Cutra

Nothing too exciting has happened to me recently here in Perú. So I´ll write about an event that I notice is ocurring more often as Nelson and I travel between the house here in San Martín de Porres and Lomas de Carabayllo. It is called "cutra" and is slang for an action similar to what we would call a bribe in the States. The police set themselves up along certain parts of the Pan Americana Highway (and other areas all over the city, but in our case we are frequently stopped on the highway). We always travel home from Lomas in a Combis since it is the most available transportation at that time of night. So there are many combis and taxis pulling up to bus stops along the side of the road and then taking off again during the route and it is not uncommon to be drawn into one of the police traps. I sometimes feel like I can sense everyone in the combis holding their breath as we approach the band of police; we are all waiting to see if our combis will be called out. So on those occaisions when we are called out the police simply blow their whistles and wave their hands to us in a "pull over" motion which the driver acknowledges (or doesn´t and dashes away behind some giant truck placed perfectly between the police and us as we pass) and we come to a stop at the side of the road. Usually a male officer approaches and is sometimes demanding although most of the time he is not. The driver presents his papers, the cop may search the vehicle where the passengers are, on rare occaisions he asks the passengers for their documents (although he only selects certain passengers), and eventually we are allowed to pass. Not, however, before the driver slips the cop a little money (usually the equivalent of $1-$5). I think everybody hates it when this happens because of the inconvenience it causes more than for any other reason. The first few times I witnessed this "cutra" process I felt angry at the police for acting in a way that seemed to do nothing for the people they are suppose to be protecting. Back then I assumed that the other passengers in the van felt the same way. However, I now view the "cutra" as a time wasting event that usually takes place at an inconvinient hour of the night. To put a positive spin on the "cutra", I simply think of it as an effective speed bump placed somewhere in the middle of an oftentimes too speedy van ride home. Perhaps in that way, the police really are protecting us all (they just need a little bonus for doing so)!

On an entirely unrelated note, I just purchased a "surtido" across the street and I´m pretty sure the lady put beets in it. I thought a "surtido" was made only with fruit (a fruit juice) but I know there was beets in that one because you never forget a taste like that of beets!