Thoughts and Travels/jzegar

Presidential Election...

12:05 PM, Friday, October 31, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Wow...I am happy that it is about over. Seems to have gone on for longer than past, actually I think that is true because it normally starts in February of the election year but this time around it began six months earlier. Also I think it was dirtier than past elections. Both sides talking about the other rather than just tell me what you are going to do for the country and my. Turns me off when it gets hateful. What's up with the Palin bashing? What the hell did she do wrong other than being a strong woman new to stuff and trying to get up to speed. Actually I like her because she is new and refreshing. Hell, she can't do any worse than some we have had. Plus there is a thing called checks and balances that make sure you don't screw up the country. Anyhow a few days left...go out and vote!

Europe..

2:46 PM, Thursday, October 9, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Let me start with my usual travels. Amsterdam is all that you have heard and read about. It has drugs, prostitution, and crime. In the early morning hours I do not recommend the train station as I nearly missed my connection due to a stabbing right in front of me. Otherwise cool place and worth the sites. Germany is all about food and speed. I love the meat and potatoes and no water only beer and the medievil culture is worth the history lesson. Only place in Europe I ate dinner on a piece of wood with my hands as they did a hundred years ago. Austria is bakery and beautiful vistas. Switzerland is spectacular and expensive. Italy is different things to different people. I did not like the smell of Venica. Rome has so much to see and do I like going back. Southern Italy ok. Northern Italy I did not expect. I especially like the hills towns along the mediterian and the quaintness. I love Italy. The south of france is most beautiful and expensive and the most down home place like Niece. Of course I could live in Paris and will go back again and again. I lived in the 12th district across the Rhine from the Norte Dame and the Latin quarters. Buy your bread and fish on the street for dinner. It is the best in the spring. Enough of Europe for now....more another time.

Rio De Janeiro and the Amazon...

2:46 PM, Saturday, October 4, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

My first visit was as a tourist and my second was more for local culture. At first you smell the grease of how they cook in Rio and it is bad. It is crowed and not very clean. The hotels that sit along the coast stretch for a long way with focus on the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches that are world famous and yes it is true that the women are at their best. The Brazilian women are about their bodies and show it. Going up to Cristo Redentor was both magnificent in it's size standing at it's base and ugly as you tram your way over a garbage dump. Being the city that it is crime is high and nightlife is dangerous and you can get hurt. I traveled with a native late and woke up the next morning fine. North an hour along the coast is nice and the real estate is cheap. If in Brazil then go do the Amazon if nothing elese in part. Myself and a good pilot friend who owns a home on the water up north see Brazil as the next property boom since prices are so deflated right now. Its an easy trip into South America once at Rio. Go Play.

Antigua and Barbuda the west indes...

2:18 PM, Saturday, October 4, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Blow you away. Pronounced without the u plz it is a country that has extreme poverty and extreme wealth. The resorts are beyond belief and yet you can rent a cottage on the sea for under $200. USD. The sailing is outstanding especially going to the south a half day trip to Guadaloupe and sailing to the west of St. Barts and St. Kitts. The eastern Caribbean is there for the sailing. Antigua has no crime like Jamaca and has the world famous black pinapple. The English Harbour is what movies are made out of and the recovery of crossroads is what miracles are made out of as inspired by Eric Clapton and those before him. St. John's is simple and getting more crowded every year. 60k resisdents and a multitude of tourists that need to stay home....

Japan, Tokyo, Narita, and Nogoya...

1:45 PM, Saturday, October 4, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Clean...the Japanese people have this underlying drive to outdo Americans. Their entire existence is about doing better in anything than America. If you understand this you can travel Japan. When I travel there I have a friend that will take a room that is very small away from his home and family to make my stay in the city the best and be of service in any way possible. That is their culture..they cannot feel second to you in any way. Traveling to Tokyo is tradition but go to places like Nagoya and take the train into town and live Japanese for a few days and experience how you are not harmed but envied and not included and not assisted. The shrines and temples and will cause much reflection and the gardens will amaze and the districts to purchase items are incredible. The transportation is second to none. They have surpassed us in many ways and have us in their sights...

