sentences:  Güiraldes's childhood and youth were divided between the family ranch, La Porteña in San Antonio de Areco, and Buenos Aires.In San Antonio he came into contact with the world of the gauchos, which would figure prominently in his novels "Raucho" and "Don Segundo Sombra"; there, too, he met Segundo Ramírez, upon whom he based the title character of the latter work.He loved the country life, but suffered from asthma that sometimes limited his own physical activity, though he generally presented an image of physical vigor.