Peru, Day Two: The Inca Trail

As cliched, uneconomical, faddy and shallow as it sounds, the whole point of our trip to Peru came down to today: our visit to Machu Picchu.

And yet, despite being so popular and accessible, finding out how the Inca Trail worked was an exercise in advanced Internet searching and message board trawling. Perhaps visitors to Peru just can't communicate their experiences well, or maybe the tourist industry there isn't as well developed. Most likely though is that the landscape and rules change so frequently that every year is a new experience for all involved. Not helping was us choosing perhaps the most niche of experiences when it came to The Inca Trail: The compressed, one day, km104 hike and Machu Picchu visit. But first, a bit of a primer.

The main locations in the area are Cusco (for the airport), Ollantaytambo (for the start of the traditional 4 day Inca Trail Hike) and Aguas Calientes (for Machu Picchu). Cusco and Ollantaytambo are connected by rail and road, and choosing between those largely depends on whether you want to visit anything on the way. Ollantaytambo and AC are also connected by rail - with a special and fancy (read: expensive) novelty train shipping pilgrims to the latter where they can proceed to the MP site (via a less fancy and novel bus service). It is therefore possible to see MP without any hiking, and indeed in a single day, by taking a train(s) from Cusco or Tambo, to AC, then a bus to the MP site. Indeed, this is what the vast majority of visitors do.

For the adventurous, you can skip the MP train and essentially walk to MP from Ollantaytambo. This walk takes four days and three nights, through some pretty and pretty tough terrain at (for most of us) a high altitude, temples and vistas, and retraces the route that the Inca used to take themselves. This is the Inca Trail, and is what most see as the most authentic/instagrammable way to experience MP.

A relatively new option available is the km104 hike, and it's essentially a mix of the two. You take the same MP train as the others from Tambo, but around half way to AC the train stops (there is no platform or station), drops you off, and you walk the rest of way. The hike isn't quite a full subset of the Inca Trail, but does join up with it after a while. This option is pitched as a two day programme: one day to complete the walk to MP, but without visiting it (you'd spend the night in AC), with the second day reserved to visit MP. This is already a new and therefore niche choice, but we opted for an even more tailored option - to hike to MP and visit the site in the same day, leaving us to return to Cusco the same night. Although requiring an early start and late finish, its for certain the most time efficient way of experiencing MP and the Inca Trail. In fact the only real downside is the cost, as even though it's around a third of the distance, its still over half the price of the full Inca Trail.

The 4:30am start was expected yet no less unwelcome. Also expected was the overpacking - both due to inexperience and my usual overcaution - and by the end of the 10km the pack was feeling pretty heavy. I would like to say that the views were worth the journey, but no - there were a few ruins to visit on the way, but make no mistake: this is a hike one walks for the challenge, the social aspects, and to experience what the Inca used to go through with far fewer resources. In those terms it was a tough, fun and rewarding hike, and confirmed our choice of limiting it to the one day - without knowing about our ability at high altitudes it was a bit of a gamble, but fortunately we didn't suffer from any real debilitating effects.

On the other hand, Machu Picchu had plenty of visuals to offer. One of the benefits of either hike is that you enter the site via the original Sun Gate, which provides a wonderfully classic view as you peak and turn a corner. It really does feel like a pilgrimage as it appears in view and thankfully the weather was totally on our side.

We made the site by 2pm which gave us more time than we required to explore the site proper. In many ways the visit was interesting enough, but it was certainly enhanced by having to hike there, and the whole day just made more sense than each component would have on its own. Between the short term exertion getting there and our lifelong plan to visit, it's safe to say the whole thing was pretty cathartic.

The only thing left for today was then to head back to Cusco - taking the bus to AC, the train to Tambo and then a van to Cusco. After the 18 hours of activity, exhaustion was inevitable... and I expect to sleep soundly tonight.

Peru, Day One: The Sacred Valley

After a what turned out to be not that bad a night, we finally landed in Cusco at 7am, our driver waiting for us at the arrival gate. After a well deserved breakfast in the main square, we headed to our first stop in the Sacred Valley: Pisac. Although we may have lingered there for slightly longer than we should have, the hilltop temple ruin was our first taste of Incan culture and so we never got bored.

As per usual we were on a tight schedule; in fact we had only really budgeted today for the Sacred Valley. Eventually we had to adjust our itinerary, nixing Chinchero for Maras and Moray, each peculiar and vital in their own way.

