Yunnan to Guangxi

We have left Yunnan and arrived in Baise, Guangxi.  We did so with some trepidation.  While we enjoyed our travels in Yunnan very much, we were uncertain about Guangxi because of our previous experience in 1994:

1.  I stopped eating meat, as I witnessed too much consumption of non-domestic animals and inhumane treatment of animals in general.  I have since become an ovo-lacto vegetarian.
2.  I vowed to not return to China for the next 10 years.  On a daily basis we experienced unpleasant encounters where people either took advantage of us or scammed us or tried to, in their unrelenting pursuit of financial gains.  I did break my vow and returned 5 years later.

2008:If our bus ride into Baise is any indication, things have not changed on either accounts.  The bus carried 8 dogs wrapped like flower pots in the luggage compartment, despite of our protest.  After 5 hours, the dogs were finally unloaded - on their way to be someone's dinner.  

The driver decided he can now get on the expressway, but not until he collected 5 RMB each from the passengers.  Most of the bus goes along, but we made a call to the station.  The office verified that our tickets were supposed to have taken us on the expressway 40km ago.  Money was returned.  The driver was persuaded into taking the expressway.

Our bus.