Tying the knot after cruising the Citarik on a raft

Tying the knot after cruising the Citarik on a raft

Text and photos by Mulkan Salmona

SUKABUMI, West Java (JP): Rafters Lody Karua and Amalia Yunita
celebrated their wedding in a different way -- cruising along the
Citarik River in Sukabumi on a rafting boat.

They tied the knot last Sunday on a yellow rubber boat, which
bobbed on the densely green banks of the Citarik River in
Cikidang village.

Lody, 39, in a light brown suit sat in the boat, holding onto
two oars. The bride, Amalia, 29, wearing a white bridal gown and
a multicolored tiara on her head, sat up in front.

The boat, decked in flowers and ribbons, moved slowly to the
ceremonial place, about 50 meters away. The audience at Cikidang,
who had been waiting since the morning, applauded and whistled at
the approaching couple.

Lody only had to row a few times to bring the wedding boat to
the place of ceremony. There, they were met by screaming visitors
who were mostly young outdoor enthusiasts, such as mountain
climbers, rafters, cave explorers and hang gliding enthusiasts.

The couple were aided ashore by several committee members of
the wedding. When they stepped on land, they rearranged their
wedding attire, which got crumpled on the trip. They then stepped
slowly through the festive wedding gate covered with jasmine
flowers, accompanied by 10 oar-wielding escorts, handsome marines
in yellow attire. The couple proceeded to the place of ceremony,
at an approximate distance of 10 meters.

When they were on the same level of the escorts, the marines
positioned their oars with a neat and swift motion as a shield
above the wedding couple. When the couple passed the escort line,
the marines fell in behind to accompany them to the place of
ceremony.

There the couple stood facing each other, encircled by the
escorts, who kept their oars over the couple's heads. They were
presented with a traditional oar, ornately carved, by a member of
the escorting line. Tightly holding onto this traditional paddle,
they exchanged their wedding vows. The groom presented the bride
with a bouquet after the ceremony, after which he held and kissed
her. The act carried the approval of the guests, who expressed it
with a choir of shrieks and howls.

"Let it last, Lody," said a friend of the couple in a teasing
tone.

After the ceremony, known as Dayung Pora, the couple stepped
onto a podium to welcome congratulations from the guests. This
was followed with a regale specially prepared for the occasion.

At around 1 p.m., guests who would join in a rafting spree
were urged to change their clothes for more suitable attire. It
did not take long before the first boats floated down the Citarik
stream and assembled with other dinghies at the edge of the
rapids.

The newly wedded couple were accompanied right to the end by
their marine friends, who floated and negotiated the wild rapids
with them as they usually did together. They passed all of them
without any difficulty. From the beginning of the rapids, through
the Jumping Jack Flash, long rapids, the pyramid and right
through the last rapids, they sailed through easily until the
finish at Cikadu village, also in Sukabumi.

Rafting guests, however, experienced many pitfalls. Some
keeled over, others were thrown out from their rubber boats. But
they all had a good time. They did not complain, despite the
rocky tumbles in the river. Most of the participants arriving at
the finish, around 5 p.m., climbed straight ashore and proceeded
to the Queen restaurant by the only means of transportation in
the village. Together with a festive gathering, a press
conference was held at the restaurant.

Lody Karua and Amalia Yunita met several years ago on the Alas
river in Aceh, where they were on a rafting expedition with
friends. Their courtship with the rapids of the Alas stream
brought them together in love as well.

And now, surrounded by nature's green environment, accompanied
by the gushing sound of the Citarik River, and witnessed by
thousands of nature lovers, they pledged to be united forever,
for better and for worse.