Tea connoisseur and free-spirited gypsy, Caiti Woolcott, is truly an embodiment of the phrase “life is either a daring adventure or nothing”.
Despite being a wanderer at heart, travelling here and there in search of adventure in a 1978 VW Autovilla fondly named Rosemary-Jane, on most Sundays Woolcott can be found in a little corner of the Golden Hours Family Market, brewing a cup of herbal tea and educating visitors on the health benefits of each blend. Despite her heart’s tendency to move and explore, there is an air of homeliness and zen mingled in her aura. “One would recognise my shop by the beautiful Mad Hatter’s teapots that I have in use and available for purchase, and a tray of glass jars with herbs and flowers. I’m also an alternative hairdresser I suppose, I make and maintain dreadlocks and dress beards in a Jack Sparrow sort of way. I have eggs in many baskets for obvious reasons, and less obvious would be that I love a variety of things – pretty, practical, joyful and healthy. Health is wealth, one cannot enjoy a beautiful life if unwell.”
Woolcott has always been a flower child since her days of gathering random buds from her mother’s garden and crushing them in water. She said that as an adult she isn’t surprised that she still holds an intense awe of nature and its offerings. With the belief that nature provides everything that we need in this harsh world, Woolcott started to offer herbal tea at a Reggae bar she started while teaching English in Southern Thailand in 2016. “I wanted to offer something delicious and nutritious to, generally, the non-drinking yoga crowd who came to enjoy the vibe and music at the bar. The Herbal Bar journey has been absolutely magical, with some heartbreak too. I finally got the push I needed to leave my abusive relationship in Thailand and returned to South Africa. It’s been a beautiful learning journey, inspiration and faith in nature that has flourished into trust. “There is a plant for every ailment. Prevention is better than cure. Inflammation and mindset are root causes of disease. Fantastic anti-inflammatory plants are Rosemary, Chamomile, Rose and Geranium. For general health I highly recommend Stinging Nettle, Green tea, Ginger and Turmeric. For allergies and sinus Elder Flower, for anxiety Jasmine, Chamomile and Lavender. I would recommend Rose Geranium, Jasmine and Rosemary for depression and Buchu and Mullein for detoxing. “I have met so many wonderful people through our common interest in tea. I have met so many wonderful herbs too. On many occasions people have thanked me for ‘saving their lives’ with a cup of tea, of course an overstatement, but that is how they felt,” said Woolcott.
Woolcott recently celebrated three years of full-time van life. She said that while it’s something that most people dream of, the concept of turning Rosemary-Jane into a home was what she needed while starting afresh back home in SA. “Due to having to follow work opportunities, I didn’t get to just travel anywhere – I created and followed a trade route. Though I could never have imagined when I started what would unfold on the road ahead. To date, they were some of the best and most challenging days of my life.” Woolcott will stay in campsites, backpackers and friends’ gardens. She revealed that she always had to pay for safety and quickly had to learn to adapt to the many challenges that come with van life. “I left ‘the vultures’ tow truck guys with their jaws on the floor when suddenly the gypsy van started up and off we drove after struggling by myself for about an hour, I managed to fix it – they were certain they’d get this Christmas Eve job. Sometimes I had help, sometimes not. Van life is as challenging as it is rewarding. It’s hard to always have to be on the move.”
To date, Woolcott and Rosemary-Jane have travelled over 20 000 kilometres together. “Towards the end of 2019 commitments took me up to Dullstoom, Hazyview, through the Kruger, to Maputo, Kosi Bay, Sodwana, down to KZN and back to Cape Town where lockdown happened. I was camped on a wine farm near Worcester for 2.5 months of lockdown. It was a beautiful time in my life actually. I couldn’t believe my luck! Then yes, the inevitable happened. I was attacked and robbed.” Woolcott often gets asked if she is afraid of being a women travelling all alone in South Africa. Her belief is that if one has to live in fear, one isn’t alive at all. “Van life has strengthened me to be self-reliant and resilient. To live in the moment and enjoy it, to take what comes, to cross uncomfortable bridges when I get to them. To not give up when times get tough, another beautiful experience is just on the other side. “I just know that I am here, for the time being. In the greater scheme of things it won’t be for long so try to enjoy it! We are all just manifestations of atoms moving wildly through this weird expanse we call space, everything is temporary. Everything has seasons. Earth is a harsh but also beautiful place.”
