SH VEGA of Swan Hellenic took its passengers from the vibrant city of Valparaíso, Chile, and this cruise was concluded in Callao (Lima) in Peru. This voyage took us along the stunning coasts of South America, allowing to explore rich cultural diversity and breathtaking landscapes of the region. We had an opportunity to visit several locations such as Coquimbo with its ancient geoglyphs, Arequippa known by Inca culture, Iquique with its famous industrial past and many other places I am telling you about on this page. This is a travel journey to highlight Swan Hellenic cruise and all my experience related to it.

Another exciting fact (for me it is an important addition) Swan Hellenic is a partner of the SETI Institute. This is a space and earth science research organisation that supports NASA, NSF (National Science Foundation), private industry and academia in answering some of humanity’s most profound questions. In this trip scientists shared expert insights into the history and latest discoveries in astronomy, astrophysics, astrobiology and planetary science.

This journey took place in cooperation with Swan Hellenic. That is why I was paying close attention not only to the countries, cities and excursions, but also to the expedition cruise format itself: what the traveller receives, how it differs from a usual cruise, and what it means - an expedition cruise. For me - ideal format, and I explain why.

Chile is far from Cyprus where I live. But the trip to Santiago was not as complicated as it may seem.

On my way to the South America I had to fly from Larnaca to Athens, then in a couple of hours – to Madrid. There I met Kate who lives in London, she had an easy direct flight. From there, together, we had a direct flight to Santiago. After a private city tour we went to Valparaíso, the port of departure.

The cruise ship took us from Chile to Lima in Peru. From there we flew back to Europe. I stayed for a day in Madrid, time to rest and go around the city centre. Then it was a short flight to Athens, and, in a couple of hours, the shortest of all – a flight from Athens to Cyprus.

It sounds long. But in reality, it is very manageable. The key is simple: one step at a time.

Madrid airport deserves a separate mention. It is huge. Really huge.
I walked for a very long time from arrival to baggage claim, went out to the main airport hall and - in search for the departure area - I walked quite a lot. When I finally found a row of TV screens showing departures, I did not find my flight there.
I took a deep breath, calmed myself down. OK... It might be a wrong terminal. Look again. I carefully looked through all the lines, all Terminals (1, 2, 3). The flight was not there.

I started to panic. What if I missed something, made a mistake? What if I arrived from Athens to one airport, and my next flight would depart from another one, somewhere on the other side of the city?
While I was looking for my tickets, then comparing the names of airports, I got quite nervous. But no – luckily, it was the same airport. Then where was my flight?! Why was it not on the TV screens? I look carefully. Not in Terminal 1, not in Terminal 2, not in Terminal 3.
My ticket said Terminal 4S, but there were no signs for it anywhere, there are only three terminals on the screen and on the signs around. Luckily, I met a police officer who spoke English. We checked my ticket together and he explained how to find this terminal - "walk, take a lift, walk, take an escalator, go outside, take a bus"... (If you fly through Madrid in transit, allow more time than you think you need. I am glad I had four hours!)
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I finally reached Terminal 4 and checked in my luggage. And – surprise! – that was not the end. Now I had to take a train to a separate building. About 200 metres across the hall, then a long and slow descent on escalators down four levels, then wait for the train, five minutes on the train, and again escalators – another five minutes to reach the entrance of this satellite terminal. It is called T4S.

In the end everything worked perfectly. Reading about my little adventure, my friend Anna, who travels a lot, said she might prepare a guide on various airports. I hope she'll do it, I'll be its first reader. It might be so useful!

My conclusion is simple: if you are flying via Madrid do not plan a short connection. Even if it is the same airport, getting from one terminal to another can take much longer than you may expect.

Cerro Santa Lucía is not just a simple park. This is the exact place where Santiago began. In the 19th century, the hill was transformed into a landscaped park: terraces, staircases and decorative structures were added, giving it a very European feel.
The most visible building is Castillo Hidalgo. We immediately fell in love with it!

