She does have the odd dress and even a pair of fancy black pants. But she sure is most comfortable in jeans, with her bags packed and off to the next destination. We chat to Marion Smith, the Girl in Blue Jeans and possibly the most travelled South African to Turkey.
At the age of 17 Marion got her first taste of international travel and there and then decided, this is it … travelling the world became her lifelong dream when she first arrived in Germany as a Rotary exchange student.
And there sure is a different light in her eyes when she starts sharing her stories and gives you the ins and outs about travelling. So, if you want to discover places in the world less travelled, or need expert advice on your trip to Turkey, there are a few others you can turn to, but get in touch with Marion.
Her wonderer’s feet have taken her to no less than 40 countries and some of these she visited more than once. However, Turkey was something different and found a special place in her heart.
Of the seven continents, she has been on four. She has been in Turkey no less than 31 times, lived in the USA for a year and did some extensive travelling there, stayed in Germany for six weeks, been to Georgia four times, Botswana three times, Russia and Mozambique five times. Some of the other places she has travelled to include Namibia, India, Cyprus, Mongolia, Nepal and Egypt (‘which for me was the worst place to travel to’) and, of course, travelling in South Africa non-stop.
Up for an adventure
‘Every great adventure starts with a spark of an idea and then the scheming begins. For me, travel means exploring, expand your horizons from all levels be it emotionally, physically or intellectually.
And it would seem that nothing scares her off. She’s been on a bus as a woman alone travelling up in Africa, she has tried Mopani worms, flown thousands of miles, stayed in remote villages, experienced an elephant ride, drifted over the most beautiful landscapes in a hot-air balloon, been kicked by a zebra, learnt to speak a few languages and, most of all, made many new friends.
‘I live by the philosophy that a tourist travels for pleasure but a traveller is determined to get a glimpse of life as a local in a foreign place.’
Finding a bargain
You don’t need to be rich to travel. You simply need to find the balance, like take a bus which will give you extra money to stay in a better place or to do some extra site seeing.
‘When I go travelling my tickets are booked and my first night’s accommodation … that is it and from there, things will unfold.’
She can tell you a great deal about discovering gems like hide away boutique hotels and bazaars and markets filled with trinkets that just enrich every travelling experience she has ever had.
‘You are most definitely not obliged to stay in fancy hotels when you travel. Yes, that is a way they make money and a way a tourist may want to experience his travels. But we are not obliged to pay.
‘How else will you experience the richness of local dishes offered by the locals? I find it almost impossible to decline any offering when I smell the different kinds of food prepared by so many different cultures.
‘Travel sure is the antidote to even the smallest hiccup in life.’
Friend of the embassy
Having travelled to Turkey so many times, she has become a friend of the Turkish Embassy and assisted with various cultural events and general promotion of Turkey.
She also produces an annual magazine called Everything Turkish for the Turkish Embassy in Pretoria, as editor and travel writer.
But how do you land a position like being a friend of the embassy?
She was approached by a reporter to interview her for an article about a lone female travelling through a Muslim country all by herself.
‘After all that, and after giving him all he needed, I was told he was not going to do the story after all and in a by the way manner made the remark that I should maybe contact the embassy.
‘I was not only upset about him not going to share my story, but also wondered how he expected little me to get in touch with the ambassador. Who do I phone, what do I say?
‘To cut a long story short, I finally gathered the courage, did as I was told (LOL) and it all worked out in the end where I met the ambassador, gave a travel talk presentation and here I am, a friend to the embassy and other embassies. The unofficial diplomat in blue jeans.’
On the home front
Marion is a single mom of four boys. Twins aged 13 and the older two are 17 and 21.
‘They call me the military mom. They can all cook, do shopping, know when it is time for work and play. I don’t allow a TV in the house. We are about sport and being outdoors. My sons are all runners and rugby players.’However, there is always time for road trips, day trips and we share many a special moment. December, when it is school holidays, it means family travel time and we explore.’You can’t live in Johannesburg not knowing what the city offers. There are City Walk Tours, the Ponti Race, tours through the inner streets of Joburg and underground banking tours. What’s not to love about Joburg? And what is not to be found in our beautiful country?
‘And when duty calls I have a wonderful support system to help with the boys.’
About this and that
One would wonder where she finds time being a mom, traveller and assisting embassies. But somehow she also manages to be the chairlady of the Twins Association and runs its magazine, gives seminars about twin pregnancies and does charity work.
Her main source of income is a recruitment company that she’s owned for over 17 years with her focus on women. ‘I only assist women in finding jobs and also give them classes to assist them in their way forward.’
And for this reason she also started a Women’s Only Shopping Tour to Istanbul.
‘Here they can shop to their hearts delight and I know all the nooks and crannies and they can come back and set up their own shops, turning their own profit, building their own lives.
‘It is all about empowering women. I am a firm believer that women should be in charge of their lives and not beg for things like maintenance.’
Follow her Instagram:
Girlinbluejeanz and take a look at her blog girlinbluejeans.com
Text: CARINA VAN DER WALT. Photo: ELZAAN PIENAAR. Location: HOUGHTON HOTEL
