La Gamba

La Gamba is a small village located 30 km away from Golfito, which is part of the Puntarenas state of Costa Rica. The small village’s inhabitants are living simply and prosperously off agriculture and jobs offered in cities such as Golfito and Rio Claro.

This village was developed in conjunction with different projects that were started and ended during the last 50 years in La Gamba; including the arrival of the United Fruit Company in the 1950s, the implementation of the Austrian Esquinas Rainforest Lodge. Developmental projects were also started in collaboration with organizations from La Gamba, the Costa Rican government and the Austrians.

The village is located in the Puntarenas Province on the south-west side of the country, a few kilometers away from Panama and is reachable by the Pan-American. From the Villa Briceño (km 37) 3 km separate the Pan-American from the center of the village that is easily reachable. Rio Claro and Golfito are the closest cities and are the centers of services such as banks, supermarkets and drugstores. There is also one of the richest park in fauna and flora, which is named Piedras Blancas. However, the park is little known and serves mainly for biological research.

The weather is tropical; the temperature varies between 21 °C and 39 °C and the region receives roughly 6000 mm of rain in a year. There are two seasons: the winter (May–December) and the summer (January–April). The summer is the dry season while the winter, which stretches on a longer period, is the rainy season, and the greener period of the year and there is plenty of drinking water. This season is characterized by strong thunderstorms, floods and unstable weather.

In the village, there are roughly 700 inhabitants separated into 150 families. Half of these families live around the center of La Gamba, while the other half are spread out along the roads leading to the center of the village, in Rio Bonito and La Bolsa, which are located at about 30 minutes walking distance from the center.

What is remarkable is the unity that reigns in much of the village, due to close family links and friendships. This atmosphere permits close collaboration between the inhabitants in most cases. There is a microcredit organization located in the city, which help support two groups of women that produce handcrafted natural shampoos and local artisans.

For breakfast gallo pinto is commonly served, which is a mix of rice, coriander, chicken broth, onions and black beans. This recipe is frequently served with cheese, eggs, sausages or bread. Some alternatives are pancakes, tortillas and empanadas.

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Wikipedia