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a gray one w. white throat similar to mocking bird. Relaxed beside lake, birding, until 3:30. Then started home. Spectacular ride down slope. We were about 1-2 km from Argentine border, and not far from the Christ of the Andes statue, which stands at ~ 4000 m & would be a long climb. 

As we rode I fell asleep until Tom got out to take photo. Later, in valley, he also stopped to photog. cactus w. red flowers. At that stop were 00s of birds flocking near sunset & I couldn't identify any except red-br meadow larks on ground. We sailed past a cultivated field full of lapwings (or stilts) before I stopped us. A lovely, lovely Sunday in Chile.

For dinner, the guide suggested Chez Henry. We called & found they took only Diner's Club. So followed Birnbaum's guide to Chateau Bleu in an old mansion in Bella Vista. No longer, Chateau Bleu, it was an old mansion with huge signs displayed all over front advertising Langoustos, Morinos, etc. We went in anyway just behind 4 casually dressed American (I think) men. We had a taxi man who was honking at cars all along the way to celebrate a great victory of Chile over Uruguay in soccer - 2 to 0. He charged us too much but struck a deal to pick us up in 1 1/2 hour (9:30). At one point he needed to back up & couldn't get into reverse, so got out & did something under front wheel & then went into reverse.

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We sat in far room in pleasant dining area served by an ancient waiter who found it hard to understand our Spanish or English. He gave us an English version of the menu which proved to be a translation of Spanish food in general.

We ordered toamato & asparagus soup & they were superb -- hot, rich, tasty & w. big croutons & sliver of asparagus. Tom ordered roast chicken & it was excellent -- we both had mixed vegetables which proved to be plates of beets, beans, carrots, potatoes. I ordered congrio meniere & should have stuck with it, but noticed on English list - congrio with onions, mushrooms, & bacon - he assumed we be had it & brought me congrio w something indescribable - sea creatures: some flat & shaped like: [[image - sketch of four sea creatures]]

Incidentally, Richard Radtke visited the fish market at P.A. & found that a congrio is an immense conger eel. Looks like fish when filleted & serves... v. good too. But the wine was the real trouble. We ordered Undragga Rhin & the waiter raved about it & served it to both of us without allowing a tasting. I decided it was spoiled, vinegary. Tom thought it was perhaps too old 1980 but not spoiled. Eventually, however, he decided it was spoiled -- we couldn't drink it anyway. Called waiter & asked to see wine list again because I thought wine was spoiled. Waiter grabbed bottle out of cooler forthwith & brought lits. We wound up w half a bottle of v. good 120.

All this time nobody else came in so we