I am always intrigued by how people meet,  its one of the first things I ask " so how did you meet?" 

On a flight from Pietermaritzburg to Johannesburg I met a woman with the most radiant smile,  I had noticed her earlier on by how she interacted with everyone; smiling, greeting, polite to all those who assisted her as she was checking in at the airport.   You can tell so much about a person through how they interact with others especially those who are being of service to them.  Little did I know I would be seated in the same row as her,  well as they say the rest is history.

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36 Days into the Covid19 Lockdown in South Africa our neighbours from Lesotho remind us that we are slowly moving into winter,  they have had their first snowfall already.  Whilst they had the joy of playing in the snow,  we found ourselves feeling the cold that accompanies this white wonderland in Johannesburg.   

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Lesotho with its majestic mountains, people, waterfalls and silence make for a wonderful getaway.  In 2012 I found myself in Semongkong  to abseil 204m (670ft) down the Maletsunyane waterfall, 50 story’s of pure ecstasy. 

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Lesotho left its mark in my heart , with its kind people who scale mountains as if they are walking on flat land I vowed to return to this beautiful part of the world.  Whilst we wait for the lockdown to end our conversations around travel continue and this past week we chatted to the Mosotho Prince himself  Zondi Tsatsi Mohlatsane the founder of Love Your Destination (LYD) Travel.  He shares his story with us and take us on journey that will leave you inspired.

Today exactly 26 years ago I remember watching the news on my mothers small black and white television.  I was in her room, seated on the floor watching her dress up her, in between the news snippets that showed these long snaking lines of people black and white waiting to cast their first democratic vote. 

 My nanny and my maternal grandmother were going to vote for the first time ever.  Days had been spent on planning for this day.  My grandmother was elderly and so was my nanny at this point so with a bakkie ( Pick up truck) that only seats 2 my mother was working through the logistics of getting this done.   My grandmother had planned her outfit as if this was her graduation day,  she asked me to wash and blow her silver grey hair and put it into plaits.  This was one of my favourite things to do for her as she loved making sure her crown was in perfect condition,  regardless of the fact that she always had her head covered in a colourful scarf. 

I can still remember the smell of my mothers room, her reminiscing through all the trials and tribulations she withstood during apartheid. From being held at gunpoint in the 80's by the army for being one of the first black women to own and drive a car in little Ingogo,  they truly believed the was a informant/runner for the ANC because how could she have a license and a car when she was black and living in the sticks?   

You could tell that this day meant a lot to everyone from the immense fuss that everyone was making in preparation for the 27 of  April 1994.  When I opened the front door as they were leaving the sun greeted us.  It was a splendid warm day for a historical moment.   The elders walked out with their heads held high,  a lot of sacrifice and death had taken place for them to experience this day.  As they left  my sister and I stood waving them off in excitement, whilst we couldn't vote we knew that nothing would ever be the same again. 

In memory of this day I would like to share a video that was shot a few years ago by myself. I took my mother away for a girls weekend away to thank her for all the sacrifices and the humiliation she fought in order to raise me into adulthood.  life in South Africa was certainly not easy and whilst its different now its still packed with challenges.     

TWTMT: Thank you so much for saying Yes!
Nkuli: Of course, thank you for thinking of me. I feel honoured.​

NKuli, when I met you years ago in Cape Town it was a great pleasure meeting you, and I knew we were kindred spirits.
Thank you, Michelle, that is one way of putting it, lol.

Why is travel important to you?
When my grandmother taught me a quote, I think by Saint Augustine, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” She created a wanderlust in me. I have always been a wandering soul, so I knew from a very young age that I would have regrets if I don’t venture out in the world. Travelling feeds my soul. It is a way of investing in myself and creating memories. I want to have amazing stories to tell my children and grandchildren—also, representation matters. I want black children to know that travelling is not a white people’s thing; it is for everybody who can do it. I want them to know that black people also do travel.

When was your first solo trip?
Come think of it, I have never really had a solo trip so to speak. My so-called solo trips have always been when flying home to visit family.

What countries outside of South Africa have you lived in?
South Korea-10 years
Canada-3 months
Taiwan- 3 months
USA- 2 years and 3 months

What has living in these countries taught you?
To peacefully co-exist with the other
To keep an open mind
To be inclusive
To be sympathetic to immigrants and to some extent refugees
To appreciate South Africa more

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 Whilst Covid19 has the world in its firm grip,  we decided to grant our readers their wishes... to meet some of the authors behind their favourite travel stories. The timing was perfect as we had spent February  with "Brownbush" a production company,  interviewing the contributors who happened to be in Johannesburg during that month.

I found myself soaking in tutorials on youtube about  things like importance of catchy titles ( essentially how tabloids were born) Thumbnails, Youtube studio trying to learn all I could learn about conducting skype interviews.   

Three weeks into the lockdown, I have some really Amazing interviews, people have been so kind and willing to chat to me. Thank you for honouring me with your time.  From Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Century City in Cape Town I have connected with so many people that I feel a 3rd edition of the book is in the making. 

Now I have only one request to all of you:  please show us some love by subscribing to the channel and comment if you like the interviews. Without your feedback I could be missing the mark.   Together we are building a narrative around  the lessons learnt through travel. 
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We are self-funded and therefore the videos we produce with Brownbush are funded from book sales and donations.  If you would like to donate we have Paypal so you can donate to us from anywhere in the world just title it "make more content". 

 2-8 of September in South Africa marks book week, an initiative to get more South Africans to read for pleasure.  In my household growing up we visited the library every 2 weeks for new books.   I loved this time, 30 minutes strolling through the library selecting new titles for me to read.  I loved reading so much I barely watched  television, therefore it was only natural that a portion of the book sales from Those Who Travel Meet Themselves go towards a programme that encourages reading.