Paraguay to Argentina border crossing- horrible!

   I wouldn't recommend crossing the border from Asuncion (Paraguay) to Colinda (Argentina) if you are considering another option. It is the 9th land border crossing I have made in South America this year, and it, by far, is the worse one.
   The Paraguay exit people are right beside the Argentine entry people, so this seems convenient, but while you are waiting for your stamps other people grab your luggage from the bus. They then direct you to come with them so your luggage can be put through an x-Ray machine, from which they grab your luggage and have you follow them past everyone else where they give you your lugguge and demand a tip. I looked confused, so advise was offered "One hundred dollars". I laughed. And handed over 2 pesos (about 50c), which I figure is plenty in this economy. The guy said it wasn't enough and gave it back, I told him that as it wasn't a service I had wanted he wasn't getting anything more. My travel companion opened her wallet and had 50 and 2 pesos and the guy said she should give him the 50, we both laughed. She gave him the 2, and he turned to me again and I pulled the 2 back out of my pocket and relunctantly gave it back to him.
   I hate tipping no matter where I am and I particularly hate it in these situations where the only guidance is from a person trying to take advantage of the situation. I also believe that tipping leads to corruption as there gets to be a fine line between tips and bribes. So I hate it.
   Given a choice I would have preferred to have gotten my own lugguge off the bus and carried it through every point myself. I have managed to get it this far, and I like to be in control of it.
   The other horrible part of that border is that you lose posession of your passport. The Argentine immigration doesn't give it back to you and you get to return to your bus without your passport and wait for the bus host(?) to give it back to you. Scary!