Moray was a quick visit - the salt mines themselves aren't really accessible beyond a balcony overlooking the area. Contrast that with Moray, where we were really able to get up close and personal. Both were equally vital to visit though.

Ollantaytambo was our stay for the night, and although we had initially aimed to check out the fortress and terraces we were pretty much spent by the time we reached the town. Between dinner and what we knew would be another early start the next day, we decided to call it a night.

Peru, Day Zero: Slumming It in Lima

I won't bore you with another diatribe on my current relationship with travel. And yet here I am, less than four days after returning from what was a pretty epic (read: packed) trip, embarking on yet another. Peru has always been on the list though - it was probably the first on that list - and even though I'd be the first to admit that going now is probably a result of a collective midlife crisis its nice to finally go for something in that has been so long in the making.

Flying West means a long day already, but due to the somewhat irritating scheduling in Lima (where it's impossible to catch any domestic flight if landing direct from London) a 5am flight tomorrow promises a rough night ahead with what will be a first for me: slumming it overnight on the airport floor.

North Pakistan, Day Fourteen: Islamabad To The End

The biggest issue we faced today was the holiday. It was Muharram, so almost everything was closed. I'd even go as far as to say we became pretty desperate for things to do. In fact, I'd go further and even suggest that, respective to the rest of the trip, the last three days had pretty much stalled.

Our first attempt at visiting an attraction was the Pakistan Railway Museum. The museum itself was closed, but the station itself had plenty of colonial delights to offer us. It was actually quite enjoyable even though most of it was restricted for us. Perhaps just as interesting were the slums we drove through on the way; the first indication I saw of the poverty here in Islamabad.

We then went on to the Shakarparian Friendship Garden, where visiting leaders and dignitaries would be asked to plant trees. There were actually some big hitters named here, including various past leaders of the USA, China and Iran.

Next up was the Pakistan Monument. This was exactly what was said on the tin, although I have to admit the monument itself was pretty impressive - and informative if like me visitors take the time to interpret all the murals present.

We then visited Saidpur, which was esoteric itself even before you visit the Hindu temples at the end of the village.

Our next stop was our hotel to kill a couple of hours before heading off to Faisal Masjid to offer Asr prayer in congregation. This was another significant memory brought back, and considering it wasn't exactly a new mosque 20 years ago it was doubly impressive to see just how timeless its design still is.

Dinner was then at Monal on the Margalla Hills, which offered both decent food and excellent views of the capital. We managed to stay there for sunset so got Islamabad both during the day and night.

By the end of our meal we had all gone into clock watching mode as we counted down the hours to our late flight back home. Our driver took us to Rawalpindi for tea and pakoras, which in my eyes was definitely a bonus as I had never visited the much older adjoining city before (and in fact never realised how accessible it was from Islamabad).

And that was all we had left for our trip of North Pakistan. We did a lot; more than enough, and in some ways we had even done too much on a trip that might have better been served with repeated return visits. Then again, we do still have most of the west of the region to cover, so maybe these are lessons we can forward with us after all.

North Pakistan, Day Thirteen: Civilisation

We began the day with a visit to the Patriyata Chair Lift. This was a decent enough time pass, with the chairlift itself being more of an attraction than the park at the top. Unfortunately the second cable car leg was closed, and I suspect that might have been where the real views were offered. Ultimately though, I feel that we should have stuck with Neelum Valley.

We were now in Muree proper, and spent some time in Mall Road for shopping and ice cream. It was again nice to be back in the hustle and bustle of a tourist attraction, although I suppose we didn't spend enough time there to get bored. After that it was on to Islamabad, eating corn on the cob en route.

The rest of the day played out like a Islamabad checklist: we spent some time in Lake View Park, and had a quick drive by tour of all the various administrative buildings that you might recognise from the usual news channels and the like.

After checking into our final hotel of the trip, we went for well deserved chapli kebabs at Habibi's, after which we treated ourselves to a quick drive around Islamabad.

North Pakistan, Day Twelve: Not in Kansas Anymore

Abbottobad was the final location on this leg of backtracking. It was there that we turned east toward Muree. The original plan was to visit the Neelum Valley, but given the current climate that was thought to be too risky.

