9 - Duoliang Station（多良車站）
The first time I heard of Duoliang Station was last August, during a sightseeing presentation on Taiwan's East Coast. As soon I saw the picture of that tiny little station, which seemed to hover over the waters like something from Spirited Away, I knew I had to go. The problem was that for the longest time I couldn't remember the name.
Many months later, over the Lunar New Year's break, I was road-tripping on Highway 11, by Taitung. Suddenly, it occurred to me that the train station of my dreams might not be too far. A quick persual of Google Maps allowed me to pinpoint the exact location. When I got there it was early afternoon. I found that the actual, de-commissioned station was not entirely like the serene, lonely beachside platform my imagination had expected.
First, the station was on a steep bluff overlooking the ocean -- the location of a small tribal village -- not on a beach. Second, I discovered that the station was a popular tourist attraction. On a holiday such as this, it was jam-packed. The atmosphere was akin to a fair, with crowds of people milling about, and various peddlers and food stalls. A guitarist strummed the sleepy chords of Mayday's 擁抱. I couldn't help but feel as if it were the perfect song for the occasion.
I walked up to the platform, leaned against the red railing, and waited around for a train to pass. The wait was about fifteen minutes. A little boy next to me waved as the train sailed by. It was a northbound edition of the Tze-Chiang. Six months later, in fact, just three days before I would leave Taiwan, I was on this very same train. Seeing the familiar ocean view to my right, I got up to look out of the left side of the train. I saw a blur of cheerful people on the platform. There were a lot fewer, though. It was just a regular Tuesday, and a typhoon was expected the next day.