Spreading ashes, and traveling with them. Tips?

[nerdywidow]

I am traveling to the Amazon in a week, and have worked it out with the trip hosts that I will get the chance to spread some of my husband's ashes in the Amazon River.

 

I honestly know absolutely nothing about spreading ashes...  I was only going to take a small portion of them, and I am also doing carry-on only, so I'm clueless on what type of container to use that won't look suspicious or draw attention.  I could just use a Ziploc and put that in something else...?

 

Any tips from anyone else who has spread ashes before?  How much/many did you use if you only spread a portion of them?  What sort of container did you use?  Any airport tips?  I speak absolutely no Spanish, so going through airport security could be interesting, lol.

 

Thanks so much in advance!

 

 

[Wife of Tomasz]

Hi, I spread ashes before. Took them on the plain too. I was going from Canada to Europe so maybe different if you are flying from USA or other places as boarder control may be different. I looked it up online and you can contact the airport to tell you too. They have protocol for things like this. I also took a death certificate with me just in case. I know that if you want to intern ashes in another country you need a certificate for it. So I was not planning on telling anyone that I was going to spread them.  The container could not be metal, had to be something like cardboard or thing wood. I put a zip-lock bag in a cardboard container. Was really worried about going through the scanner stuff, but no one even asked. (Once again could have been because of where I was flying to and from). For me the hardest part was separating the ashes and spreading them. It was a lot harder to let go of them then I thought it would be. I did not take that much with me and did not even spread all of it. Anyways that's my experience, hope it helps. be gentle with yourself.

[Bunny]

I spread his ashes in the same country I live in, and drove, so no experience with airplane travel. Half of his ashes are in a cemetery nearby. At the time, I couldn't bear to bury them all, but after a few years it felt wrong to keep them in a box, gathering dust. So I chose to spread them in the state he always wanted to live in. My biggest tip is to make sure you are spreading them downwind of you, otherwise you will have DH all over you! I carried him in a zip lock bag- you might wanna double bag him, just in case there is some leakage, then put them in, like, a cosmetics bag? I used my hand to scoop out the ashes, but some people bring along some kinda scooper.  I also took along a bottle of wine to toast him. I took all of the ashes I had and it was a very beautiful and moving experience, but it was harder to give them up than I thought it would be. Afterwards, I had regrets I didn't keep back a small vial, but that regret has faded with time.

[66etype]

I traveled from the US to Costa Rica with some of Michael's ashes. I put them in my carry on in an engraved flask the kids gave him for a fathers day present. No hassle at all leaving the country with a full container and no questions returning with the empty flask. He will travel wherever I go and be spread where we should have traveled together. It is a tradition spun from spontaneity.

The first spreading was harder than I expected.

Enjoy it, embrace it.. he's with you!  <3

 

Tracy

[Guest oneoftwo]

I'd suggest you get a printed copy of something along the lines of "Please handle this with respect, it contains my husband's remains" in the local language of whatever airports/border crossings your going through, in case you meet a zealous border guard. 

I had to say that to one TSA agent here in the US on our way overseas- it did slow him down.

 

 

[jgib]

Flew them with me from Canada to Australia.  So glad I packed them in my carry on as my other luggage was lost for 3 days and the plans for everyone to meet was the day after I landed.  My funeral home provided paperwork for travel but I was never asked to show it once.  I also took the ashes of his best working dog with him and they were spread together.  Many people spoke and spread some.  It was good closure for his friends down there.  A beautiful and touching experience.