Boston pictures

There is a lot of work in our camp right now, so I'm posting the pictures from Boston where we went last weekend later than I expected. Yesterday, we had a visiting day here, which basically means that the parents and relatives of kids are coming to see their children. We had 3000 people here, which is to normal state of 800 people big difference. We had to prepare for them special food etc.

But here are the promised pictures...

Boston and Cape Cod

After the trips to Niagara Falls and Boston...

Back to work. My days-off-season ended. Two days in work and I wanna travel again ;) However, back to my trips. On Thursday night (at 2 AM!!!) we set off to Buffalo and Niagara Falls. All together in ten people and two cars we hit the six hours lasting road to USA-Canada borders. I was driving and I have to tell u, it's not the best thing to drive during the night without getting any sleep before. But, at this time I still didn't know that it wasn't so bad in contrary to trip to Boston, where we went to a day after Niagara Falls and with even less sleep.

Anyway, during early morning we got to Buffalo, which was my idea to stop in on our way to Niagara Falls, because it's only half an hour from the falls. And I'm really happy that we stopped by there, even longer than we planed, almost for whole morning. Buffalo is kinda industrial city with this special type of architecture typical for those cities. This architecture is combined with historical buildings, especially build in the 20th century, kinda art deco style, which I like very much. The city hall is an example of this architecture. And there are, of course, couple skyscrapers. All together it makes an interesting mix of postindustrial city. There is a strong student's element in Buffalo, when there are couple universities with beautiful campuses and many students around.

From Buffalo we got to Niagara Falls, unfortunately just to American side, which was beautiful, but there is a better view on the fall from Canadian side, from where you can better see the main falls. Because there are the biggest Niagara Falls and right next to them artificially built American Falls that are still very impressive, but aren't the original Niagara ;) Finally it didn't matter that we didn't see it from Canadian side, because we took a cruise on the boat so we got right to the middle of the lake where was water falling from the falls. You can see the pictures from there and from Buffalo in a gallery below. And about the trip to Cape Cod and Boston where we were during the weekend later...

Buffalo and Niagara Falls

Gas Station, 5 AM, Saracause, NY

So, very quick post - we stopped in the gas station near to Saracause, about 2 hours far away of Buffalo. And that's the end of my message to you, because the guys from other car we waited for are here, so we're hitting the road again. I'll keep u updated what's going on...

Trip to Niagara Falls and Buffalo

After 3 weeks without day off I'm finally taking one. It's 11 PM and in couple hours we are leaving camp to Buffalo and Niagara Falls. As I said we are setting off at 2 at the night, so there are at least 6 hours of night driving ahead of us.

We are going in 10 people (I'm going with other guys from kitchen and dining hall) in 2 cars. Btw. the rental of car - it's an another story. I almost freaked out today when we were renting a car. The guys from a car rental (big American car rental - Enterprise) were supposed to pick us up at 5 in the camp. As it normally happens it started to rain 10 to 5PM. In spite of raining we were waiting for them by the main gate to our camp. 10 minutes, nothing, 15, nothing... then somebody from the rental called me that they will come in 15 minutes or so. But the didn't and we waited there for another hour before they finally came. I almost stopped believe that they'll show up and i started to say bye to my another try to get my day off.

But finally we got our car and we can hit the road soon! Viva Niagara's!

My camp address

So, if somebody wanna send me something, now you know where... All types of gifts, money, checks, invitations are welcomed...

Pavel Mrazek
Camp Towanda
700 Niles Pond Road
Honesdale PA 18431
USA
Universe - Milky Way

News from the camp

I'm sitting on the porch of the farm house, only one place in whole camp where we can go online now (btw. you have to walk here about 10 minutes from our bunk and the main camp through the forest, which is awesome, especially when you are walking here during the night, alone and without flashlight). I'm trying not to fall asleep and write you finally how I'm doing here. And what I'm doing.

So, here are the answers that are very connected. I'm good but tired, most of time working... To start from the beginning, I came to camp Towanda in Honesdale in Pennsylvania to work like a support stuff to earn some money for my internship in Washington DC, where I'm going after the camp is over. I didn't know what I'm exactly going to do (possibly in the kitchen). After 5 weeks spent here I'm baking all deserts for 900 kids, counselors and other stuff. Without any previous experience with baking... In the pre-camp, that was some kind of preparation of camp for arrival of kids and in which I spent 2 weeks, I worked couple times in kitchen and chef cook favoured me and decided for me that I'm gonna be his help cook and gonna make special projects. And those special project aren't anything smaller than deserts.

To say something about our Food service director, that is his formal camp work name, but everybody calls him chef...he is just crazy... But crazy in the right way. He is awesome cook, who cooked all over the world and even for Puff Daddy (or however is this raper called now). However, he still sometimes behaves like a five years kid. I guess he has never grown up and never will. Especially in pre-camp he was doing such things like scratching all iron things in the kitchen with a fork that nobody who was there at this moment couldn't stand or spraying water on us. In spite of those things he knows what he's doing and many people who have been here last years say that this year is much better food. Anyways, for some reason Chef favoured me and telling me always that I should have my own bakery or cook business and that I had to be a cook in my previous life.

It's nice to hear something like this but not all the time ;) as he says it.

The baker here in camp is kinda hard work. Especially when I have to cook everything on my own, which means 12 pans of cakes or similar pastry every day. My work depends on daily menu. When there are 2 deserts a day I'm working through whole day without break. I start about 9AM and finish after 7PM. But for example today I don't have such a difficult day, so I have 2 breaks, which is fantastic. So, now I'm going to take a short nap to be ready for the dinner at 5...

P.S.: Tomorrow desert menu - fruit cocktail for the lunch and chocolate fudge brownies for the dinner. So, medium hard day. Maybe one break...

Photos from Phily - the city of Independence

My time online is last days and weeks very limited, so I didn't have a chance to post much. However, tonight I finally got some time to post some pictures from Philadelphia as I promised before...

So go here and you'll see pics from our awesome trip to Phily which took place couple weeks ago. Awww, so long time ago, it's like yesterday... Time here just fly by.

Philadelphia - Day off in the camp