The Central American leg of the journey ends with a string of bus and boat rides through El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica to Panama, where we discover no-see-ums, advanced food-sharing techniques and a dream surf-shack. Next stop: South America!

All text written, read and recorded by James Whiley. Other podcast tech stuff done by Rod Morri at Sydney Podcast Studios. See www.sydneypodcaststudios.com.au

At www.jameswhiley.com you can see the photos that accompany these stories… as well as the texts. There’s also an Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/jamesw_woho/

Big thanks and love to my family and friends for their support and help in this project.

All ‘We’re Only Here Once’ music written by James Whiley and performed by James Whiley and the Nomads, who are: Anton Harris – drums; Lindsay Jenkins – bass; Quentin Cooper – mandolin; Tama Taita – lead guitar; Josh Kronfeld and Midge Marsden – harmonica; Ainslie Laverty – keyboards; John Thomasson – flute, trombone and scat singing; Nic Leedon – lead and rhythm guitars; Tony Stephens – saxophone; Nigel Jenkins – recording engineer; James Whiley – songs, singing, rhythm and lead guitars.

A month surviving scorpions, falling mangos and bizarre injuries in the war-torn home of pupusas con queso and classic right points.

All text written, read and recorded by James Whiley. Other podcast tech stuff done by Rod Morri at Sydney Podcast Studios. See www.sydneypodcaststudios.com.au

At www.jameswhiley.com you can see the photos that accompany these stories… as well as the texts. There’s also an Instagram page if you search for james whiley or jamesw_woho

Big thanks and love to my family and friends for their support and help in this project.

All ‘We’re Only Here Once’ music written by James Whiley and performed by James Whiley and The Nomads, who are:

Anton Harris – drums; Lindsay Jenkins – bass; Quentin Cooper – mandolin; Tama Taita – lead guitar; Josh Kronfeld and Midge Marsden – harmonica; Ainslie Laverty – keyboards; John Thomasson – flute, trombone and scat singing; Nic Leedon – lead and rhythm guitars; Tony Stephens – saxophone; Nigel Jenkins – recording engineer; James Whiley – songs, singing, rhythm and lead guitars.

Ten days in civil-war-scarred Nicaragua with rough tracks, mud-flats, dodgy dates, epic waves, and a fin chop stitched by torchlight without enough anaesthetic. Yowza.

All text written and read by James Whiley.

At www.jameswhiley.com you can see the photos that accompany these stories… as well as the texts. 

There's also an Instagram page if you search for james whiley or jamesw_woho

Big thanks and love to my family and friends for their support and help in this project.

And big thanks too to Rod Morri at Sydney Podcast Studios for his tech assistance. 

See www.sydneypodcaststudios.com.au

All ‘We’re Only Here Once’ music written by James Whiley and performed by James Whiley and The Nomads, who are:

Anton Harris – drums; Lindsay Jenkins – bass; Quentin Cooper – mandolin; Tama Taita – lead guitar; Josh Kronfeld and Midge Marsden – harmonica; Ainslie Laverty – keyboards; John Thomasson – flute, trombone and scat singing; Nic Leedon – lead and rhythm guitars; Tony Stephens – saxophone; Nigel Jenkins – recording engineer; James Whiley – rhythm and lead guitars, songs and singing.

Midnight drives, perfect waves, sweaty car-seats and a dog attack as the Central American leg of the journey begins.

All text written and read by James Whiley.

All ‘We’re Only Here Once’ music written by James Whiley and performed by James Whiley and The Nomads.

At www.jameswhiley.com you can see the photos that accompany these stories, along with the text.

Podcasts engineered by Rod Morri at Sydney Podcast Studios www.sydneypodcaststudios.com.au

Big thanks and love to my family and friends for their support and help in this project.

Car head-butts, lightning strikes, stormwater drains, weapons-grade fireworks, mountain-climbing super-heroes, Kingswood station wagons, the Golden Age of pub-rock and an accidental, nomadic schoolteacher feature in this sprint through the years before and after 1993.

All text written and read by James Whiley.

All ‘We’re Only Here Once’ music written by James Whiley and performed by James Whiley and the Nomads.

At www.jameswhiley.com you can see the photos that accompany these stories… and the written versions of the stories are there too.

Podcasts engineered by Rod Morri at Sydney Podcast Studios www.sydneypodcaststudios.com.au

Big thanks and love to my family and friends for their support and help in this project.

Olas grandes, chicas lindas and Puerto Rican voodoo in this funky west-side story.

All text written and read by James Whiley.

All ‘We’re Only Here Once’ music written by James Whiley and performed by James Whiley and the Nomads.

At www.jameswhiley.com you can see the photos that accompany these stories… and the written versions of the stories are there too.

Podcasts engineered by Rod Morri at Sydney Podcast Studios www.sydneypodcaststudios.com.au

Finding the waves of my dreams in another Caribbean paradise. (Lots of surf-chat in this one!)

All text written and read by James Whiley

All ‘We’re Only Here Once’ music written by James Whiley and performed by James Whiley and the Nomads.

At www.jameswhiley.com you can see the photos that accompany these stories… and the written versions of the stories are there too.

Podcasts engineered by Rod Morri at Sydney Podcast Studios www.sydneypodcaststudios.com.au

Big thanks to my family for supporting me in this project.

Suggested viewing: 

Torren Martyn’s short-documentary series ‘Lost Track: Atlantic’ at:

Torren Martyn - LOST TRACK ATLANTIC - Episode 1 - needessentials

If someone asked me to explain why I surfed, and why I travelled, showing them this might be the most efficient way I could explain.

A month in beautiful Barbados with Mike and Margie, the Bathsheba boys, Jimmy Page (almost) and the First Lady of Surfing.

All text written and read by James Whiley

All ‘We’re Only Here Once’ music written by James Whiley and performed by James Whiley and the Nomads.

At www.jameswhiley.com you can see the photos that accompany these stories… and the texts are there too.

Podcasts engineered by Rod Morri at Sydney Podcast Studios www.sydneypodcaststudios.com.au

Big thanks to my family for supporting me in this project.

Suggested viewing: Torren Martyn’s four-part short-documentary series ‘Lost Track: Atlantic’ at Torren Martyn - LOST TRACK ATLANTIC - Episode 1 - needessentials

(Note: this is perhaps the first thing I’d turn to if someone asked me to explain why I surfed; and why I travelled.)

From a knife in the eye to an unexpected date with two Parisiennes, the year-long adventure begins on New Year’s Eve.

At www.jameswhiley.com you can find the text of these stories and the photos that accompany them.

All text written and read by James Whiley.

All music written by James Whiley and performed by James Whiley and The Nomads

Podcast engineered by Rod Morri at Sydney Podcast Studios

Big thanks to my family for supporting me in this project.