Borobudur is the world’s largest Buddhist temple. It was built in the fifteenth century in central Java, Indonesia.
The structure consists of nine platforms with a big dome on top. The lower six platforms are square. The top three platforms are circular and ringed with stone statues of the Buddha, each seated inside a small domed chamber called a stupa.
Borobudur is Indonesia’s most visited tourist attraction. Millions of people climb the temple each year to marvel at its three thousand relief sculptures, its seventy-two stupas, and the panoramic view of forests and volcanoes.
One of the stupas isn’t really stone. Look for the dome that’s darker than all the others. If you take a closer look, you’ll see that it’s really an industrial-strength balloon filled with helium. Ropes tether it to the center of a shallow pit.
Push the balloon aside and hop into the bucket below. Your weight will pull the balloon down and you’ll sink into a vast cavern…inside a volcano!
You’ll drift down past razor-sharp stones and blazing-hot columns of steam. Keep your arms and legs inside the bucket at all times—if you lose your balance, you’ll tumble into a river of hot lava.