Borobudur rises out of the Kedu Plain in central Java like a mountain that someone has carved into a book. Built in the ninth century under the Sailendra dynasty, it is the largest Buddhist monument in the world, a stepped pyramid of volcanic stone that stands about thirty metres high, with nine platforms, six square and three round, crowned by a central stupa. Walking up the galleries, you pass nearly three thousand relief panels telling the story of the Buddha's lives and the path to enlightenment, and as you reach the upper terraces, seventy-two perforated stupas hold seated Buddha figures looking out across the fields toward the volcanoes.
For several centuries the monument was abandoned, and it was eventually covered by ash, vegetation and soil, partly hidden from the world until it was brought back to attention in the early nineteenth century during the British interregnum under Thomas Stamford Raffles. A major restoration with UNESCO support in the 1970s took the whole structure apart and rebuilt it with new drainage. The volcano Merapi, which looms to the north-east, covered the area in ash in the eruption of 2010, and locals still live with the mountain as a neighbour.
Riding here is a very different business from the mountain roads in other parts of Java. The roads between Yogyakarta and Magelang are busy with scooters, trucks and buses, and the pace is stop-and-go with constant little overtaking manoeuvres. The tarmac is mostly good, but you need to ride defensively, expect the unexpected and give way to everything larger than you. Go early, as the heat builds quickly, and the afternoon sun is hard on the stone, which is why the temple opens at dawn. Mertoyudan and Muntilan, the two nearby towns, offer fuel, food stalls and a wide range of simple hotels, so there is no shortage of services.
Visitor numbers to the upper levels are limited, with timed tickets and special footwear provided, so check the current rules online before arriving. Sunrise views from a nearby hill are famous, and on a misty morning the temple appears to float on a sea of cloud, a sight that makes the early alarm entirely worthwhile.
Eat gudeg, a sweet jackfruit stew from Yogyakarta, or the fried chicken and sambal sold by roadside vendors, and drink sweet iced tea. A Javanese afternoon can be slow, and the best response is to match it.