We may have made it across the border, but that's just when our problems began.

In our video today (at the bottom of this post), we share our experiences on:

• How to get a Mexican tourist visa,
• Driving at night in Mexico,
• Buying a Temporary Vehicle Import Permit (TIP) to allow our US car to drive in Mexico,
• Our experience getting gas in Mexico for the first time,
• And the hazards and dangers of driving in Mexico.

(SPOILER ALERT) Important Lessons So Far

We talk about a few of these things in the video, so watch that first if you want to hear the whole story before knowing how it all ended for us. What we've already learned after running into some unfortunate turmoil right after crossing the border is:

1. Do. Not. Drive. At. Night. In. Mexico. Although we knew this before getting to Mexico, we didn't leave enough time for incidentals and ended up having to drive after dark. It was unbelievably scary and we got lucky not to have hit a giant pothole, tope, car, or animal.
2. You need to have pesos to buy your traveler's visa at the Mexican border (at least at the Sonoyta location).
3. There are only a few locations where you can buy a TIP for your car. Find out where they are located before you decide which border crossing to drive to. (More on this in a video to come.)
4. Driving in Mexico is much different than in the United States. We could write an entire novel on this so far, but here's what you need to know:

What To Expect When Driving in Mexico

Not only do Mexican drivers follow different rules—or no rules at all for that matter—it's just a completely different driving experience. You really can't assume anything is similar to the laws, habits, and understood "rules of the road" in the United States.

For instance, the location and appearance of signage and markings are nothing like you'd expect after driving in the US. But the deviations don't stop there. You won't see lane lines. Speed limit signs don't exist for long stretches of road (or they'll change 5 times in a 2-mile stretch). Stop signs are incredibly small or hidden entirely, but you still need to watch out for these crossings or expect to get hit by another vehicle. NO ONE uses blinkers—except us, that is. People change lanes (if you can even distinguish what's a lane at any given time) without warning.

It's a hot mess.

As we've driven more, there appears to be a little more of a pattern to it, but you still need to give your full attention to the road at all times to avoid getting in an accident in Mexico. Many times, it takes both our attention to avoid hitting a stray dog, a car backing out into traffic, topes (the giant, unmarked speed bumps here), or any number of other unexpected hazards.

If you would find it useful for us to write entire post on safe driving practices in Mexico and what to expect when driving on Mexican toll roads and in various cities, let us know in the comments below.

But we know why you're here today...to see the crazy shenanigans we got ourselves into after crossing the border! See the video below.

Up Next on Our Tangerine Travels...

A tour (in English and Spanish) of what you can expect at an Airbnb in Hermosillo, Mexico.

If you enjoyed this video, follow us @TangerineTravels for more.

@shenanigator (Jordan)
@sharingeverybite (Maddie)
(And Laska the Siberian Husky)