Pinball / Arcade Raid / Stash Africa Style!

So, in 2017 a mate of mine called me and the conversation went like this...

Mate - "I've found a stash of pinballs do you fancy going with me to take a look?"
Me - "Sounds interesting, where is it?"
Mate - "You'll never guess"
Me - "Give me a clue at least!"
Mate - "The last place you'd guess"
Me - F me mate, that's not a clue, Europe, Eastern Europe?"
Mate - "No, farther"
Me - "I give up, Africa!"
Mate - "Yep!!"
Me - "Shit, really, where in Africa?"
Mate - "The last place you want to go!"
Me - "Seaira Leone or Zimbabwe"
Mate - "Yep, Zimbabwe!"
Me - "Shut up, really!"

And so it began, apparently I was the only person he knew that was stupid enough to say yes! We flew out for 5 days with a plan, see the machines, do the deal, get a container there (already waiting for us to hit the button), load it and get the hell out of Dodge.

It didn't quite work out like that, we were picked up from Harare airport by the contacts nephew who's girlfriend said to me "do you like to party?". Now me being quite naive said "yeah, sure, whatever" so there began a 4 day bender!!!! Never done it before or since but what an experience. The deal wasn't done (they were a little bit slippery to deal with to be honest) and I think the machines are still out there but we discovered a phrase when we were there, "If its too fucked for Europe, send it to Africa" and these had had a hard life in Zim until Mugabe started his land grab, when you can't afford food you aren't going to be putting money in pinball machines!! Totally Fucked country with over 90% unemployment. Mad experience, wouldn't change it for the world :-)