This was an area near Islamabad that we had also visited all those years ago. Back then it was an exotic trip to the mountains - now it looks like a commercial suburb that the City Folk go to for a couple of hours' jaunt. If that sounds like a complaint, it's not - after ten or so days of road travel and sparseness it was comforting to be back on familiar ground.

We visited the Samundar Katha Lake, a man made lake-cum-park that was a bit of a bust even if you discount the single road lane bottlenecks going up and down to the site.

Back in Muree town, St Matthew's Church was closed, and many other sights were just overly bust due to the Muharram long weekend. Even when we popped out after checking in at around 8pm the place was still busy.

North Pakistan, Day Eleven: Back to Backtracking

Today we continued with our backtracking, visiting many places we had already passed before, but of course this time in reverse order.

So we again saw Babusar Top, Naran (where we stopped for a pretty excellent lunch at the Mountain Top Restaurant), Kaghan (but sadly with no chapli kebab this time) and finally settling in at Bisian near Balakot for the night.

North Pakistan, Day Ten: The Long Road Back

A 4:30am start was required for us to take on the Skardu Road.

That said, any fears I had of becoming bored of the driving here vanished as we were treated to yet another winding, albeit very unfinished, mountain road. We stopped for breakfast at around 8:40am - or rather we decided to have breakfast while we were stopped by a temporarily closed road.

We stopped for a break at a PTDC hotel, this one with a stunning example of how obnoxious badly planned commode toilets can be. I didn't fit, and so I requested my preference of the squatting type.

Back on the road, and things still were not uneventful. Lots of roadworks, waterfall stops, valley-traversing-trolleys and even a landslide, all before noon. All that, and accompanied by some stunning views of Nanga Parbat.

Jummah was offered at the same mosque in Juglot that we visited what now seems like months ago. After that, it was more backtracking, and we finally reached Chillas at a decent hour where we had a night's stay.

North Pakistan, Day Nine: Forth and Back

To start what could only be described as a day of time pass, we visited the Amburiq Mosque, said to be the first of Shigar.

We then travelled West on to Skardu for what was supposed to be a brief ATM stop but turned out to take over an hour. Still, we got to see the Old Market at least.

After a brief diversion to see a dried up lake and some sand dunes (and eat a bag load of Apricots), we continued to Kachura Lake.

The best thing about the lake? The fish lunch. Trout? Herring? I didn't care. It was great.

Interestingly I noticed a lot of polite yet very public instruction for women to wear and respect the hijab. I've yet to see any kind of similar material in Karachi. And it's probably going to get me into trouble to say it but the girls did appear a little more discreet this far north.

On the way back from the lake we stopped off at the Shangrila Resort where we paid 500 rupees each to wander its grounds. Needless to say this was a waste of both time and money. A late evening tea was had at the Skardu PTDC overlooking the Indus River. We took the opportunity to visit an exhibition on the K2 and the impressive services provided to those who wish to challenge the mountain. The sense of national pride was palpable.

We then headed back to Shigar, which was a little irritating as a big chunk of our journey tomorrow will be to retread most of the road that we drive today as we finally start making our way back in the direction of Islamabad.

North Pakistan, Day Eight: The Palace

Like Hunza, Shigar is also a "dead end" on our itinerary, a location from which we plan to turn back from. So we spent today travelling east for the last time, along what now seemed like a less exciting mountain road to Khaplu. I admit, I'm probably becoming desensitised to the mountains.

We reached Khaplu by 1pm, immediately noticing the Tibetan roots in the people here. The main point of interest here as the palace, one of the more impressive I've seen this trip. Unfortunately another sight, the Chaqchan Mosque, was closed due to a Majlis, so we had to make do only with photos of the exterior.

After lunch we headed back to Shigar, stopping off at Manthokha Waterfall for sunset.

It was quite the inefficient day, but in the same way easier than the most recent. We also returned back to our accommodation quite late, which among other things gave us a chance to finally see the stars... as well as the horrific aftermath of a car accident.

North Pakistan, Day Seven: The Great Plains

Another early start, this time continuing along the Astore Valley Road in the direction of Skardu. After a wrong turn (which honestly didn't actually bother us since any road offers unique views) we were back on track and reached the Deosai Plains by noon.

I guess as all great plains would, it seemed endless.

We spent what felt like many many hours crossing the plain into the Skardu Valley Road which matched, if not beat the Astore equivalent for sights.

