Thursday, July 14, 2011

¡Bem-Vindo a Portillo!

     Portillo is all about seasons. High season, low season. Gringo season. You name it. During orientation, receptionists are told to expect the following: Brazilians ski during July and North Americans during August. Argentines get scattered throughout the winter, while Chileans pack the house in late September. Although I`m clearly generalizing, these are real trends. And from these "demographic shifts" follow some funny changes in the hotel and on the mountain.

     For example, I fear answering the phone during the Brazilian ski weeks. As mentioned, the hotel is temporalily annexed by Ski Brazil for the month of July and Portuguese reigns king. Obviously it and Spanish are quite similar, but barring totally fluency in the latter, Portuguese is a messy language for gringos. With all those j`s and om`s and ção`s, calls to the front desk from guests speaking Portuguese, or even heavily accented Spanish, can be nerve-wracking experiences for the ill-prepared. However, I`m not the only one who politely nods and smiles... when asked about the forecast. I`ve watched seasoned receptionists, Chileans and Argentines alike, get battered by the Portuguese wave these past few weeks. Our only defense is to sign. Speak slowly and make lots of gestures. Lately I`ve just been pointing at things - room keys, trail maps, lift tickets, all of which I put conveniently in reach. To ease the language barrier, management has organized Portuguese classes for employees who are interested. The result: more Portuguese all the time. Misunderstandings still occur on a daily basis, but we`re learning. Fortunately, the Brazilians that I`ve met in Portillo have been understanding, laid-back, beach types from Sao Paulo and Rio - which brings me to the second my second observation.

     Brazilians, or at least those staying in Portillo, generally stick to the groomers. I`m going to go out on a limb and say that there are zero ski resorts in Brazil, meaning few serious skiers. Like I said, beach types. It`s a known fact that off-piste terrain in Portillo stays fresh for longer than it should. In reality, it`s not only the Brazilians that I should thank for leaving the powder alone; lots of Chileans and Argentines guests keep to Princesa too. But my point is that from June until gringo season, the only ones making the traverses and lapping Roca Jack are the employees, instructors, the ski patrol. It`s incredible. One storm and I expect solid skiing under Plateau for a week. I`ve skied un monton de montanñas and never have I competed less for fresh tracks. That`s Portillo for the moment: lots of Brazilian guests tearing up groomers, content to stay off the va et vients. Working the front desk during July can be frustating, but with the trade-of being more snow longer, well... ¡Tudo bem!

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