I quickly left Erg Chebbi when a sandstorm arose right after I came back from my hike through the dunes. Fritz and Jule texted me that they stayed at a nice campsite a few kilometers north of Erg Chebbi. Although they left the campsite by the time I arrived, I stayed there for two nights.
The atmosphere was great. The campsite is a community project and a mix of a public park and a campsite. On Sunday, several families came by and had picnics under the palm trees next to my van. I really liked the concept of locals and travelers sharing the same place.
The area around the campsite offered a lot of interesting places to discover. Like the ruins of the old Kasbah of Meski.
I was told that the whole village was moved to the other side of the canyon after Meski got destroyed by heavy rain in the 60s. It was an interesting experience to walk through the tiny alleys and apartments that were full of life only 60 years ago.
Meeting a new friend
A big reservoir near Errachidia caught my eyes when I was on my way further north. The spot seemed great to work and sleep.
I spotted another van when I approached the lake. Alf and Willi from Austria stayed there with Said who lives in a small village close to the lake. Said seemed like a nice guy. We got along pretty well. Although he told me that I was talking way too much, he seemed to enjoy my blathering. We spent a really funny evening eating, talking and laughing together. Alf and Willi left the following day, but I decided to stay because I really enjoyed Said’s company.
He’d cycle from his place to my van and during my breaks we sat in front of my van, ate, drank tea, talked or just enjoyed the silence together.
His bicycle was in very bad condition. He basically rode a bike without brakes. 
I wished I could have fixed the brakes, but I only had incompatible spare parts for my hydraulic brakes with me. I gave him my portable lights in the hope they’d reduce the risk of getting hit by a car while cycling in the dark. 
Trying to find Said’s friends from Berlin
Said showed me some pictures of a Berlin couple at his place. He met them at the same lake 27 years ago when they drove through Morocco with their blue Mercedes 508D in 1991.
They stayed in touch via (traditional) mail. Unfortunately, they lost track of each other and Said hasn’t been able to find them on Facebook, yet. I posted some of the pictures in a few Facebook groups. Maybe we’ll be able to find his friends?
I was a bit sad when I had to say goodbye to Said. I really enjoyed the time that we spent together.
Thanks for your hospitality, Said! You are another Moroccan friend who I really want to visit again!