contrast

I'm on my way back from gokarna (a chain of beaches in north karnataka). I traveled by bus, both ways. the contrast was quite extreme though:

going: expensive ticket (1500 bucks to goa, another 200 to gokarna)
return: cheap ticket (1250 bucks direct from gokarna)

going: fixed pick-up point
return: major uncertainity over the pick-up point

going: last row window seat that barely even reclined
return: middle row seat, almost-sleeper recliner seat

going: bus took 18 hours for a 12 hour journey
return: 11 hours into the journey, I'm almost at bbay

going: money spent getting to the pick-up point: 19 bucks
return: money spent getting to the pick-up point: 130+700 bucks!

going: cheese sandwiches for dinner, no breakfast - wasn't feeling like eating. spent 24 hours in all, with those sandwiches.
return: a delicious fish thaali for dinner, chicken roll for breakfast.

going: didn't have time to charge the phone, so spent most of the journey with the phone switched off, or with "battery low" - and no plug point in the bus.
return: charged the phone fully before leaving, and the bus has a plug-point at every seat.

ps:

going: sat next to a random shady guy who didn't even get up from his seat for those 18 hours
return: still sitting next to a cute girl...we played nudge-nudge all night :P