We drove into the Mountain Pine area one afternoon, probably not realizing how bumpy the dirt road would be. Heading up, our first goal was the Green Hills Butterfly Farm. It was a worthwhile stop. The lady running it came out and greeted us, giving us a tour. They raise the butterflies to ship to various places. Among the types was the famous Blue Morpho, and then one really cool, see-through butterfly. The part I liked was an education tour of the different stages. We observed mating, egg laying, caterpillar stages, and then the chrysalises. Very educational and beautiful!
Next, the drive started upwards, and we could see the mountain slopes around us. The dirt was the lovely Georgia red, as promised.
We then stopped at Blanceneaux Lodge to hang out until dinner. The premises there were outstanding. The air is so different -- cooler, with a breeze, and very fresh. The pines are small and puny compared the the northwest US, but they're still lovely. At Blanceneaux, there is a nice stream and water fall with a few trails to walk around. It was hard to remember this was still Belize. Very different from the miles of shrubby mangrove areas of the coast, and different from the lush jungles.