We hit Skardu at 1630, which is when I realised that we weren't actually staying there - no, we continued on a little further to Shigar, where we found the fort we were going to stay in.

Yes, that's right. A friggin' fort.

North Pakistan, Day Six: Backtracking

After a touch of morning souvenir shopping we continued with the backtracking that had begun yesterday.

Even though it hadn't been long, and we hadn't really stayed much in these places, it was almost poignant passing back through the Nagar Valley and seeing Gilgit and so on. We eventually stopped for a Chup Sharo lunch we had taken away from Hunza at a little stop near Jaglot (the first one), before turning into The Astore Valley Road.

What a road. This was the quintessential narrow and winding valley road and offered us sights I thought I could only see in films. It was quite the road in other ways too; slow going, we finally reached Astore itself by 4pm.

We carried on to Rama for more vast views, arriving at our hotel for 5pm.

That was enough for today, and even not having any wifi, phones, or hot water didn't bother us... much.

North Pakistan, Day Five: Hello China!

Today we headed north. Of course, we've always pretty much been heading north so on the face of it there's not much new here. The thing is, today we're heading as north as we can without leaving the country. As a result this is as far as we're going to go this trip.

On the way to the China border we stopped off at Lake Attabad to hear the story of the flooding of Gilmet and the rebuilding of the Karakoram Highway.

The rest of the journey was pleasant, yet varied. We stopped off at Khyber to eat apricots off the tree, and were fed some amazing rice when stopping off at a police checkpoint for the bathroom. It was another example of the continued hospitality we received on our trip - many conversations were essentially "Salaam, wasalaam, chai?" and it was endearing to experience.

We also spotted Ibex and Yak as our altitude increased.

It was around 1pm that we made it to Kunjareb Pass and beyond that, China. As an islander I've previously talked about my fascination with land borders, and this one was no different even though it was accentuated with, well, a mountain range.

Alas borders, natural or not, are a reason to change direction... and so the backtrack began. We passed back through Sost for a Yak lunch, and grabbed some Apricot cake at Passu.

Our final stop was to visit the Hussaini Bridge - ultimately just another rope bridge but the sunset we had while there was worth the stop.

North Pakistan, Day Four: The Two Forts

We left Gilgit at a leisurely 10am under a surprisingly strong sun. Most of our driving time would be through the Nagar Valley, the start of which was marked by a visit to a woodcrafter in Jaglot (confusingly not the Jaglot we offered Jummah in yesterday).

After lunch we continued on to Hunza Valley, passing though Allahabad on the way. It was en route that we finally got to see our first glimpse of the 7.8km tall Rakaposhi.

Our first real sight was in Altit for its fort. This building was impressive enough, but it was also our first contact with local ethnic people who weren't your typical Punjabi that one would typically find in this region. Their Sheena language was almost musical.

Interestingly this was the first time we had encountered white tourists. Thinking about it I don't think I've ever met a white person in Pakistan, but its a testament to both how accessible the area has become, and how exotically it's now viewed, that Western tourism is now becoming visibly commonplace here.

We then headed to Karimabad for the Baltit Fort, and if I thought I had already witnessed the peak of the tourism in this area, Baltit proved me wrong. The fort itself was okay; larger than Altit but the latter was nicer in multiple way. Sunset was spent at Duiker, otherwise known as the Eagle's Nest, and we treated ourselves to some local walnut cake after dinner.

North Pakistan, Day Three: Passing The Heights

So much for sleeping well. Full body aches ensured a rough night. So an update to yesterday's conclusion then: both Siri Paye and Saif-ul-Mulk were ones to skip.

Given the above context, it wasn't a surprise that we needed an early start today, the day of Jummah. We made Batakundi by 8am, Lulusar Lake by 9.15am and made it over Babusar Top by 10am. This hit an altitude of 4km which we all felt after climbing even the most simple of stairs.

As we descended back to 2km the heat was also rising. From 14c at the top to 36c at the bottom it was fascinating to watch how the climate changed.

We were now following the River Indus, driving along the Karakoram Highway to just touch the edge of Chilas. We stopped to see some Bhuddist carvings at around 11.40am, and made it to Jaglot for Jummah at around 1pm.

