Answering readers’ questions about life in Caracas turned out to be trickier than I expected.

There were some questions that left me stumped and curious (“What’s the contemporary art scene like in Caracas?”) and others that might lead to reporting at some point (“Is there still a strong Socialist Party presence within the jails?”).

Here are a few of the more than 600 questions readers asked, to get us started. I’ll continue to answer your inquiries, so please keep submitting them. And thanks for asking the tough questions!

How are your Spanish skills doing for your new life in Venezuela? Have you picked up any local jargon or common expressions thus far? (Mauricio Arcesio, Cali, Colombia)

Well, I’ve been having some fun learning my way around the local vocabulary here and learning that words like “vaina” are said by most anybody, even politicians! (If you want to know what it means, you’ll have to Google it.)

I’ve spoken Spanish since I was about 12 growing up in California, usually around Mexican-Americans, and “qué onda, güey” isn’t a greeting in Venezuela, I have learned. But I like the Caribbeanisms that I have picked up so far: “caña” (sugar cane) for a drink, “palos” (sticks) for beer, and “pasapalos” (pass-the-sticks) for appetizers.

And “arrecho!” It’s an adjective you can stick on anything that’s superlative, good or bad. Standard meaning? You’ll have to Google that, too.

What is everyday life like on the streets of Caracas? Is it as dangerous as they say on the news and media sites or just somewhat overblown by the press? Can you get a coffee in a local cafe and comfortably enjoy yourself reading the local paper? (Michael Schneider, Houston)

So far these things don’t seem mutually exclusive! Caracas seems just as rough as you’ve heard. But that also doesn’t stop Caraqueños from having a nice coffee and reading a book.

I’ve had a chance to wander both the barrios and the upscale parts of Caracas, and the city can look like any other part of Latin America. But the other day a friend of mine was robbed at gunpoint in front of his home by a gang of eight thieves on motorcycles.

At night it can feel as if there’s a curfew in place. Everyone tells you not to check your cellphone on the street.

One thing that sadly has been lost for many Caraqueños is walking the city. The weather is wonderful here, and it’s the perfect city for a walk. Walking in Caracas is a topic I’m hoping to write about for the paper sometime soon.

Are there any decent maps yet? When I was studying in Caracas in 1996, it was impossible to get a map of the city or any other part of the country. (Felicia Madrigal, Johannesburg)

No maps? That’s a funny one. I use Google Maps myself, which I’ve been surprised to see works very well. No Street View, alas. But I’ve learned that Caraqueños have a strange way of getting around, which doesn’t involve addresses or streets but has a lot to do with street corners with funny names.

Is there freedom of the press? Have you experienced any attempts to stop what you are reporting? (Albert, California)

Press freedom throughout Latin America is under threat, though the Committee to Protect Journalists ranks Venezuela as a better place for reporters than Colombia or Mexico in terms of the number of journalists killed.

But deaths are not the only way to measure attacks on the news media. Venezuela has few newspapers that are not aligned with the government of President Nicolás Maduro. My predecessor, William Neuman, wrote about the sale of a pro-opposition paper called El Universal to mysterious owners. Today the paper tows a largely pro-government line. Not long ago I had coffee with a reporter who left his job there because he said he couldn’t write freely anymore.

So far I have not been bothered about my reporting. Left-wing Chavistas did not used to talk to the foreign news media, but that has started to change since they lost their majority in the Assembly. The opposition will still yack your head off.

But let’s check back in after six months and I’ll tell you if it’s still that way.

Hugo Chávez made an art form of blaming the U.S. for Venezuela’s problems. What do ordinary people think of America and Americans now? (Curtis Galloway, Santa Cruz, Calif.)

You’re right about Chávez and the art of anti-Americanism. I was on my way to the National Assembly the other day and stumbled into a crowd of Chavista protesters with big loudspeakers playing “Yankee Go Home,” a tune by a Venezuelan singer named Alí Primera. You hear it a lot here.

But these weren’t the kind of “Death to America” protests you see in the Middle East. The tune is definitely Caribbean, danceable and, uh … catchy? I don’t know if anyone knew if I was American, but no one asked. I haven’t had any trouble, and I always tell people where I’m from.

Is it dangerous to buy things on the black market? Or does it just take up a lot of time? (Greg Wynn, San Francisco.)

You’ve beat me to the punch; The black market is the subject of an upcoming post.

The black market makes it sound like a shadowy underworld. In fact, vendors are about as easy to find as supermarkets — sometimes easier. They look like most any other street vendor you might see in Latin America, except that most things they sell were first sold in a store.

Almost everyone buys from the black market at some point or another, though there is a huge markup. The hassle isn’t the danger, but the lack of selection — you never know what they’ll have. But for many, it beats waiting in a line all day for eggs and flour.