Team Cook Islands was welcomed to Delhi in a shower of rose petals on their arrival early Tuesday morning.

The team touched down in Delhi after a 15 hour flight from Auckland where stewards on the charted Air India aircraft tended to the athletes and officials every need.

In fact, the team was served up supper while the aircraft was still stationary on the Auckland tarmac and the food never stopped coming through the long trip to India.

Team Cook Islands was joined by the Tonga, Samoa, Niue and Tokelau Commonwealth Games team.

Once on the ground in Delhi, the team received a warm welcome that reminded them of home.

There was a welcome with flowers as the Indians showered the team with rose petals. This brought a number of reactions from team members – from giggles of delight to nervous apprehension.

In the end everyone agreed it was a wonderful welcome to Delhi.

But rose petals soon changed to armed guards as the team proceeded through immigration.

Armed and unarmed guards did little to dampen the teams thrill at being in Delhi as some excitedly posed for photos with the friendly security staff.

More armed security greeted the team as they boarded their bus with its own armed army personnel to provide extra security en route to the Games Village.

After a smooth journey from Rarotonga to Auckland and then on to Delhi – the 45 minute bus ride to the games village at 5am was a whole new experience.

A motorcycle carrying two security guards escorted Team Cook Islands bus to the village with another jeep carrying four security men, of which two were armed, followed alongside the bus – and all this in a shrill of police sirens and honking horns.

There were a number of near collisions between the teams’ bus and motorists trying to cross the lane reserved only for Commonwealth Games busses.

A heavy moving truck and a little three wheeled tuk-tuk had the team in stitches – mainly because the vehicles had no headlights on the busy 5am Delhi highways.

But the serious security check at the entrance of the Games Village was no laughing matter as bags were scanned and individuals pattered down.

One more short mini bus ride through the village and the team reached Tower 10 –home for the next three weeks.

Although rough in construction Tower 10 has received the tick from Team Cook Islands.

Athletes and officials spent their first day on the ground in Delhi resting after the long journey and getting familiar with the sprawling Games which is begging to have a festive feel as more athletes poor into Delhi to compete at the Commonwealth Games.

After resting – athletes will get their bodies and mind back into competition mode ahead of the opening ceremony on October 3 and the first day of competitions the next day.