"Stamps -- they were my pirate"

Cuban exile Alejandro Pascual is featured in a recent story that appeared in the Miami Herald

In 1959 during the early violent and chaotic days of Castro's Cuban revolution, it was unsafe to go out at night. That's when Pascual decided to collect stamps.

Pascual, shown above, is quoted in the article as saying, "It was like Sir Walter Raleigh's travels, where a pirate is telling him what is on the other side of the world. Stamps -- they were my pirate."

Reporter Cammy Clark writes, "Pascual hasn't seen his original collection since 1964, when he left most of the stamps hidden with family during his solo exodus to Mexico and ultimately the United States at age 14."

"But his newfound freedom wasn't the end of his passion for stamps, and their ability to spark his curiosity about the world's history and geography.

"Now, millions of collected stamps later, the gray-bearded man's eyes sparkle when he shows visitors of the San Carlos Institute his nostalgic Cuban stamps, as well as his prized albums of other country's first stamps."

To read the entire article, click here.