Beijing, Wuhung China...

1:28 PM, Saturday, October 4, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

I have traveled to China since the 90s for both business and pleasure and think it is one of my favorite places to see grow and change. My first trips there were few fast food and now it is sad to say nearing being Americanized. My business internationally has mainly been in China having mostly garments manufactured there in Wuhan by my very best friends of many years George and his lovely family. Daily for years I talk to George not only about our investments but politics and our friendship. Beijing is different now...the bikes are less...the young are missing information about their 2000 year old culture. You walk through Tiananmen square and feel the conflict of 1989..you walk the Great wall and you feel the conflict and power of a country to defend itself. Traveling into the countryside gives you a different world unimagined. The south and it's conflict in Tibet but the north and the Mongolian people are the most beautiful. Get educated and go there!

Bali, Jakarta, Sumatra Indonesia..

1:14 PM, Saturday, October 4, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

I first started traveling to the South China Sea in the mid 90s and have since grown to love this part of the world and the people. Shocking at first but then with age and I hope an open mind I began to understand the culture. Jakarta is a dangerous place to travel even today for women as the are second class people and are on the open streets harassed and even murdered. American women especially are not encourage to travel to Jakarta unless with others and never be alone or out at nights. Sumatra is an island in the China sea that holds one of the three elephants in the world. I was lucky to have the opportunity to travel by elephant one entire day across the country through the jungle and witness the villages and people living and dying. We encounter a Hindu burial ceremony where all dressed up in their native costume they burned a person just deceased. Bali is just cool and a place I could retire and die. I once met a native up in the hills away from the tourists where clothing is optional or shall I say non existent for tribes and a guy had a shovel and he was as you would expect the most prosperous of all. Everyone needed the services of a person with a shovel...what a thought. The surfing is the best but the danger is great there as it is not Perth water. Dinners are and still are under $1.00 USD and lodging is under a $12.00USD. Anything goes in Bali and you can take that literally.

Book completion...

12:16 PM, Saturday, October 4, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Well I have just completed my new book and have sent it on to the publishers...Yea! This book is my second psychology/self help book and is called 'Life Coaching Lessons'. My first was titled 'Empowerment'. Both talk about and address aspects of compulsive disorders and recovery. I have also written a fun book now out about my travels in the Southwest and Central America in pursuit of fly fishing. It is titled 'Desertisle'..please read. I have two more ideas I plan to write about another fun book which will be titled 'Don't try this at home cookbook' and another psychology book I am currently already working on which will be called 'Common Sense Psychology'. Enjoy.

Kona, Hawaii

2:33 PM, Monday, September 22, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

One of the best experiences in travels for me. I was so surprised when I landed and had a chance to look around. There is an airstrip in the middle of a lava field and a small walled off area with no rood with benches for an airport.
One road leads into town through more lava fields and the downtown...you have to do a double talk because I still did not see it. Of course there were a few hotels and a street along the ocean with shops but no downtown. The prices are cheaper than on the mainland. Dinners under $10. and breakfasts under $7. I had a splendid time and the cost was low and the place beautiful...and best of all no tourists. You actually feel like a local. A great experience and a guaranteed return trip. I could live there!

Singapore

2:41 PM, Tuesday, September 2, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Was the cleanest place I have ever visited in the world. The streets were like vacumed and I actually saw them washing the steps and sidewalks in the downtown area. I had a very good time and enjoyed the downtown area where I stayed. It was great for shopping and easy to get around and the people were very friendly. The cost of goods did not seem that high. I ate very well as you always do in Asian countries. I spent time in China Town and it was the best. I bought gifts for family and the prices were good and selection excellent. The people very friendly. The architecture was basically modern but there were some old buildings. It is a twenty first century place that offers health care and housing ownership for everyone. I have heard people say it is a place they could retire in and I think that is correct. I will return with more relaxed time to enjoy it's beaty.

