Link wanted to look for the Spirit Temple in the desert, so he could confront Nabooru. The entrance to the Haunted Wasteland was barred by a large gate, so Link climbed up to the watchtower and asked to be let in. The guard on duty told him that he would have to face two trials: the River of Sand and the Phantom Guide. She warned him that he could not walk across the river of sand, and that he should follow the flags they had placed there after crossing. She also said that those without eyes that could see would find themselves returning to the entrance.

With a clap of her hands, the gate raised, and Link struck boldly out into the desert. After walking a short distance, a sandstorm kicked up, and it was all Link could do to keep from losing his sense of direction. He couldn't even stop to rest, for fear of being buried by the roaring sand. Reaching what looked like a ravine with flowing sand, Link realized that this was the first trial. Putting on the Hover Boots, Link crossed the River of Sand without ever touching the dangerous, surging flow.

After he crossed the enchanted river, the sandstorm grew worse. Link had to squint to see the Gerudo's flags, and walked in a straight line from flag to flag. At last he reached a pedestal of stone, and stopped for a rest. He read the plaque on the roof:

One with the eye of truth shall be guided to the Spirit Temple by an inviting ghost.

Link thought he could hear a Poe floating nearby, and wondered if the Phantom Guide was close by. He looked into the Lens of Truth, and a poe popped into view. The poe beckoned for Link to follow, and spoke these words:

I'll be your guide on your way,
but coming back, I won't play!
I'll show you the only way to go,
so follow me and don't be slow!

Link chased after the ghost, trying not to lose sight of it. Leevers popped out of the sand, trying to distract Link's attention. Link dodged the monsters, fighting to keep the Poe within sight of the Lens of Truth. After a long journey, Link finally arrived at the Desert Colossus, a giant sculpture of a goddess cut straight out of the side of a cliff.

Link saw an entrance below the goddess sculpture, and went inside the Spirit Temple. Once inside, however, he was stuck. He saw a passageway, but he was too big to crawl through it. He saw a huge block obstructing another hallway, but the block was too big and heavy to move. Link saw two sculptures of cobras, with something written on them. The inscriptions read,

If you want to proceed to the past, you should return here with the pure heart of a child.