All right, I'll rewrite that paragraph in present tense.
A moment passes and I realise that I had spoken the words aloud. I hadn’t said a word since leaving the temple, so my own voice sounds strange to my ears. The absurdity of that mingles with the absurdity of my situation, a smile spreading across my face, followed by a gush of laughter. Fighting to regain my composure, I realise that there is a steady stream of tears running down my temples and into my hair. The realisation causes my laughter to burst forth again.
That is present tense. The guy is experiencing everything (except the past) right now. See what I mean?
All right, I'll rewrite that paragraph in present tense.
A moment passes and I realise that I had spoken the words aloud. I hadn’t said a word since leaving the temple, so my own voice sounds strange to my ears. The absurdity of that mingles with the absurdity of my situation, a smile spreading across my face, followed by a gush of laughter. Fighting to regain my composure, I realise that there is a steady stream of tears running down my temples and into my hair. The realisation causes my laughter to burst forth again.
That is present tense. The guy is experiencing everything (except the past) right now. See what I mean?