I believe the theme of this essay is that the people we meet on a trip might be more important than the trip itself. The entire essay is dedicated to Iyer's time with Maung Maung. This emphasizes the focus on Maung Maung's story instead of Iyer's trip.
Iyer did a great job of showing Maung Maung's broken English. "I had picture before. But after she broke my heart, and fall in love with other people, I tear it out" (20). This was really effective because it gave the reader a sense of what it would be like to talk to him.
Iyer also used similes to help give the reader a better sense of what was happening. "I also felt as uncertain as an actor walking through a play he hasn't read" (22). This gave the reader a comparison to show how confused Iyer truly was in this situation.
I completely agree that the theme is about the importance of the people we meet on a trip as they shape our experiences. Many of the stories we have read outline similar themes in my opinion. You bring up a good point that Iyer did an exceptional job of describing how Maung Maung spoke, which gives readers the opportunity to truly understand what the author heard. I noticed that the story has numerous quotes that sound like universal truths. "Experience, I believe, is the best teacher," Maung Maung says to Iyer at one point. Maung Maung describes his principles by which he lived which almost sound like the Ten Commandments in a way. "'You see,' he went on, 'if I love other people, they will love me,'" Maung Maung explains to Iyer. Each quote agrees with your idea that the story focuses on Maung Maung's story and his outlook on life.
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