6
episodes
One budget camera. Two bicycles. 1,500 kilometers across Central America.
What started as a random meeting at a festival slowly turned into one of the most intense creative projects of our lives.
A few months after meeting each other, we loaded two bicycles with camping gear, a cheap camera, and just enough confidence to believe cycling from Panama to Guatemala was somehow a good idea.
It wasn't always.
Trail Tribe became a raw documentary project about crossing Central America by bicycle — through jungles, mountains, beaches, border crossings, volcano islands, tropical storms, sickness, mechanical failures, and complete exhaustion.
But more than anything, it became a story about people.
Why This Project Matters
Trail Tribe captures almost everything that defines the way I work creatively today:
The Setup
✗
No crew
✗
No sponsors
✗
No production budget
Just curiosity, creativity, and the willingness to figure things out along the way.
The Beginning — Panama
We rolled out of Panama City with overloaded bicycles and no real idea what long-distance bikepacking actually felt like. Every hill seemed impossible. Every road felt endless. But little by little, we adapted to the rhythm of life on the road. Instead of flying over countries, we experienced every kilometer physically — the heat, the smells, the conversations, the rain, the chaos. And every evening we searched for a place to sleep.
Sometimes that was a beach.
Sometimes a jungle.
Sometimes a random field.
Costa Rica — Rivers, Heat & Crocodiles
Costa Rica was beautiful and brutal at the same time. We crossed roads that turned into rivers — and rivers we later discovered were apparently full of crocodiles. At one point, after taking a boat from Puntarenas, we accidentally entered a national park and met an incredible one-legged chef known locally as "Brad Pitt," who invited us to stay while monkeys climbed through the trees around us. Another day, halfway through a brutal ride, Dennis realized his money pouch was gone. Passport. Credit card. Cash. He cycled 40 kilometers back through the heat hoping it was still there.
Sometimes the road gives.
Sometimes it takes.
Nicaragua — Volcanoes & Recovery
By the time we reached Nicaragua, the journey had started wearing us down physically. Dennis got sick first and spent days bedridden near Ometepe Island. Shortly after, Gabi developed severe pain from a wisdom tooth infection, forcing an emergency detour to Managua in search of a surgeon. But in the middle of all the chaos, we still found moments of peace. We spent a week recovering on Ometepe Island — repairing bicycles, celebrating birthdays, swimming in volcanic lakes, and mentally preparing for the road ahead.
El Salvador — Unexpected Hospitality
El Salvador surprised us the most. We arrived by what might have been the wettest boat ride imaginable and were immediately welcomed by incredible warmth, food, and hospitality. A local friend named Renato showed us around and shared how much the country had changed in recent years. We explored local culture, ate endless Pupusa, and discovered that roadside motels built for very different clientele also happened to be surprisingly perfect bikepacking accommodation. Which honestly worked perfectly for us.
Guatemala — The Final Climb
Toward the end of the journey, we thought we were close. Instead, the mountains began. For days, we pushed our bicycles uphill through steep roads and thin mountain air, barely moving forward. Physical exhaustion slowly became mental exhaustion. Then suddenly — hidden high in the mountains — we found a surreal sulfur lake where we camped, bathed, and recovered under the stars. Eventually we descended again… only to discover another massive climb waiting for us. At one point we finally accepted defeat and loaded the bikes into a truck.
And then finally:
Guatemala City.
The finish line.
What Trail Tribe Represents
Human stories over polished marketing.
Real experiences that people genuinely connect with.
Creative production with minimal resources.
Knowing how to create compelling content without needing massive budgets.
Community and cultural storytelling.
Finding connection across languages, cultures, and places.
Adaptability and experimentation.
Improvising constantly while still building a coherent story.
Today, that same approach influences my freelance work across:
Trail Tribe started as a bicycle trip.
It ended up becoming the foundation for how I think about storytelling, creativity, and human connection altogether.