Two Lancas

Another wheeled-inspired post, after last week's "Two Wheels". This is also inspired by my post titled "Oke" over at my Japan-centric blog.

Lanca is malay word rickshaws. The pulled by human type. The cyle-type ones are called "beca" in Malaysia "Lanca" is the predecessor of "beca" if I'm not wrong. Right? And I guess Thailand's tuk-tuk came after rickshaw. No?

Nowadays, this mode of transport is catered for tourists nowadays. But in the East Coast of Malaysia, it is still used by the locals - mostly older folks transporting goods to/fro market.
A very pink rickshaw plying the Pasar Payang route in Kuala Terengganu. Similar-decked rickshaws can be found at popular tourists spots in Malacca and Penang.

The Pasar Payang rickshaws that are used by local folks ferry passengers from the Pasar Payang market to the bus station nearby. Those that cater for local market are usually not decorated like that pink one above.

Anyways, I have not been riding one for ages. I think the last time I took a "beca" ride was with my late grandmother in Kuantan when I was 10. The ride cost us less than RM1.00 and my late grandmother grumbled about it being too expensive!
And this, a "lanca" or in Japanese "jinriksha" which means human powered vehicle found in Asakusa. Found a pedicab type "rickshaw" in Yokohama. ^^ Cost a fortune (well, for me anyway) to ride one.

Have you watched the movie Penarik Beca? That's an award winning film by the late Tan Sri P Ramlee, and was the first movie that he directed.

Comments

  1. so this is considered your "tales of two cities" every friday?? hmmm, i thot you are going to compare the escalators??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Escalators coming up soon. I want to take a better escalator photo first! ;)

      Delete
  2. wow!! i learn a new vocab again today!! lanca?? i really have not heard of this before, i always used to call it beca!! hahaha~~ or maybe i've never seen one before, so beca is always the cycle-type rickshaw that i have always been referring to..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We use beca lah now. Lanca is the old-old-old type. ;)

      Delete
  3. err, i think they have already gone extinct in KL already, still there maybe 30 years ago but not now.. the nearest maybe only found in Malacca..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Last time, still can find some in Klang; when I was in primary school. No more already lah.

      Beca now is primarily used for tourists, right?

      Anyway, I don't think KL motorists would be willing to share traffic space with slow moving beca!

      Delete
  4. i guess that jinriksha 人力車 is most probably the only one in japan for touristy purposes, right?? cos they have so many bullet trains, who would want to go to work with this?? :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. so this post today, no winner and no loser, hahahaha!! both city are the same lah.. unless you are comparing KTM with bullet train, then sure got a gap as huge as 9 levels of heavens!! wakakakakaka~~

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cannot always bash my own country! hihi

      I should totally make a post to compare KTM Komuter and say... the Yamanote line someday.

      Delete
  6. Ah, long time never heard about this word, lanca (人车, rén chē).

    ReplyDelete
  7. We used to call it lanca (hokkien), until one of my tuition teachers started mocking about this word.... he turned it into a vulgar word - l**c***

    ReplyDelete
  8. When wanna pronounce it, cannot get tongue twisted otherwise the vulgar word will turn up :p

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Totally! Don't add a "P"in it, otherwise Mom would cili your mouth! xD

      Delete
  9. Are the lanca guys just as sexy as the rikisha guys?

    I like the pink one. I want a pink rikisha, with Rilakkuma decorations. :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unfortunately no. Old/middle age guys ply this trade.

      Delete
    2. I agree, no sexy macho guys. Just skinny old uncles - sometimes make me wonder how do they manage to pull the lanca with heavy passengers.

      Delete
  10. There will come a time when the kids of the future generation will not even know what a rickshaw is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. and we have to take them to museums to let them see those rickshaws. ;)

      Delete
  11. Becas are a great way to get around in small towns. That pink one sure looks like it's well-maintained.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some beca decorations are way too garish for my taste! @.@

      Delete
  12. We call your beca 'becak' (/bay-chuck/)

    Ours are not only for tourists though. We use them for transporting people ;))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You know "becak" is what people in my hometown would say about a muddy place. ;)

      Delete
    2. So "becak" is still very much an important mode of transport at your place? :)

      Delete
    3. that would be 'becek'! ahaha pronounced /bay-check/ :p in my country

      well... becak is not everywhere either here in town. They would be banned from entering big busy roads. But it's not that hard to locate them around

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular Posts