The Fermented Word
Two decades of getting lost
Fighting Fires in Luang Prabang, Laos
This is an older story from 20 years ago in Laos. It also won the People's Choice Award from the Southeast Asian Travel writing Competition in 2010. No, Thank You Laos How many people can you feed with a 600 pound catfish I wondered as I walked down the deserted street in northern Laos. Somewhere, in the darkness close by, the mythical Mekong River snaked its way through the intense [...]
How I Paid for 20 Years of Continuous Travel
This year marks 20 years since I first left the US for Japan in 1999 to live abroad and travel the world. Ten years ago people where wondering how I could travel so long. After another 10 years most people in my life see my lifestyle as normal, while others I meet assume you have to be successful first to achieve it. Nothing could be further from the truth. Recently [...]
Get a Taste of old Tokyo and Drink in Golden Gai
Dark and seedy, just how I like my alleyways. Just about every visitor to Japan searches for that stereotypical traditional atmosphere where they can sit and breath in the “real” Japan. The truth is that this “real” Japan is fading fast, especially in Tokyo. It has been relegated to the shadows and corners of mainstream Japan and usually you need to head to the countryside to find a [...]
Welcome to my shiny new website
Getting blessed for my new job in Laos with a full chicken and an elder. Welcome to my shiny new website ToddWassel.com and my companion blog, The Fermented Word (that is where you are if you didn’t know). Now, I need to be honest. This is not my first introduction to you. Some of you may in fact be here because you were redirected from my old website [...]
Fighting Fires in Luang Prabang, Laos
This is an older story from 20 years ago in Laos. It also won the People's Choice Award from the Southeast Asian Travel writing Competition in 2010. No, Thank You Laos How many people can [...]
How I Paid for 20 Years of Continuous Travel
This year marks 20 years since I first left the US for Japan in 1999 to live abroad and travel the world. Ten years ago people where wondering how I could travel so long. After [...]
Get a Taste of old Tokyo and Drink in Golden Gai
Dark and seedy, just how I like my alleyways. Just about every visitor to Japan searches for that stereotypical traditional atmosphere where they can sit and breath in the “real” Japan. The truth [...]
Welcome to my shiny new website
Getting blessed for my new job in Laos with a full chicken and an elder. Welcome to my shiny new website ToddWassel.com and my companion blog, The Fermented Word (that is where you [...]