We also stopped to see the confluence of the Rivers Indus and Gilgit, which is also where one can see the three mountain ranges of Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Himilaya. It was a significant stop, in weight if not physicality.

Our final stop was Gilgit proper, where we treated ourselves to Kashgari Pulao. On the way to our hotel we stopped for a quick look at the Kargah Buddha and Gilgit Bazaar.

North Pakistan, Day Two: Jeeping Along The Mountain Roads

For our first real excursion we left the Prado behind and took a bumpy Jeep ride up to an altitude of 3km to visit Siri Paye. It was nice once we got up there, but debatable if the journey was worth it overall, especially since we had to make the same journey back down to Shogran at the end.

We then hit the road to Naran, stopping in Kaghan for another food highlight, this time some chapli kebabs. We generally avoid street food in Karachi, so this was truly us embracing the tourist trail.

A surprise awaited us at Naran: another Jeep ride up to Saif-ul-Mulk, for the mountain lake there. Although a highlight in many itineraries before ours, for us the visit was merely "okay". I tried to compensate by going off on my own hike but slightly over did it (let's just say a horse might have been sent for me), so all in all today was a bit of a bust.

On the other hand I will sleep well tonight.

North Pakistan, Day One: Hitting The Road, Running

Ah, Islamabad. The last time I visited this city was way back in 1990 - although contrasting then and now in my mind didn't really highlight any difference. It was the first time that I discovered that Pakistan was more than Karachi, and it was possible to have clean streets and low(ish) crime in this subcontinent country. A naive view would be to say that people actually gave a poo here, but dig a little deeper and there are real reasons for the contrast.

Not that we had much time to do a more through analysis; from the airport we made a beeline to Shogran, where we were going to spend our first night.

We stopped in Abbotobad for lunch. This town was still clean, and perhaps even more affluent than Karachi, although in many ways that just emphasised the rich-poor divide up and down the country. Oddly I saw no women anywhere and was surprised when we were asked to use the family room for our mixed group of 4 people, where we had quite possibly the richest dhal I've ever tasted (I could feel a heart attack coming on as we ate - not a good sign for day one of the trip).

Our journey took us through Mansehra, Bisian and Balakot. I've mentioned before how as I get on it becomes more difficult for travel to impress me. But this drive alone had enough continuous views and panoramas that never got old. I was in awe.

We entered the Kaghan Valley, stopping off at the Makayla viewpoint on the way to our final destination via a mountain road to Shogran, the cliffs so sheer and the valleys so vast that it became difficult to make sense of the perspectives and scales of what we were seeing.

And so we found ourselves in a little mountain resort, settling in for what we expected to be a rewarding slog for the remainder of the trip.

North Pakistan, Day Zero: Strangers at Home

Even though I average about one trip a year to Pakistan, two trips in six months is pretty unprecedented for me. But this wasn't a usual trip "back home" to Karachi, but an exclusive tour of the north of the country where we will pretty much stay as tourists for the whole duration we're there.

My preference would have been for an internal trip as a part of a normally scheduled Karachi visit, but that idea was vetoed. As such I am once again stuck in travel hell, and Gatwick will be my new home for the next month or so.

And let us not forget the recent change in the geopolitics of the area. A part of our trip has already been changed to allow for any sparking of violence; it remains to be seen if there is any further disruption to our itinerary.

Fifteen

It's actually a struggle to recognise the decade and an half that this blog has existed. I've managed to say something somewhat apt to mark the occasion so far, but it's actually taken me two days to write this back-dated post, mainly because there's not really much more to say. And yet my OCD-completionist side compels me to write something, even if it's anything. And so here I am, playing the stream of consciousness word-vomit game that seems to work so well on Instagram. Maybe it'll even work without the photo.

Fifteen is an odd number. It's certainly a lot, but it's also just within grasping distance of my ability to measure the years, not that I have much else to use as a yardstick. Cliched as it sounds it does feel like yesterday that this blog would see weekly long form "opinion" posts which would regularly spill into real life. Ironically though as the content of the blog forever distills into a diary like journal, so does its value change for me. I do use it to look up dates that I travelled or watched a film, and maybe that's always been the point of it. Either way I've grown comfortable with its current form, even if ticking off the list of due posts makes it all fell like a chore sometimes/always.

Anyway, I think I've hit the minimum word count. Heaven knows what I'll write about next year.