Melbourne, Australia

12:07 PM, Friday, July 18, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Wonderful place to visit. I had such a good time. I did not have a hotel reservation and came upon a wonderful place located downtown right next to all the shopping and some of the best restaurants. At first I started walking about to the south of my hotel where there appeared to be much traffic and there was wonderful shops and food, but much to my surprise I headed north to where there was no traffic or people and I found nirvana. One block on the other side of these buildings and up an alleyway I came across so many people and restaurants and shops I could not have imagined. For as far as I could see the alleyway ran with one restaurant after another on both sides of the street. Every imaginable food was there and priced well. I had come to find out this is the section of downtown that the locals hang out in and do their business. I will never go south again in Melbourne. Another fabulous thing I did was I wondered onto a barber shop that was run by this older gentleman for the past 30 years and had the most wonderful haircut and conversation. It reminded me of being a child and the barber I knew back then. I return trip will happen again and again, it is that special of a location.

Sydney, Australia

12:14 PM, Wednesday, March 19, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Well what a trip...only lasting three days...I can say I saw the city, Opra house, Harbor bridge...and ate very well. First the weather was just fine..about 80 degrees and warm afternoon trade winds... The Opra house is everything you can imagine..spectacular and the bridge is awesome too. I loved my time around the harbor and will plan on a boat ride the next time through. Of course the eating was excellent and fresh fish is the thing to have plus anything Asian. The coffee shops abound and are great and only three American fast food places have found their way in. Macs of course..subway..don't get that one and starbucks. The cost of living is suppose to be the highest in the world and you do pay when your in Sydney. If I return and I will to Australia it will be to see the rest of the country and at most an overnite in Sydney. All in all a very good experience.

A Waikiki weekend...

2:44 PM, Monday, March 3, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Monday morning and back from an all nite red eye flight. Able to fly for free to alot of places and decided to hop on a plane Friday afternoon. Flew into Honolulu and a couple nice days of weather, shopping, and beaches. Plenty of people, actually too many for that island. Seems to be a large number of very young Asians with what appears to be a lot of money, probably given to them, to spend..spend..spend. The food of course the best...I will eat Asian all the time. Plenty of exercise with walking everywhere, some short runs, and of course beach activities. I have been there what seems like a lot and I'm not sure it's my favorite....I still prefer the Caribbean.

California DMV

9:50 PM, Friday, February 15, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

My first trip to the California DM V this morning and boy was I scared it was going to be a disaster. It actually went pretty well and the time I spent was only about an hour. What I did was registar my new truck, plates, drivers license. Of course I did not get any of that completed but I did manage to give them $821. and have a list of things to do untill my second trip there next Friday. I was actually cursing along pretty well when he checked my last state license and it stated I was not eligible for a license in another state till I satisfied something from back there. So on the phone I go....worried...thinking the worst ....and it just turns out to be my CDL medical was late....whew! You have no idea where my imagination went. Thank God I treated myself to a nice Chinese lunch.

Seattle business ventures..

8:48 PM, Wednesday, February 13, 2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Well I sure do like Seattle..from what I can see in my bi weekly travels on business. Sometimes it rains and that is nice and sometimes it has been kinda cold..but it is winter and then there are days that are bright and sunny and the sun feels warm to hot on your back. I like the people too. They seem friendly and for the most part pretty content and pleased with theire lives. I especially like the water...I believe it's the Puegant Sound and the backdrop of big mountain ranges. I am learning everything so I don't know all the names or spellings yet. Come spring, summer, and fall I hope to come up at the end of the week so I can fish on the weekends. I can only imagine. I like it here. Do I like it better than San Francisco...yes. I use to travel through here in the 90s on my way to Alaska hunting and fishing and maybe that's my attraction now that I'm here on work.

Florida travels and sight casting.....

