The Temple at Sunrise

My guide told me to wake up at four in the morning to see Borobudur at sunrise. I thought that was crazy. Four o'clock! But I did it. The hotel gave me a small box with bread and a banana, and a driver took me in the dark.

At the top of the temple it was cold and quiet. There were maybe thirty people, all waiting. Slowly the sky turned from black to grey to pink. Then the sun came up over the mountains. The stone Buddhas looked gold. Nobody talked.

I've seen many photos of Borobudur, but photos don't show the feeling. The cold air, the silence, the light on the old stones. It was worth waking up at four. I would do it again tomorrow.