When I finally find Eddy he is passed out cold on the forecourt of his house. My labourers are sitting calmly in the shade, they say simply: "Eddy likes to drink."

Eddy is in charge of refitting my roof to the requirements set out by the Colombian government, and as I have recently discovered, he likes to drink! This episode has been the worst so far when he failed to show for an entire day. We read him the riot act and frankly he seems to work better under threat. Progress has been incredible.

The roofs have been torn back, replaced with appropriate beams, wicker and further clay and cement mixes, painted with insect repellent and are looking in top shape. The garden had to be completely destroyed to put down new sewage pipes. Unfortunately we have yet to find any buried wealth - I mention this only because the lady who died 8 years ago and left the house to her 34 relatives was a notorious miser and was said to have taken to hiding her cash in the garden.

What we have found when stripping some of the foundations to strengthen the walls are some shards of bone. A couple of the boys think they are skulls of former slaves but frankly I think they are trying to spook me and have a laugh. The fragments look likee broken bits of cow rib that a rat could have pulled there.

I am attaching some photos. It is all quite an enterprise. Trying, tiring but above all, fun.