobe wood burning oven.

We opened it up to look inside and even the coals were no longer glowed it was still hot inside it.

I have posted lots of information about this bakery in previous blogs. In fact the last time we were there a couple of weeks ago I told quite a bit about the bakery. After purchasing many bags of rolls and bread we continued inland to just before the town of Concordia where our friend Antonio lives. Antonio also has a son Antonio – he is really growing up, we first met him when he was about 11 and now he is almost 17 – even has a mustache now. And only one more year of school then he will be going to college to become a veterinarian.

Antonio Sr. is a wood carver. He and his son go into the Sierra mountains and gather roots from the pine trees there.

a pile of the roots

He then carves faces into the roots using the texture of the wood to decide on where to put the face. This is a work in progress.

These are finished. All sizes and shapes. Each one different. They are called Wind Spirits here.

Then we took George to see and meet the “laundry ladies.”  Just outside of Concordia there are natural hot springs and the government has built a laundry facility. Four large concrete holding tanks – the first one is very hot, the next one cooler and so on. There were three ladies and one man doing laundry when we got there. The “sinks” they are using have built in wash boards.

This lady put the jeans in the bucket with the hot water and soap and is using her foot to agitate them.

Bill of course was talking to them about the set up. He asked them if they just did their own laundry or if they did other peoples laundry too. No, these three ladies just do their own laundry. But one lady, Mrs. Pocha, does do other peoples laundry too. [As we were leaving she was just coming to the area with her cart with several bags of others laundry to do.]

George listening to the conversation

The boy was taking a bath – soaping himself up and rinsing off and finally just getting into the warm water for a good rinse and enjoying it.

On to Concordia – an interesting town – it has a history of being destroyed by every invading army that ever came through this area. But always rebuilds.

Concordia was very involved in the silver mining that went on in the 17 and 1800s – so in the plaza is an old mining cart. Next to the cart is a very big rocking chair as Concordia today has a large number of furniture manufactures. The church is in the background.

Just a sample of the architecture of the church. It is very ornate.

And of course we had to get an ice cream cone. Today the vendor only had vanilla. The ice cream is made in his home and he sells until he runs out then goes home. Sometimes he also has strawberry ice cream. George and I enjoyed our cones – Bill was already full from the baked goods he’d eaten.

It is not a real creamy textured ice cream – it is kind of crystallized like a sherbet. He says he makes it with cream and water and flavoring.

Headed back towards Mazatlan we stopped at one of the roadside furniture manufacturers. This is the beginning of a hand carved table that will eventually be stained and a piece of glass put on top. Very pretty work and all done by hand!

Stayed home for a while – read? Napped? Never tell – and I knitted – started with 30 stitches, then I had 31 then 32 now only 29 – How do I do that? I thought I was really paying attention. More ripping out and starting over – and I only kind of know one stitch…….. think I’ll go back to beading.

Later we picked up our laundry and went to the grocery store. Just mundane every day things that have to be done. Nothing exciting there except I saw some real cute puppies in the store next door that were for sale. And we all ate leftovers for dinner. 

Our friend Angelica came over last evening with her new boyfriend so we could meet him. Really really nice man. And she brought a flan she had made for Bill. He said it is delicious.

And today is another day. George says he has things he has to catch up this morning so guess we’ll go off by ourselves for a while. Need to get the car washed.

Dancing in the Plaza Machado

Just thought I’d throw this in. It’s a picture of Ms Tioga parked across from us at Las Jaibas. Yes, George is really here and we are keeping him busy.

Yesterday morning first thing we had to make another trip to TelCel to get more GigaBites for our Banda Ancha stick. Couldn’t get on line and got a message we had to recharge our device. It’s not hard to do just go to the teller and pay for it right? Well it’s a little like a trip through Wonderland because every time we talk to a representative we get different information. This year when we first got the stick we bought 6GBs – 1 came with the stick the other 5 we purchased. In San Blas we purchased 3GBs more for 500 pesos. So this time we thought if we bought 5GBs it would last us until we are out of Mexico even with watching soccer games and some of the races. Well – the best laid plans – can’t buy 5GBS the most we could buy is 3GBs. And it would cost 400 pesos and we would have to pay in 200 peso increments. But that’s 100 pesos less then we paid for the same amount the last time.  Who cares right? It’s paid for and working again and if we have to get more we will.

This is just a blurry picture of a tiny beautiful red bird that flits around the campground. It’s the best picture I’ve been able to get of him. He is quick to fly.

