Native Tourist, The: A Holiday Pilgrimage in Myanmar

by Ma Thanegi

This is the delightful story of an eighteen-day local bus pilgrimage to sixty pagodas across Myanmar. As the author settles into her bus seat, the aisle blocked with luggage, she trains our eyes on the collection of characters that, like it or not, will be her travelling companions for the whirlwind tour. This native tourist amuses us with her adventures of eating at roadside cafes, climbing up pagodas, bathing in rivers, shopping at markets, and sleeping on the temple floors. Along the journey, she encounters deeply rooted cultural values and develops camaraderie with strangers that become like family for the duration of her travels.

Ma Thanegi is a painter, writer, and journalist who was born and educated in Myanmar. Her paintings have been featured in numerous exhibitions since 1967. She is a contributing editor of the Myanmar Times, and editor of Enchanting Myanmar, a travel magazine. She was detained for three years in Insein prison for her involvement in the 1988 uprising as a personal assistant to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. Ma Thanegi lives in Yangon.