A violation of the Antarctic Treaty

Antarctica plays by its own set of rules. It is the coldest, highest, driest and windiest continent on planet Earth. It was discovered and reached by man for the first time not much more than 200 years ago. Many of history’s most colorful explorers — James Cook, Ernest Shackleton, Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott, to name a few — were involved in the search for, discovery of and mapping of its icy waters and ice-covered landscape, with many lives lost in pursuit.

According to the guide on my trip, spreading Dad’s remains in Antarctica would run afoul of the Antarctic Treaty that protects the continent’s pristine environment and гей порно парни maintains it as a land of science and peace. Twelve countries, including the United States, originally signed it in 1959 — now, nearly 60 countries participate.

I respect what he’s saying, but I don’t want these ashes burning a hole in my pocket all trip. I decide that "illegal" scattering must happen all the time, and that I’ve come too far to turn back now. I’ll do it in secret, shake the ashes out of my pant leg or something, like Andy Dufresne in "Shawshank Redemption." I could probably bend over and bury them before anyone knows what happened.

We reach the top of the ridge, eventually stopping on a perch overlooking the lagoon. The view is incredible. The sun peaks out of the clouds, illuminating the ice in the lagoon, and, for the first time, I see the blue of the Antarctic sky beyond the snow-covered peaks. Humpback whales are spouting; penguins waddle on the rocks near the water; icebergs sport a glacial-blue color.

It’s the perfect spot. Turning away from the group, I reach for the bag.

raveling with ashes is on the rise

My quest is not unique. Consider TIME’s 2013 documentary on cremation’s growing popularity, or CNN’s 2020 article on the topic. Though less than 4% of Americans were cremated back in 1960, more than 50% of people are cremated today, leading to a growth in the number of ceremonial tributes and burials.

The idea of spreading ashes on a trip is popular enough that Carnival Cruise Lines has its own scattering service, where a private event is arranged for families to partake in a burial at sea. Same thing over at Royal Caribbean, and several other cruise companies, whose ships travel far off the coast, beyond the reaches of regulations.