I made several visits to a shrine near the Barkhor and became firm friends with one of the monks. We sat in the corner with the other monks while he plied me persistently with yak butter tea. All the while worshippers shuffled past and occasionally he would slip away to attend to them. They met my eye with a smile and a nod, then solemnly went on with their devotions. I sat there alone in the shadows, silently musing on the spectacle before me.