Which was do temples face? In Cambodia mostly towards the East. (Actually large numbers of religious buildings, ranging from standing stones such as Stonehenge in the UK to church, mosques, synagogues and Buddhist and Hindu temples (and many graves and burial places, as well as monuments and houses and public buildings from the days before electric light and gas light) will be designed to face East. That means they get the sun on certain features such as holy statues. Does it go back to sun worship, or simply the practicality of having the sunlight so you can see?
Another thing we discovered about hot countries, you want to rise at 5 am in order to walk or work in the cool, but rest or stay still in the heat of noon and afternoon. At this time water has heated up and even wooden balustrades in sunlight are too hot to touch.
If your tuk-tuk driver wants to drop you off at the west and collect you at the east, or vice versa, your instinct is to say, no, meet me back here at this spot so I can find you. (He argues and this goes round and round until one of you gives in.) He has a good reason for his decision.
The temple may take an hour to walk through to see everything. If you walked to the middle and back in an hour you would have missed all the carvings and statues and views on the other side.
The arrows all point in one direction. In order to find the exit you have to follow the arrows.
Some of the staircases are one way and at busy times you will be going against the flow.
It is easier to follow the arrows because you know you will eventually get out.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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