On My Road to Mandalay

(Dr Maung Maung Nyo)

(Two Elephants in front of Tham-Buddhey Cedi)

Kipling composed “On the Road to Mandalay”
When the British Empire was in its hey days
It became very popular in the world
British soldiers sang it during the Second World War
When they reentered Burma chasing the Japs Fascists
It was a victory song for the returning British!

(River Cruise)

"Come you back, you British soldier;come you back to Mandalay!"

Come you back to Mandalay,

Where the old Flotilla lay:

Can't you 'ear their paddles chunkin' from Rangoon to Mandalay?

On the road to Mandalay,

Where the flyin'-fishes play,

An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!

My Road to Mandalay is different
It was the beginning of a student
On his way towards a boarding resident
From Monywa to Mandalay sequence
At the age of thirteen years
He began a scholastic career.

(Monywa Countryside)

It was in June 1953
When flowers and fruits festooned the trees
Rain fell often and flies were flying free
They fed on foods fulfilling their own spree
Students were beginning their new session
So was I to begin a premedical stipend.

(Bawdi Tahtaung Monywa)

Five of us left Monywa one early morning
The sun was on the horizon shining

We rode a bus full of passengers plying
Between Monywa and Mandalay locations
Daring the dacoits and dangerous detonations
That was rampart during those days of insurrection.

The road was bumpy and bending
The bus was moving eerily never ending
Dirt and dust covered our heads blending
With sweat drenching our bodies
Flies and fetid smell of foods made us uneasy
It was really a memorable journey.

Vendors flocked to our bus at every stop
They sold boiled eggs on pan and water in pots
Some shouted fried sparrows and snipe sports
They must sell something to earn money of sort
That would feed their family on the spot
Life was so rugged and raw to survive in this lot.

We passed Mon-Yway, Chaung-U and Allakappa
They were famous since the early days of Burma
They were the famous cities of Pyu and early Myanmar
They were the abodes of our forefathers
Mon-Yway was the seat of sages in the Konbaung era
Chaung-U for Faringis and Allakappa was Pyu arena.

When we passed Ye-Po-Sar
People were afraid of robbers
Many road side robberies took place here
They were committed by nearby villagers
This time nothing untoward happened
We were so fortunate then.

We alighted from the bus at Myin-Mu town
We were going to board a steamer down
Then, we would go upstream dreaming
Breathing fresh air and enjoying the riverside scenes
That mighty Irrawaddy River furnished us clean
You can never enjoy that anywhere else akin.

(Sagaing Hills)

We saw silhouette of Sagaing hills
Dotted with white pagodas and gilted Htis
On the back drop of green trees
So scenic and sagacious to see
Good for poor suffering people to flee
They can get peace of mind there free.

(Sagaing Hills)

We slept in Sagaing jetty that night
Unable to steer to Mandalay on hindsight
The steamer’s staff told us of their plight
So we took shower and marched we might
We did a good sight seeing of Sagaing
We thought we did it right and enjoyed.

When the sun had risen in the east
With fresh food and clean water at least
We sailed again from Sagaing upstream
It was exhilarating to see the sun gleaming
Against the white pagodas and sparkling river
Where sea gulls whirled and dolphins dithered
Passengers offered food to fish and birds together
We arrived at Gau-Wein jetty a few hours later.

(Gau-Wein Jetty)

It was a memorable day in my life
I had landed upon Mandalay dyke
A new life had dawned on me
I must fulfill it as it should be
From now on I must strive to become a doctor
I must study hard and stay healthy over
During my student era to upset any error
I did try that and I fulfilled it with ardor
You can now see me as a doctor and professor.

(Maha Bandoola Statue)

Dr Maung Maung Nyo
28.10.2008 (original)