So what did we do yesterday? First we went to breakfast across the street to the Torres and watched the ocean – no dolphins though. Then to TelCel and on the way home we stopped to look at some single family homes in a development near the campground. They were really nice – bright and airy and modern. George is curious so we’ll probably be looking at more. But Bill is the one who get really interested. No way.

Oh – we stopped to get gas too – and it has gone way up. from 8.10 to 11.05 per liter since we’ve been here. Now it is almost US$3.30 a gallon. That’s quite a hike for here in a few months.

Then home to relax until it was time to go out to dinner. The Caravan had a no activity day yesterday and they are, as I write, loading up to leave. 3 are heading home towards the states and 16 – most of them BIG rigs are going to take the ferry to Baja and go home that way. Hope they have fun.

Last night we had made plans to meet our friend Angelica in the Plazuela Machado for dinner. We parked in our 2^nd favorite lot and there weren’t too many cars there yet so I took more photos of a small portion of the graffiti there.

We ate dinner at the Italian restaurant there right on the corner where the entertainment – Raphael Rodriguez sings and plays and the customers dance. Here is Angelica and Bill

Bill had pizza and George and I had spaghetti – his with meatballs. Very good – I ate almost all of mine and it was a lot.

The music started and the dancing began. A group of gringos were line dancing and then a couple of young Mexican girls joined them and lo and behold George got up and joined them. Go George! 

See the little doggie – he loved the music and tried to dance to it all. Today we are dragging George up to Malpica to go to the little Bakery there and maybe to Concordia. And who knows where else.

Just tooling around Mazatlan for the day

Cool here again this morning – it better start warming up again so I can take my parasail ride. Or maybe the weather is trying to tell me something…..

Saw the dolphins again yesterday at breakfast on the beach. Grabbed George and drug him over there with us. Had a very enjoyable breakfast. Talking about food in Mexico in general and the difference from food in the States. Even an “American” type breakfast here in Mexico is different from what we are used to. The bacon has a sweeter taste, the yolks of the eggs are almost orange they are so yellow – been told the chickens are fed marigolds. Don’t have any idea if that is true or not but sounds interesting. Toast comes unbuttered and choice is wheat or white. Not complaining – just noticing.

After breakfast we went to the Gran Plaza the big beautiful mall so George could go to TelCel to ask some questions about their Banda Ancha Internet service. He has the service but wanted to know if they had an unlimited plan. No. Did they have a plan with faster service? No. Okay questions answered so we walked around the mall looking for an ATM. Saw these cute strollers Mom’s can rent while shopping.

Used the ATM then on to Mega – huge grocery store on 2^nd level of building [parking underneath]. Stopped for a minute to watch these guys washing the windows. They are standing on a narrow ledge at least 1 ½ stories high. The ladder was fully extended and was sagging in the middle.

I wonder if when the guy was hired he knew one of his chores would be to wash those windows?

Came home for awhile so we could watch a soccer game – yes again. This time Barcelona was playing and they won 2 – 1 Messi got both goals – his 300 and 301^st   in 365 appearances. He has scored in 14 consecutive games. And he is only 25. 

I practiced my knitting – getting a little better, but not much. If feels very awkward holding the needles.

Went out for dinner – George wanted-------ribs------yes that’s right ribs. After eating we took a ride out the Malecón and way out to the lighthouse area. Always a pretty ride. With lots of people out and about skating, skate boarding, riding bicycles, jogging and just walking.

Evening was still young so we drove around the Centro Historico for a bit for George to see some of the old houses and buildings that have been restored then stopped at the Plazuela Machado to walk around. Bill and I had been there Valentines Day and I mentioned that I was surprised we didn’t see any brides. Well we did yesterday. It is such a pretty setting for wedding pictures. The bride and groom at the kiosko.

The bride in front of the Angela Peralta Theater. Quite a dress.

Because it was still light out I took a picture of the restaurant where we are going to meet a friend and have dinner tonight. It has Italian food and there is entertainment.

As we were headed home we passed the main plaza across from the Cathedral and saw that some of the floats from the Carnaval parade were on display. So of course had to stop. The theme this year was movies – here is Spiderman

And ET

Grease

And Toy Story

Then on home where I tried to watch the NASCAR non-points “Sprint Unlimited” race but couldn’t get it on the Internet. Couldn’t even get any information about it until it was over. Didn’t matter anyway ‘cause Kyle got wrecked in the 15^th lap of 75 – boo hoo. He won this race last year and had a lousy year so maybe he’ll have a good year this year. Today is qualifying for next Sunday’s Daytona 500.

