Today on the blog is Ayngelina Brogan of baconismagic.ca. Ayngelina is a blogger who I’ve genuinely come across in Google search results so it’s a pleasure to have her on the blog today. In 2010, Ayngelina left a career in advertising and bought a one-way ticket to Mexico and traveled through Latin America. Today she has one of the largest independent websites in North America focusing on culinary travel.
Hi Ayngelina, welcome to Backstreet Nomad, by way of introduction, when did you fall in love with travelling? What made it such a passion of yours?
My mother sent me to France for the summer when I was 16 and it changed my life. I was from a small Canadian town of 5000 people and I saw that people lived completely differently. I loved hot chocolate in bowls for breakfast and simple tomato salads. I was hooked.
Do you have a particular song/video/poem/quote that particularly inspires you to travel?
Live it Out by Metric is all about not settling and still one of my favourite songs. I listened to the album all throughout 2010 and it really helped me when I was wondering if I was doing the right thing.
Can you let us in on a secret? What is one discovery you have made through your travels that really felt like ‘the road less travelled’?
Slower is better. I don’t know why people count countries as badges to brag about. I would far rather spend three months in Ecuador maxing out my tourist visa to get to know the country better than to speed all through South America so that I can say I’ve visited all the countries.
I took a Galapagos cruise and my tour guide gave me the opportunity to rent his house for five weeks on one of the islands. It was a whole different world.
Is this place known for anything in particular?
The animals. Each island has its own distinct landscape and some of the animals you see on the island you don’t see anywhere else. It’s completely wild but they aren’t afraid of you. I’ve never been anywhere like it.
What did you do there and why do I want to visit?
I’m not a huge wildlife traveler but the Galapagos is as special as everyone says. And while you really do need a cruise to get around to all the islands as some are really far away, it’s easy to stay in a hotel in Puerto Ayora and learn about how people live on these islands.
Read more about how to visit the Galapagos Islands on a budget.
What took you there and how did you find out about it?
I took a Galapagos cruise, but much like most places I travel I decided to change my itinerary mid-trip and stay longer.
Why do you think this place remains off the beaten track?
You don’t get much more off the beaten track than in the middle of an ocean.
Tell me about the food. Was it different to anything you’d experienced before?
It’s completely different to mainland Ecuadorian food as they need to use what they can source on the islands. So chicken and fish were common but pork or beef less so. Lots of great vegetarian options that reminded me at times of Peruvian food.
What was the culture like? Did you have much interaction with the locals?
As a small island people really do get to know each other and if you’re a gringa that’s around for more than a few days people get very curious.
My tour guide and the ship staff would drop in once a week and we would go out to the local bar so I met a lot of people who make their living in tourism. But also I visited the same street stalls and produce stores and after a few times small talk turned into bigger conversations with locals.
Beyond the things to do and see in the Galapogos, what is your best tip on how to best experience it?
A lot of people book a Galapagos tour in advance but it’s actually quite easy to just fly out to the island, get a hotel and then visit tour operators on the island to get the best deal.
Where is the best place to stay?
There are lots of great hotels in the central area of Puerto Ayora where you can walk everywhere.
Last question, where do you live on the internet and social media for us to all come visit?
I share the best food around the world at BaconIsMagic.ca and on instagram.com/Ayngelina, youtube.com/Ayngelina and Facebook.com/BaconIsMagic
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Hi I’m Matthias, photography and travel enthousiast. Great interview with Ayngelina, it was fun to read. Would love to visit Galapagos one day. Do you have any idea how much your trip has cost?
Thanks for the article and reply in advance!
Wow! So bizarre destination! I would love to visit it. And congrats on your courage to “sleep” beside the sea lion.
I love Bacon is Magic! I’ve been reading her blog and recipes for a while now. It’s so cool that she got to spend a full five weeks on the Galapagos Islands. I’ve been dying to go there, and her pictures are perfect! <3