So it was that I arrived at Wat Ram Poeng, tucked at the base of Doi Suthep to the west of Chiang Mai, one rainy day in July. In the small guti assigned to me I showered and changed into the thin white shirt and trousers I had purchased for my stay.

Though the visitor may not realise it, one reason that the experience of visiting a temple stands out is that they are practising mindfulness, the basis of Buddhist meditation. Mindfulness means to be acutely aware of the present moment, a capacity which comes easily when encountering something for the first time.