Close to 100 people showed up to listen to a professor’s lecture about Central Asia at L.A. City College, as he went into detail discussing the history, climate, nature and more of the countries he visited last summer.

Matt Ebiner teaches geography at El Camino and on Friday March 4 he spoke at L.A. City College and this was not the first time he has guest lectured, in fact he said he gives one talk a year and has been doing so for about 22 years.

He has visited Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan from May to June last year with 25 students and he said he plans to go back in 2017 for the World Expo in Astana, Kazakhstan.

His lecture included many pictures that he took himself of places like mosques and monuments of rulers. He also photographed nature, animals and the people from those countries.

“The lecture was very informative,” EC student Kayla Jacobson, 18 business major said. “And he takes his own pictures I thought that was really cool.”

Ebiner said he had a hard time selecting what pictures to use because he took so many.

“The architecture is amazing in person, there are so many different kinds such as Islamic arcs and domes with colorful tile.” Ebiner said. “The more historical architecture impresses me the most; seeing it in photos is great, but in person it’s just… wow.”

The audience consisted of students from both L.A. City College and EC, along with professors and some others who listened in.

“I came because it’s something that I teach also,” Professor at Santa Monica College Alula Abate said. “I cover most of the same material, but (Ebiner) went into great detail.”

Ebiner ended his lecture by leaving the room and returning dressed in a Kyrgyzstan hat and jacket and showed a slide show video while playing some of the music he listened to in that country.

“It’s a cheap outfit,” Ebiner said smiling. “The hat was about five dollars, and the jacket was I don’t know, around 10 dollars.”

Ebiner is leading trips in 2016 and 2017 as well, and students who are interested can visit www.geotours.us for more information.