La Gamba
La Gamba is a small town in the southwest of the Central American state of Costa Rica on the edge of the Esquinas rainforest or the rainforest of the Austrians .
Around 70 families (approx. 500 people) live here, living in single-storey houses with two to three rooms each. In addition to drinking water and electricity, the infrastructure of the place offers, among other things, two pulperias ( grocery stores ), a public telephone, a school and two churches.
The main source of income for the resident population (colloquially Ticos or Ticas) is arable farming and animal husbandry , which are operated primarily to cover their own needs. There are also professions such as tailors, carpenters, builders, mechanics, taxi operators and more. Fixed jobs are rather rare due to the uncertain economic situation and casual work is therefore predominant. One of the few exceptions in this context is the Rainforest of the Austrians project founded by Michael Schnitzler in 1991 and the La Gamba tropical station on the outskirts of the village. In addition to the permanent jobs created, this project has a lasting effect on nature and species protection and creates awareness among the local population in dealing with their living space.
Coordinates: 8 ° 42 ′ N , 83 ° 11 ′ W