And the owners of the Bluebottle Guesthouse were correct! I counted the stairs on the way down, rather than on the way up when my focus was getting to the top of this staircase with our suitcases and my heart intact.
That being said, the steps are in sets of 5 with a landing between them where guests can stop to catch their breath if they are not that fit or their luggage is heavy. The only parking for guests is in the street at the bottom of the stairs and the area has CCTV cameras and a foot patrol to keep unattended cars safe.
There is parking on Boyes Drive and the walk to the guesthouse is much shorter, but there is no security and leaving a vehicle there overnight is not recommended.
These 13 steps took us, finally, to the gate that led to the BlueBottle Guesthouse.
None of the other steps have mosaics on them, so, in a way, this is a ‘reward’ for making it to the top.
I have stood at the summit of Kilimanjaro on two separate occasions and looked out over Africa. This summit attempt had me looking out over Muizenberg while gathering my strength for the final walk to the front door. (Which was only a few steps away)
The main door of the Bluebottle Guesthouse… a welcome sight indeed.
Especially after 131 steps.
This Ivy Gardenia brought colour into a very green garden.
The main reception area doubled as a breakfast room. That being said, aside from breakfast, which was included in our cost, they do serve dinner if requested.
We decided that as we had enjoyed a large lunch, dinner at the price the guesthouse charged was not worth the cost.
However, their breakfast was delicious and included all that guests would expect from breakfast at an establishment of this nature.
The verandah ran the length of the building and led to our room (without a sea view) at the end of it.
We also had to walk past two occupied rooms to get to ours, which could be embarrassing for those unaware and perhaps in the act of getting dressed/ undressed with their curtains open.
A selfie in the shower…
I did not take the image for that reason, I snapped it because I found the mosaic in the shower quirky.
There is an interesting window covering in the bathroom. Guests in this room need not worry about privacy issues as the accommodation is tucked away at the end of the verandah.
According to their website, this is the Lucerne Blue room, although I was hard-pressed to recognize it from the images on their site.
The room was comfortable and aside from not having a TV or a sea view, it does offer those staying here the usual comforts in this price range. A tea and coffee station, a comfortable bed and a two-seater couch to relax on. (
And that looked into a hedge as the room offered neither a sea nor a mountain view.
This, despite them saying via their official website, that all the rooms offer sea views.
A pity as it meant having to get dressed if we wanted to experience those views from the verandah outside the dining room/ reception area.
A daytime view of part of Muizenberg.
This suburb seems to undergoing a makeover with many of the buildings being spruced up and the graffiti under the bridge being (unfortunately) painted over.
During the afternoon of our stay, the clouds roiled through the mountains like the Zulu Impi descending onto the battlefield at Isandlwana.
A metal sculpture of an African Hoopoe was ‘looking after’ this bowl of succulents.
Life is a…
A view of the mountain that looms large over Boyes Drive.
This was the morning view that awaited us as we stood on the verandah outside the breakfast room.
No clouds or the overcast conditions that we had experienced the afternoon before.
But that is Cape Town for you, the weather can change in an instant.
Time to close the door behind us and head back to the airport and our flight home to Johannesburg.
Did we enjoy our stay here? Yes, we did. Would we recommend it? Yes we would, but we would suggest you enquire if one of the upstairs rooms is available as they offer better views.
To be fair, the Lucerne Blue room was the only room available when we booked and the price was reasonable. We booked online through a booking portal rather than the way I usually do which is with the property directly.
Is down ALWAYS easier than up?
In this particular case, it was.
Time to pack the car and head to the beach for a final walk and cup of coffee before saying goodbye to Cape Town and heading home after a welcome midweek break.
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