Filled with contradictions, frenzied Mumbai fascinates. The contrast with the calm of Kirthi Mandir, birthplace of Ghandi, could not be starker. Over the water are the Arabian deserts of exotic Muscat, its sultan palaces and twin Portuguese bastions of Jelali and Merani. A call in Aden in the Yemen is a chance for an overnight visit to the capital Sana'a where earthen tower-houses are a match for Petra's stony masonry.