The Dalai Lama Temple, Dharamshala, India

The Dalai Lama Temple in Dharamshala is more functional than fancy, and this is perhaps the best thing about it. It's serving its purpose, with plenty of monks and nuns in training on the site, plenty of visitors coming to make their offerings, turn their wheels and say their prayers... and perhaps most importantly, an appropriate space to give safe harbour to the great Tenzing Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of the Tibetan Buddhists.

I was fortunate a couple of weeks later in my trip, to twice see the Dalai Lama speaking at a large training ground just outside of Lei in Ladakh, the Indian Himalaya. Both times in a sea of thousands, with a host of colourful umbrellas. It was something to see, and the experience felt like a tremendous privilege.