I think that the theme of this essay is that people are not always who they seem to be and you should not judge them based on a first impression. (Or, as the old cliche goes, don't judge a book by its cover.) Iyer talks a lot in the beginning about how he is unsure of whether he should go with Maung-Maung and expresses some fear of being robbed. However, once he finds out more about Maung-Maung's life he realizes that he wasn't in any danger.
"Ah, I thought, here comes the setup." At this point Iyer is afraid that he will be swindled and robbed. This struck me as effective because he does not appear to be too greatly concerned. He is worried, but not worried enough to refuse to go. It shows his sense of adventure and his small amount of trust for Maung-Maung.
"Then, as gently as if it were his Bible, Maung-Maung passed across the other volume, a dusty old English-Burmese dictionary, its yellowed pages falling from their covers." This I found effective because it shows just how important communication with tourists is to Maung-Maung. It uses good comparisons to show very clearly how important the book is, and it also shows us a lot about Maung-Maung's character; a caring and dedicated person.
I really liked that you mentioned not judging a book by its cover, although as you said, it is a cliche. However, it very accurately sums up Iyer's experience with Maung-Maung. The people we meet through travels are vastly different from us but appearance shouldn't dissuade us from interacting/ learning from locals. The second quote you included was one that also struck me as being important. It shows Maung-Maung's true character--caring and dedicated as you said-- rather than the perceived threat he poses to tourists. Through the essay, Iyer shows the importance of looking beyond superficial appearances.
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