I got my bags back on a roll heading out there and I'm ready to go looking real good

in my passport photo.

Amateur Traveler episode 571. Today the Amateur Traveler talks about mosques and

minarets, walled cities, Marco Polo and Timmer Lane as we go to Uzbekistan.

I know that I should be heading home

but maybe not, maybe not today.

Welcome to the amateur traveler. I'm your host Chris Christensen. We're going to be

talking about some complicated names or at least names that are not familiar to those

of us who live in the United States who are in Western countries today.

So this might be a good opportunity to remind you that for every episode of the amateur

traveler there are show notes both at the website amateur traveler.com as well as in the lyrics for this episode if you want to see

the names of the places or the people that we're talking about as well as links to more information. That being said, let's talk about Uzbekistan.

I'd like to welcome to the show Let's talk to us about Uzbekistan. Let's talk to

us about Uzbekistan.

Lutiche, welcome to the show.

Thank you.

Uzbekistan is not a very typical destination.

Why were you in Uzbekistan? A lot of things came together with

Uzbekistan. I was fascinated with travelers like Marco Polo and even Batuta.

Following India footsteps in Central Asia would take you to Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan is also a place where Islamic history and also a history that predates Islam and

Mongol conquerors, Alexander the Great's campaign, all of that put together.

...