Gustato spiritu, desipit omnis caro.
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
































Kira Salak in Burma


Scenes from Northern Burma-- These are rare northern Burma, a part of the world usually closed off to foreigners by the oppressive military junta. I was able to go there because of my special National Geographic connections, but I had a government watcher with me at all times. In this area of the country, massacres, slavery, and forced relocation of hill tribe populations are commonplace.

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Kayaking the Upper Irrawaddy River-- I was the first person to kayak the Upper Irrawaddy River of Burma. The daily temperatures were nearly 120F (see photo of my thermometer). I have never kayaked in greater heat--not even when I kayaked through the Sahara to Timbuktu.

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Raw Sewage in the Irrawaddy River-- I had to kayak through miles of raw sewage. There are no waste water treatment plants in Burma, so all human excrement ended up in the river.

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Gold-Panning along the Upper Irrawaddy River-- People dynamited the sides of the river, then used mercury to collect the gold dust. Not suprisingly, scientists have discovered dangerously high levels of mercury in Irrawaddy wildlife.

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Golden Island-- According to historical texts, it was here where the Buddha predicted that an island would rise from the waters of the Irrawaddy River. When it did, the local people followed the Buddha's instructions and built 777 stupas (holy edifices) to consecrate the island. One of Burma's holiest sites is the Buddhist temple on Golden Island; it contains three golden statues that allegedly contain the blood of the Buddha himself.

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Sacred Statues-- Inside this cage on Golden Island are the three gold statues believed to contain blood from the historical Buddha. Below is the monk charged with guarding the statues.

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Scenes along the Irrawaddy River

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Katha Village-- This is the house where British writer George Orwell lived as a colonial officer.

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Irrawaddy River Dolphins-- A small section of the Irrawaddy River still contains the rare and highly endangered Irrawaddy River dolphin. For generations, local fishermen have engaged in cooperative fishing with the dolphins. The men call to the animals with a stick and wait as the dolphins round up fish and drive them toward their nets.

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Giant Catfish-- Local fishermen caught one of the Irrawaddy's giant catfish, which measured an incredible six feet long. I bought it for $50 and set it free.

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Shinupagoda-- The Saint of the Irrawaddy, Shinupagoda is worshipped along the entire river. The locals construct rafts in his honor.

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Antiquities and Mammoth Bones Found along the Irrawaddy River

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Moulmeingyun-- The town along the Irrawaddy River where I was put under house arrest by local authorities. Luckily, I was released and allowed to complete my journey to the end of the river.

Photos of Burma


Eya Village-- The last village on the Irrawaddy River. The people in this village had never seen a white person before.

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Scenes of Mandalay Town

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Gold Leaf-- Men pounded gold for hours, the gold leaf being applied to Mandalay's most sacred Buddhist statues.

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Scenes of Ancient Bagan

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Nat Pwe-- Homosexuals and transvestites in Burma often become successful "nat pwe" performers, traveling the country in minstrel groups. They learn intricate dances and teach locals about spirits known as "nats." The performers believe that the spirits literally possess them as they dance.

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Nat Worship-- Many Burmese people worship a pantheon of spirits known as "nats." This nat worship is an ancient form of animism that exists in tandem with Burmese Buddhism. Below is a picture of Mt. Popa, the "Mt. Olympus" of nat worship.

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Buddhist Shinbyu-- All Burmese boys must go through the "shinbyu," a Buddhist initiation rite similar to the Christian confirmation or the Jewish bar mitzva. Boys are shaved and given monk robes, and they spend a week at the local monastery to learn about Buddhism.

Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma
Photos of Burma


Kira Salak's "The White Mary"

THE WHITE MARY
by Kira Salak

"A gripping debut novel."
Publishers Weekly Pick-of-the-Week


"There aren't many books that we hand to friends, urging,
'You have to read this.' The White Mary is one of them."
Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Riveting."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"With The White Mary, journalist Kira Salak makes a stunning
debut as a novelist. This is a story whose beauty and power
sweeps you along, like the jungle rivers that bear her heroine
into the heart of New Guinea in search of a vanished American."

--Philip Caputo