It was built in 1816 as a fortress. Later it was used as a warehouse and administrative building. Today it is a venue for events, with one of the best views over the city.
We also visited a tower on the top of this hill. Originally, it was part of the defensive system, from here the whole then town (now big city) is visible. The view is perfect - you can see Santiago from above. Unfortunately, due to morning fog, you can not see the mountains well.

We spent half a day exploring Santiago, drove, walked a bit and left the city to go to the shore of the ocean. Our destination is Valparaiso, the biggest port city of Chile.

A taxi from the hotel cost almost twice as much as one booked through the Uber app, so we trusted technology. Within five minutes, we were already in the car - it showed that the way to the port will take 10 minutes. I decided to film our drive from the hotel to the port so that you could see the contrasts of Valparaíso with your own eyes. One moment it is bright and beautiful, the next grey and neglected; at times cheerful, at times deeply melancholic. In this city, everything exists side by side.

It was a very foggy morning, but you'll still see a lot. Watch my little video.

Then, fortunately, I noticed a new character entering the scene. A man in uniform stepped out of a nearby car. He looked like a guide, or at least someone who might actually know what was going on. We drove up to him and asked for help. At last, a clear answer: we needed to go to the closed gate in the corner and explain that we were heading to a cruise ship. They would let us through.
And that, finally, proved to be true.

We found the gate, guarded and firmly shut. The security officer confirmed that this was indeed the road to the cruise terminal and even gave our driver detailed instructions so that he would not get lost again. Then we drove on for quite a long time through the port area, past old buildings, empty lots and stretches of land that looked almost abandoned. At last, we found the terminal.

This was our cruise ship, the place that would be our home for the next ten days. The contrast with everything we had seen during the previous half-hour was so striking that, exhausted by the tension of it all, we could do little more than smile happily as we rode the lift up to our deck. We were shown to our cabin, where our luggage had already been delivered, and then invited to lunch.

Look at the wonderful view to Valparaiso. The fog has gone. The sun showed the best parts of the city - from water it looks decent, and the port does not look strange anymore. It was just a dream, and now we are back to reality. We are in Chile! In another part of the world, 12 000 km from home. Let us enjoy every moment!

For decades, this railway carried people and goods between the coast and the highlands. Then passenger services stopped, and for many years the tracks were silent. Much later, the route was brought back to life as a heritage train, not only as transport, but as a way to tell the story of Arica, Bolivia, the Lluta Valley, and this complicated border region.

For our ship, SH Vega, a special journey was arranged from the port to Poconchile. Our guide said it was a great honour for her to be part of it - it is rare when a dedicated tour is orginised as Swan Hellenic did. Our train ride became a journey through geography, politics, memory, and time.

On the way we heard stories about history of this place and the life of modern people. At one of the stations we tried local food and were watch a theatre performance and were greeted by a dance group that showed to us the costumes and dances of this area. On the way back were were introduced to the local music and songs.

The last stop before Lima was to see wild life of Peru. We were taken to protected islands off the Paracas coast. From far they look bare and almost empty. But they are full of life. I made a lot of photos and videos with my smart phone, but I also want to show you very professional work. Swan photographer Michael Barabanov made many good photos and I'm gladly sharing them with you.

The wider Paracas National Reserve covers 335,000 hectares, with 65% of its territory made up of marine waters. It protects wildlife, including 216 bird species and 36 mammal species.

In these photos you see two very different faces of Lima. The first is Miraflores, where we stayed. Here the city rises on coastal hills, with apartment towers above and the road below. In one picture you can see the cliff itself, and in the next ones the bright mosaic benches of Parque del Amor and the neat green parks along the ocean. Everything looks cared for: trimmed grass, flowerbeds, palm trees, clean paths, open views.
The parks are so green! I saw a woman watering the grass and asked how often she does it. Twice a day, 7 days a week.
Maybe that is why Miraflores feels fresh - it is green and well preserved, very-very clean. The district’s seafront promenade runs for about 5 kilometres along the top of the Costa Verde cliffs.

Those cliffs are beautiful. But the soil is steep and unstable in places, which is why parts of the cliff are covered with protective net. It helps contain falling stones and reduce erosion risk. Looking at the ocean from above, it was hard not to think that living high over the shoreline has its advantages. From up there, the city is protected from the ocean floods.