Bio: Meyers, Cindy (Columbia - 1974)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Meyers, Rodriguez, Ford, Lopez, Michelsen

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 9/12/1974

Meyers, Cindy (Columbia, S.S. – Summer 1974)

Cindy Meyers has returned to her senior year at Greenwood High School. The summer was spent in Bogota, Colombia, with an industrial family. Her visit was sponsored by the Greenwood Lions Club and the national Honor Society, through the International Fellowship.

Lithography was entirely new to her, but Cindy said she thoroughly enjoyed a tour of the lithographic concern owned by her exchange parents, Dr. Antonio Rodriguez and family. Among her treasures she has a variety of colorful candy boxes designed beautiful enough for framing, which were produced there.

The family home was some distance from the business. Fortunately, Cindy was not confronted with a language problem as the family spoke fluent English.

When Mrs. Meyers was surprised at Cindy’s eagerness to get into a tub of hot water, the story was told of limited hot water; that one could not even take a warm shower, to say nothing of the five baths being used in the household.

“There is no central heating,” Cindy said, “so I was cold all the time!”

Cindy spent some of the time on the coast at Cartagena which is a resort town. Here the Rodriguez family had an apartment. She was surprised to see a sort of streetsweeper deal clear the shells from the beach each morning. Her sack of shells proved that she could be an early riser to beat the machine.

Among her many sightseeing jaunts, Cindy enjoyed the Salt Cathedral, the only one of its kind in the world, and the Gold Museum, with its awesome display of Gold contrasting with darkness.

Her enjoyment at the army horse show was a little bit chilled while waiting for repairs for three flat tires on the return trip to Bogota. At that his altitude she said, “We had to jump up and down, to keep warm.”

At a bull fight, which she did enjoy, she pointed out that, “The bulls were mean!”

Among her souvenirs are small models of weapons used by the bullfighters.

Living in an atmosphere of “protection” Cindy was not used to having metal grill work on windows to keep out robbers, or being told not to carry money or wear her watch in public; or having even the dresser drawers locked. The abundance of beggars bothered her. People are either poor or wealthy; there is no in-between.

With her ability to read Spanish too, limited, she was distressed when the local newspaper came out with the news of President Ford taking office on “9 de Agosto.” On August 7th the same paper, El Tiempo, had carried the coverage of President Lopez (Alfonso Lopez Michelsen) taking office in Columbia. Both issues carried numerous articles on the respective presidents. She treasures these papers.

Cindy did not attend school while in Bogota. Her sister, Mabel, was to be attending an American system high school now. Three older sisters were in college. An older sister, now living in the Dominican Republic, was married shortly after Cindy arrived. Her sister, Maria Amelia, was an exchange student in Pennsylvania several years ago.

Even though she couldn’t understand the language she said the church wedding was much the same as here. There was no dancing after the wedding, but there had been many showers and dinners before the wedding.

The general atmosphere of Bogota amazed her, she said. Road signs were limited, and everyone drove all over the place. The main object seems to be not to hit another vehicle. Horses and cows roamed the streets in the city. Sanitation is something else, too, and she never had a glass of water to drink all during her stay. Fruit drinks are used in place of water.

Foods were not too unusual, but “but we ate lots of rice” she said, and added, “the meat was cooked all day.” In the open market flies swarmed on the pieces of meat. “We never drank milk,” she said.

It rained every day during her stay, but there was sunshine between showers.

After all the summer excitement, Cindy is glad to be home with her own family, the Leniel Meyers, on Rt. 1 Greenwood.