I arrived in Zagora after driving though a heavy sand storm on Wednesday. The town is located in an oasis. I checked into a small campsite surrounded by palm trees and cob walls that blocked the wind. Finally I was able to breath without inhaling a ton of sand. 
The campsite was very nice and calm. The perfect place to work and relax.
An expensive oil change
It was about time for an oil change. I stopped at the first garage that I saw. The mechanic offered to change the oil when I asked him where to buy an oil filter. Why not? Instead of lying under my van and doing the dirty job on the street, it seemed reasonable to use their garage. The mechanics seemed like cool dudes. We chatted and drank some tea while draining the old oil.
Because of all the great experiences I made with locals so far, I totally forgot about the most important rule of doing business in Morocco: Never accept any services without negotiating the price up-front! 
The mechanics picked one of the most expensive oil without telling me. I got really angry when I found out. The relaxed and friendly atmosphere was immediately gone. I heavily argued with a bunch of mechanics and alleged oil experts. My negotiating position was pretty bad as the stupid oil was already filled into my engine. We finally agreed on a less (but still) expensive price. Nevertheless, I was a bit disappointed when I left. It wasn’t the money. It was the feeling of being ripped off. Our final handshake wasn’t as friendly as the initial one. 
Switching the campsite
I decided to checkout another campsite after finishing my work on Friday. My neighbors at the small campsite were mostly French pensioners who didn’t make a very appealing impression on me. I was looking for more entertainment which I found on the other side of the river. Thorsten greeted me right at the entrance and invited me to park my van next to his Mercedes 609. He seemed like a nice dude and was also a member of a German van online community.
Robert’s old Peugeot camper van and Tom’s Land Rover were also parked in the back of the campsite. A pleasant group of relaxed people. All of them have been to Morocco several times. We often went out for dinner or hung out in front of our vans to enjoy the colorful sunsets.
I especially enjoyed Robert’s stories. He was born in the 60s and had a lot of interesting stuff to tell. I spent a lot of my breaks talking with him about everything under the sun. We got along really well although we had a very different lifestyle. 
Cycling up the mountain
I saw the sun rising behind a huge mountain every morning.
I was ready for sporting activity after relaxing with Tom, Thorsten and Robert for a couple of days. I woke up early on Monday morning and cycled towards the mountain in the dawn.
The moon was still shining when I cycled around the mountain to reach its back side which was easier to access.
I enjoyed a beautiful view over the oasis when I reached the summit right after the sun rise.
There was a nice trail on my way back which was a lot of fun to ride!
I cycled up the mountain after work again. The colorful sunset was totally worth a second ride:
What a nice place in the middle of the desert!