The life of the Dalai Lama stands testament to the strange ways of the world. The events leading to the present tell a fascinating tale - one that would have been difficult to believe had it not been so well documented. The journey from being a toddling Llamo Thondup to becoming His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso has indeed been a long and eventful one. Originally hailing from an impoverished but remarkable family with several siblings, he has risen to becoming the most recognizable face of Buddhist Tibet.