Friends and I travelled to Uzbekistan twice – once in March 1992, just after the collapse of the Soviet Union, and then again, seven months later, in October. Both trips were part of journeys through Central Asia. I was fascinated by the ancient architecture, the history of the Silk Road, the thriving markets and the re-emergence of Islam after 70 years of Communist rule. I wrote about this in Chapter 9 of Picnic at the Iron Curtain. Click on a picture for a slide show.