9:32 PM, Monday, October 8, 2007 .. 0 comments .. Link

So I wondered down south Florida way for the first time and enjoyed it as soon as I got off the plane. What surprised me was how rude the people were the entire time of my stay. I checked out some work in psychology and a chance to see a new program. It just all seemed very east cost mentality. Very up in your face and little consideration of you. The water seemed the best as I knew it was warm and inviting. I could imagine tarpon rolling and a double haul and presentation of the fly. I did not have the time to travel to Key West but was within a hour and felt the pull of the flats. If it were not for the people I would have stayed, now it is a visit to cast waters not before fished. I will return further south in the keys with purpose and presentation.

New Fishing Visions...

9:39 PM, Saturday, September 15, 2007 .. 0 comments .. Link

Well the time had come to seperate from the displeasure of a work environment that produces no fish when the day is done. There seems to always be a new guy that thinks he can run the place better and catch more fish...when in actuality he sucks! I have seen it so many times in my life and really don't want to see it again. I use to get sick and vomit with new guys and no fish...now I just shake my head and wish them adue and move on down the river. I like the fish I catch and the methods I use. I like the way I throw a fly and the way I land a fish. I have been on the water for a long time and plan to fish again and again without the guidance of an ill fated bastard! I hope all his fish live and spit out the fly. Maybe not all are meant to be on the water and are best left in the sewers of their mind.

Tucson Conference and fishing report....

8:57 PM, Friday, August 24, 2007 .. 0 comments .. Link

Spent the last week in Tucson attending a psychology conference on addiction and the treatment of compulsive disorders. Amazing speakers, presenters, and workshops. The latest information on what works and what doesn't. Met wonderful people I hope to follow up with and maintain communication. Am anxious to get back to work and practice what I've learned as well as pass on what I've learned. Gave out information and brochures about Costa Rica's new treatment facility, Tropical Oasis, which I hope to be a part of. The fly fishing report off the coast of Belize is sad and bleak resulting from Hurricane Dana. I have not gotten a reply from my friends that live in Corozal or Ambergris Caye. If asked I will go down and help. So the conference is over, I am back home, and I think it is time to plan a return to the Caribbean, where I can fly fish, counsel, and mend my soul...

Permit and Tarpon...

9:04 PM, Saturday, August 11, 2007 .. 0 comments .. Link

I am late in my reports and travels...having returned to Belize for more fly fishing with my friend and guide. Equiped with both my 9/90 sage xi2 and 11/90 sage xi2 both in 4 piece and what I like and see as the only reels to own, Abels saltwater, in both super 8s and 10s unquestionably when attached to Scientific Angler saltwater fly line pulling hand built and tied bimimy leaders in 6'-8' the world has no bad places..only caught fish. The mid summer days in the Belizian Caribbean seas offer giant migrating permit and tarpon through the deep channels of the white flats. It is these days that I wait in antisipation for months that and when the pangas will push off shore and be polled into ablis. A fin, a sight, an instant, a 40' pure cast without hesitation absorbed by the giant....a missed heartbeat, released hands from the reel on a run...a sense of fear...oh my God he's on line! My old friend on poll, tip up...reel down, another run. The essense of existance...

dysfunctional fish...

8:46 PM, Saturday, August 11, 2007 .. 0 comments .. Link

Do you think? So having fished most of my life and a love of fly fishing..having caught most all trophy fish on a fly line around the world...I ponder life in the seas. Amazed at people who only care about their own selfish interests..are self absorbed in narcistic endeavors...and are incapable of sensing the world around them. They don't allow others to talk or express feelings other than what is suitable to their needs. They have secrets that they believe keep them in control...or so they think and mostly they are not able to be trusted due to their incestant self absorption. Families can be dysfunctional and the people in them....There is a unspoken but understood way of wolves in Alaska...it is the one in twenty law. Granted there are dysfuntional famlies...but maybe there is also the one in twenty law too! Do you think there's dysfunctional fish? I do.

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