Graduation Stage in Otavalo School Lab

Bright tropical light floods the high ceiling of a school laboratory in Otavalo, illuminating a simple wooden graduation stage at the far end. Rows of empty folding chairs stretch across the concrete floor, their metal legs casting sharp, parallel shadows. Through the open windows, low-hanging clouds obscure the distant Andes peaks, filtering the midday sun into a soft, diffused glow. The room holds the quiet energy of a ceremony about to begin. Glassware and scientific apparatus line the back walls, untouched and gleaming under the cool season air. A red velvet ribbon rests loosely on the stage floor, its frayed edge catching the light against the gray concrete.