Pawon is the small one, and I have a soft spot for it. While Borobudur is huge and Mendut grand, Pawon is a compact stone temple about two kilometres from Borobudur, set in a quiet garden among village houses. It looks like a miniature tower, with a carved doorway, a tiered roof and relief carvings of trees and mythical beings on the outer walls, and inside, the chamber is almost empty. Scholars still debate what it was for, with one idea being that it was a place where pilgrims purified themselves before continuing to the larger temple, and another that it was linked to a royal figure.
Each year at the Buddhist festival of Vesak, monks and pilgrims walk in procession from Mendut through Pawon to Borobudur, a route of a few kilometres that connects the three temples in a single ritual. That walk gives the place a living significance, and if your plans match the full moon of May or thereabouts, you might witness it, though the crowds will be large and roads closed.
The riding here is all about small roads. From Muntilan, a busy market town with petrol, supermarkets and plenty of warungs, you ride east through villages, past brick kilns and stalls selling fruit and snacks, with Merapi on the skyline when the cloud lifts. Do not expect corners, since the Kedu Plain is mostly flat, but the traffic can be chaotic and the potholes are real. Scooters turn without signalling, chickens cross the road, and children wave from the doorways. It is best to ride slowly and keep your eyes peeled.
Because Pawon is so small, a visit takes only ten or fifteen minutes, which makes it a good stop between the larger monuments. There is a small charge at some times of year and opening hours are set, so a little checking beforehand helps. Local guides offer to show you around, and a small tip is appreciated if you accept.
The pleasure of Pawon is that you can still hear birdsong and the swish of a broom in a nearby yard, which is something rare on the tourist trail. The air smells of woodsmoke, frangipani and diesel, in roughly that order.