Film: Good Boys

I'm not sure if Good Boys was supposed to be a Home Alone for the current age or just another attempt to juxtapose kids with swearing, but something didn't quite work for me. It could have been another Sausage Party but bad producing and flat acting (they are kids after all) was enough to neutralise any novelty or gimmick the film might have had to offer.

There were some standalone laughs, but no where near enough to warrant a recommendation. Pass.

Film: Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw

As much a fan of the Fast & Furious franchise I am, I was prepared to enjoy Hobbs & Shaw as much as I did. Especially for the reasons why - for me H&S is one of the most laugh out loud funny films this year. In fact I'd even say it was produced much more as a police comedy than the ridiculous crime action of before - a Rush Hour for current times perhaps.

The cast was as good as you could hope for, with some straightforward, if a bit hammy, acting, and the plot and action all supported the chemistry of the main protagonists. It was all very reassuring and a great way to spend the two hours or so it ran for. Recommended.

Food: Kinkao

I guess that the law of averages is immovable. Just as I was expressing how nice it is to be discerning about where I eat - so that all visits remain special - I end up visiting Kinkao. Generic, bland and normal are the adjectives that spring to mind, and the £25+ per head paid at the end was enough for me to fundamentally question the whole point of eating out, and whether it's just safer not to.

Service was with a smile and the place was roomy, but to be honest that's just me trying to fill up this review a bit more. It's not that Kinkao is a bad place, just that if a measure of success is to have felt like an experience is one to be remembered, Kinkao is as solid a failure as it is a restaurant.

Film: The Dead Don't Die

What could have been outstanding kind of fell flat from the start. I'm happy to accept that I just didn't "get it", but for me The Dead Don't Die was a hot mess from the start, and just gets messier and messier as its run time hits its end.

And it's not just the plot that's nonsensical - the acting leaves a lot to be desired too, although the rest of the production is passable. Perhaps if taken as an experiment there might be some value in watching this film, but for the rest of us it's one to avoid.

Food: Amber

As my personal circumstances and preferences change I find myself going out less and less for for meals out - I've always maintained that I've never been much of a foodie and as a placeholder for socialising restaurants just fall by the wayside for more wholesome and intimate options.

That said, there are times when eating out is fully appropriate, but the re-framing of food as a poor social pastime means that I'm much more discerning about where I'll go. All of which made it quite fortunate that Amber was really really good. I suppose "Mediterranean" is the closest word I could use to describe it, but it was much more interesting than the usual med fare. We decided to get a spread for the table and so got to sample 14 hour shoulder, pide, meatballs, halloumi fritters and a selection of salads, all complementing each other perfectly. We even went all out with dessert, the hit of which was a pomegranate topped orange cake.

The place was smart yet open to facilitating a good time - breezy maybe - and service was always provided with a smile and generosity. And the cost was a pleasant surprise too, with the bill coming to under £25 even though I felt we have slightly over-ordered.

It'll definitely be a future option if I'm ever in Aldgate for dinner. Recommended.

Film: Midsommar

If there's anything to take away from this review it's not to make the same mistake that I did and go into this thinking it as a follow up to last year's Hereditary. That's not to say the difference in pace and tone is to the detriment of this film, no, but it pays to go in without a specific framing in mind.

Midsommar is probably just as interesting as Hereditary though. It's a film that is equally steeped in bizzaro world as it is in human normality and it's in that juxtaposition that the genius lies. A (fatal for me) consequence however is that there doesn't seem to be much of an ending to the film as it just potters off to inevitable conclusion.

If you're looking for something different, then Midsommar definitely fits that bill. Whether it wholly satisfies or not is less of a certainty.

Film: Spider-Man: Far from Home

In what is a clear case of us having just been plain spoiled, the latest Spider-Man film was never going to live up to expectations. In any other year this film would have been great, with our friendly neighbourhood web slinger swooshing and webbing and growing to face a foe that started with that upper hand. In the world of the MCU formula isn't necessarily a bad thing, but the flaws here are just way too apparent in the shadow of Endgame.

The romantic story is clumsy and schizophrenic, while he constant calling back to Iron Man is suffocating. Jake Gyllenhaal was great though, and in my view managed to carry most of the film.

The hope here is that as the Avengers double finale fades into memory comic book adaptations will have a more realistic baseline to aim for. Whether that pans out or not we'll just have to see.