Cutervo is far from the tourist route. According to the townspeople, a hardy Hungarian adventurer in the 1960s was the only foreign visitor before the author and his wife wandered in. Remote as Cutervo is, modern conveniences such as potable water and electricity have arrived. Ice cold water is piped down the mountain and into most homes by a municipal water system. The water's temperture stays ice cold when coming out the tap because few can afford gas water heaters.
Electricity is more a nightly treat than a convenience.
Becuase bringing kerosene to remote Cutervo is expensive, the municipal generator is only turned on from 6-10 pm. For the wealthier families this means a few hours of television from the one Chiclayo station that is received via a mountaintop repeater. To the poor majority, electricity is a bare light bulb or two hung from the kitchen ceiling. Closer to the outskirts of town, the cobblestones give way to dirt or mud streets, depending on the season. Unlike many towns in Peru, Cutervo was neither an ancient Inca city, nor a Spanish colonial center.