How To Get Lost and Found In Cambodian Temples

Problem
"People get lost all the time in temples," the guides told us in Cambodia, several different guides, several times.

Answers
Before we drove off to Ankor Wat, our tuk-tuk driver showed us his name on the side of his tuk-tuk. He asked us two write it down. We photographed his name, his face, his tuk-tuk.

He asked if we had a local phone. "No, because we have roaming on our phones."

He gave us his number. We tested by trying to ring each other. No result.

After some delay he worked out the code for Cambodia. We needed the country code for our Singaporean or British mobile phones.

The advantage of a local phone is that a local person could afford to phone us. He or she would not have to wonder which foreign country's dialling code was needed.

He told us that any tuk-tuk driver would make a local call to another tuk-tuk driver to tell him where his lost passengers (foreign tourists ) were waiting.

I had taken the hotel's address cards and advertising leaflet so that if all else failed I could get back to the hotel. Naturally I needed local money in case I ever get lost and needed to take a tuk-tuk back.

Lost Tuk-Tuk In Ankor Wat
Ankor Wat (wat is temple) where many people start is a relatively straight forward route. You go into the area across a long bridge. You walk to the centre.

In the centre there's a tower to climb. If you don't all want to climb, the non-climbers wait at the base.

Afterwards you could walk around the outside looking at murals not he outside walls. If you keep to gather, that's all on the flat, no problem. Then you walk around and retrace your steps across the bridge.

Lost Tuk-Tuk
You do need to know whether your tok-tuk is waiting in the car park on the right or left or down the road ahead.When we returned the area had grown crowded. The landmarks had changed, more shops and kiosks selling clothes and food. More car parks had been opened. We phoned our tuk-tuk driver. He asked, "Where are you?"

We hadn't a clue. We were near the north, east, west or south gate, in one of three roads through fields converging on the bridge, near one of a dozen restaurants with names in Cambodian letters.

We called another tuk-tuk driver to explain to ours where we were. "We are near a French restaurant," we said.

Next day was more of a challenge. I was seriously lost.

Lost in Bayon in the centre of the Ankor Thom complex
The word Thom means big. Here is the wonderful complex with the heads overhead, half smiling down on you, like sphinxes.

Take a few photos. Walk through the first entrance. Then you come to a seriously steep staircase. Somewhere between twenty and fifty steps up. Very steep. Hard to hold onto the balustrade which is burning hot.

I was starting to feel panic-stricken. The previous day I had fallen in the street over the edge of the road which had a steep curve. At the top I need a rest. I step into a shady spot. My travelling companion says he will go on. I shout, "Come back here shortly!"

After half an hour, he has not returned. The whole place is a one way system. Lots of photo opportunities on a level (no level but many rounded stones and short flights of three steps through arches). However, at the far side, there's another steep staircase. You can't walk down forwards. You need to cling on and go down sideways or backwards. I don't know how many more of these staircases are ahead. I am going back.

Returning to the original staircase, I find it is one way. A sign says no entry and the staircase is filled with people coming up.

More later!