One of the biggest headaches travelers face when flying is the dreaded layover.
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When I was in the Navy, I frequently flew out of Norfolk and, for some reason, I always had a layover in Pittsburg or Cleveland.  LONG layovers!  Not much to do for those hours of waiting.  Drove me bonkers!
 
Since I also flew overseas fairly often, I soon learned to take advantage of those long layovers by heading out to explore the city where I landed.  One of my absolute favorite layover adventures was when I was enroute to Bahrain:  a “Layover Escape” that included a Canal Cruise and Walking Tour through the city.  What an amazing experience!

The sightseeing cruise allowed us to experience traditional Dutch culture, folklore and craftsmanship with stops in several villages.  We enjoyed amazing views from our vantage point on the canal. A professional guide shared the rich cultural tapestry of Holland, as we cruised through Holland’s beautiful countryside and discovered tulip-filled meadows and studied the amazing Dutch architecture. We also had an opportunity to visit the villages and towns of Edam, Marken, and Zaanse Schans, and enjoyed a pleasant balance of guided walking tours and leisurely free time.

 “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide

Unlike many of its neighboring countries, Bahrain has only small stores of petroleum. Its economy relies on processing crude oil from its neighbors and, more recently, the country has benefitted from an increase in tourism.  Manama, the country’s chief city, port, and capital (and where I was stationed) is located on the northeastern tip of Bahrain Island.
 
During my tour there, I found Bahrain to be an interesting juxtapose:  on one hand, a strikingly modern city, relaxed and cosmopolitan; on the other, the epitome of a poverty-stricken island.  The people of Bahrain remain conservative in their lifeways, and that is apparent throughout the island.  Manama is a favorite destination for visitors from neighboring Saudi Arabia; on weekends, crowds of Saudis converge on the city to enjoy its restaurants and bars. But I also observed a stark contrast to the modernization of the city – wealth vs. poverty, living hand-to-hand with one another.  Many roads and sidewalks were in such total disrepair that it was difficult to maneuver them.  From my room, I looked down on to an alley where children were living in cardboard boxes.  Looking a little farther out, I could see a beautiful see a beautiful villa, complete with lovely landscaping and a private pool. 

Traveling is all about creating great memories, right?  And what better way to keep those memories close to your heart than by taking pictures – every step of the way!
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I was a Photojournalist much of my Navy career. When I was a very young Sailor, I was photographing a flag officer’s change of command.  It was my first assignment of that magnitude and I was nervous!  During the pre-ceremony festivities the day before, the senior photographer had failed to check her camera to ensure she had film (yeah, back in the days of film!).  She shot the entire reception and, when the time came for her to turn her film in to the photo lab at the end of the evening, she was mortified to discover her mistake. 

It left a lasting impression on this very green photojournalist!  We had a seasoned chief photographer supervising the event and I guess she could tell I was a wee bit nervous!  Of course, she warned us to ALWAYS double check our cameras for film; but I remember to this day these words of wisdom: “If you take ONE good picture during the entire ceremony today, you’ll have succeeded in your job.  Just ONE great picture is all you need.”

The camera doesn’t have to be expensive:  Cameras don’t always have to be expensive to get the job done.  Surprisingly, phone cameras today take pictures that can honestly rival the quality of the most expensive digital cameras.  Many years ago, I was on assignment with a National Geographic photographer – he was shooting pictures and I was writing the story.  For grins and giggles, I brought a point-and-shoot camera to take pictures for my own scrapbook.  At the end of the day, we turned everything into the photo lab for development.  The next morning, we went through the photographs to see which we’d use for the story and the photographer pulled out a couple that he really liked – but said he didn’t remember shooting them.  Turns out, they were from the point-and-shoot that I had!  And they were good enough to run with our story!  You can take photographs that will transport you back to that wonderful time and place with a phone camera just as easily as an expensive digital.  Don’t be intimidated!