Don’t know what we’ll do today except going out tonight. Maybe just sit around and relax. 
We had to go out to the TelCel place and renew my GBs on the Banda Ancha stick as we ran out. Alls up and working now. 

Dancing Horses in Puerta de Canoas

Had the heater on first thing in the morning yesterday and this morning too – more than a “little” nippy in Jennie. But it warmed up to be a nice day. Bill fixed one of his delicious breakfasts and off we went to La Noria.

There are some trees here that are just starting to bloom and they have bright yellow flowers – blooming in the middle of winter. These are just as we come into the town of La Noria.

When we pulled up to Roberto’s shop the first thing we saw were a couple of masks in progress setting on the sidewalk drying.

Went inside to say hi and Bill got right to work with Sergio – 

Roberto was busy making belts for some customers.

I went outside and wandered around town for a while. This man was shopping as his horse stood patiently by. He was going into the little store on the corner

All done shopping – on his way home or to meet up with his gossiping buddies down the street.

Wandered down this little cobblestone street – I really need to remember to wear tennis shoes if I’m going walking. How do those girls walk on their very high heels on these streets? I’d kill my ankles or me.

Saw this little burro who was not impressed at all with me trying to get him to give me a good photo. Strange marking down his shoulder – wonder if he wanted to be a zebra?

I took a lot of photos of things that struck my fancy but decided not to post them as this is going to be a long post. Maybe next time when I don’t have anything to talk about.

This is just an orange wall in the sunshine with some flowers against it. I liked it.

A back yard shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe. With a table and some chairs near it.

I liked the colors here but the photo doesn’t do them justice. All the different colored bougainvilleas and the laundry in the yard behind them. Pretty neat fence too.

After my walk I sat outside the leather shop and worked on my knitting…..and it was work. I thought knitting was supposed to be relaxing – the sweat was pouring down into my eyes I was working so hard. [tore it all out when we got home and started again] Still not much better but not quite as terrible. Here is what it looked like – stop laughing it’s not funny – well yah it kind of is. I picked that color yarn because I figured it wouldn't show dirt as I knitted and ripped and knitted and ripped. 

Lessons finished we started back towards Mazatlan but saw a tourist van heading into the little town of Puerta de Canoas. “Oh! Oh! follow that van.” I said poking Bill and scaring the crap out of him. But follow the van we did.

Saw this lady carrying a whole sack of nopales – the leaves off of a prickly pear cactus. There is a whole field of them growing up on the highway. A farm or plantation I guess.

The vans first stop was at a horse trainer’s stable. Bill asked the tour guide what was going on and he said they were stopping to see the dancing horses. Bill asked if we could join them. Sure come on back. This is the first horse he brought out to show.

Absolutely beautiful. It is a Frisian bought in Holland at the tune of around US$45,000!!! The Friesian is recognized by its black coat color. A Friesian horse also has a long, thick mane and tail, often wavy, and "feathers"–long, silky hair on the lower legs, deliberately left untrimmed.

 He is part Clydesdale and part Pure Spanish horse the Andalusian.

Alberto, the trainer just trains the horses for their owners who enter them in rodeos, exhibitions and contests etc. He says it takes about one year to train one.

This is the second one he showed us. He is part quarter horse and part Spanish horse and was much lighter on his feet.

The saddles that they use are a type of saddle used mostly in Sinaloa by the Charros – Mexican cowboy – in the Charreada – rodeos. They have the big wooden horn for the Charros ropes.

From there we watched some tortillas being made – the tourist were going to learn to make them and eat at the little restaurant. 

So we went on to the candy factory. Yes we actually found it and it was open. Turns out it is only one room of a big house. Two ladies working there making and packaging the candies.

Candies are called jamoncillos, they are a regional candy from northern Mexico. And I love them – taste like dulce de leche and/or maple sugar candies. Very sweet.The candy mixture waiting to be dished out.

Some that was in the shape of candy kisses.

This batch was rolled into balls and then coated with chopped nuts.

We bought some of both kinds. And we can always go back for more now that we know where it is.

Thought this was cute. Outside on the porch sat the old wagon and a new electric toy car.

A fun day.

When we got home and I read George’s blog we realized he was on his way to Mazatlan so we stayed home waiting for him. By 8:00 he still hadn’t arrived so we figured he’d stopped somewhere along the way for the night. Then Bill suggested I check our email and his blog to see where he was. OOPPS! There on his blog was a message for us. He was waiting at a Pemex station not too far from us because he couldn’t find the RV park. His GPS sent him the wrong way…..So we hopped in Willie and went down to meet him. He is now parked across from us at Las Jaibas – the only space left back here with all the Caravaners here.