Epilogue, Diversity and Adversity Summary and Analysis

Richard's last balloon trip of December 1998, around the world, is recounted through his daily logbook, with him starting from Morocco and going over the Atlas Mountains. Libya withdraws a right to flyover, so Richard sends a letter direct to Qaddafi for his understanding that is granted. They fly between Everest and adjoining mountains when China withdraws its permission to flyover and demands landing at a specific airport, which is impossible for a balloon. They relent through Tony Blair, and the next day Virgin Atlantic is given permission to fly direct from London to Shanghai. At the coast on day seven, they have only to cross the Pacific Ocean for a successful trip around the world before a wall of bad weather comes up. The bad weather blows them down within sixty miles of Hawaii and...